Gold Medals Galore.

Left: Olivia Robinson (centre) with her silver medal in the U20 Women’s category alongside Charley Marshall (right) the gold medal winner.

Right: Niamh Hillard (far left) with her gold medal and trophy for coming first in the U17 women’s category

To the winners thew spoils. didn’t they do well ?

Our gold medal winning U15 boys team.
L to R: Joel Ledgard, Sam Lambert, Will Hovell, Tom Fisher and Arran Cooper

Our gold medal winning U17 ladies team.
L to R: Maisie-Joy Spriggs, Niamh Hillard, Tilly Campbell, Bo Algate and Abbie Cooper

And there were Sheppards abiding in the fields.
Jess and Mike Sheppard

More Shephards – Rich and Ceri.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me four calling birds, or in this case four running birds.
 I hope that’s not a politically incorrect thing for me to say.

 Kate Barney, Susan Hunt, Sarah Odell and Kate Sergent.
 

Hooky Christmas Canter
 

The most fun you can have in public in PJ,s

On a bitterly cold windy morning a handful of Stratford AC members’ decided to enter in to the fun of Hooky Christmas Canter along with some 200 other hardy souls  

Many in fancy dress so not to disappoint the brave happy marshalls.

Kate Sergent and I wore PJ’s purchased from that designer shop Primarni.  Susan Hunt and her fellow Bourton runners’ dressed as 1950’s housewife’s, Kate Barney in her Christmas jumper, Emma Hawkins, Nik Reynolds, Annie Walton were looking colourful as usual. 

Around 75% of the field of runners read the email about dress code, so it was a colourful display of Santas, reindeers, elves, angels, pigs in blankets.  

Starting at Hook Norton football club, out on to the road and then you turn up a bridle path and up a very muddy hill for about 2 miles, slip sliding around trying to stay upright. Once you reach the top you were hit by a biting headwind as you cross a number of fields, over wooden bridges, styles, gates and more mud.  

The feed station at the half way point was full of mulled wine and water and friendly marshalls.  

The second half was just as muddy but at least the wind was behind us.  It was in the second half I found out some disturbing news about Kate, running though a field of turnips, quoting lines from Blackadder I found out she’s never watched it and you think you know someone!  Homework needed for Mrs Sergent.   

Back down into Bourton through the village and back to the club to the finish line.
 
Emma Hawkins was first home for Stratford followed by Kate Barney, Kate, me, Susan, Nik and Annie.  

It’s a fabulous organised fun race full of Christmas cheer and mud.

 A massive thanks to the marshalls standing in those bitter fields.

 Definitely recommend it, lovely route in beautiful countryside.  

Winter Series Race 3.

 

Moved from its traditional post Christmas date to last weekend, the 3rd of this season’s Tempo Winter Series races saw yet another successful outing for many club members last Sunday at Ilmington.

5 club members finished in the Top 10 with Andy Lawrence finishing in1st place with a time of 33.33, followed by Jamie Hall in 2nd (35.11), Matt Burdus-Cook (37.19) was 5th and 1st M45, Adam Evans (37.49) finished in 8th place and 1st M35 and David Teasdale (38.12) to finish 9th. Our first lady finisher was Suzie Ross (49.08) in 66th place. Some 39 runners are listed in the results as club members. 289 runners completed the course.

For the full results please follow the link below:

https://www.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=16418&RId=852&EId=1&dt=0&adv=1