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Flu
Victim Jac Runs Best Time
Hayes and Harlington Road Runner Jac Williams demonstrated her rapidly improving
form at the Watford Half Marathon on Sunday by shattering her personal best by
five minutes. Jac had been in two minds about entering the race following a
recent bout of flu but proved more than a match for the undulating course to
finish in 1:55. Stunned club mates are now expecting her to improve on her
performance as she continues to build up for this year's London Marathon. One
race now prominent on her agenda is the Gazette Hillingdon Half Marathon on
Sunday March 19. The remainder of Hayes and Harlington Road Runners suffered
mixed fortunes at Watford in a race notorious for its steep hills. Brian
Matthews led a depleted Hayes contingent home in 1:30. Two minutes later a
revitalised Paul Evans held on to a one second lead over team mate Colin Aldous
despite a blistering onslaught in the closing stages. Ian Robinson and Brian
Skinner completed the line up.
Hall
Leads Runners Home
The rain and biting wind did little to dampen the spirit of the 11-strong squad
of Hayes and Harlington Road Runners who were in action in the Reading 20 mile
road race on Sunday morning. The Hayes runners used the race as part of their
training programme for the London Marathon and the rural two lap course proved a
rewarding outing for the club with several noteworthy performances. Seasoned
Marathon runners Ernie Hall and Jack Nisbet ran a close race with little to
separate them until the closing stages. Hall was the first Hayes runner home
comfortably finishing in 2:04 with Nisbet following in 2:07. Meanwhile, Hayes
coach Tony Betteridge gave his club a memorable lesson in pace judgment by
completing the second lap faster than the first, finishing in 2:20. Betteridge's
outstanding performance earned him third place, leaving the rest of the club
trailing. (Gazette 5 March)
Father
and Sons Shine
Father and sons Ernie, Sean and Lee Hall took the honours when Hayes and
Harlington Road Runners were in action in the Maidenhead Easter 10 road race on
Good Friday. Dad Ernie all was first Hayes runner home in 58 minutes being
followed by Colin Aldous in 68 min. Then Came Martin Reynolds in 71 min, Ian
Robinson 72 min and Jac Williams 93 min. The best Hayes and Harlington
performance of the day however was undoubtedly in the juniors race where the
club filled four of the first ten places. Seven-year-old Sean Hall led the way
followed by David and Thomas Robinson and Sean's younger brother Lee. (Gazette
14 April)
London
Marathon
All but four of the 13 Hayes and Harlington Road Runners competing in the London
Marathon finished in under three and a half hours. Ernie Hall was first home in
2:48 followed by Jack Nisbet 2:54 while there were several new personal best
times for the course. These included Brian Tillier 3:03, Paul Evans 3:04, Tony
Betteridge 3:04, Peter Ford 3:06, Ian Smith 3:20 and Ian Robinson 3:29. Geoff
Castle and Colin Aldous gave creditable performances finishing in 3:37 and 3:40.
The ladies section was represented by Jac Williams who, running in her first
ever full marathon, passed the post in 4:12.
Nash
Stars on Return
Hayes and Harlington Road Runner Barry Nash marked his competitive comeback
after six months absence with a strong performance at the Camberley Half
Marathon. Nash ran the first 10 miles of the hilly course in under 57 minutes
and saw off a strong challenge from teammate Jack Nisbet to finish in 1:19.
Nisbet was second Hayes and Harlington Road Runner home in !:20 with Pat
O'Hoolahan, also running for the first time this year, clocking 1:23. (Gazette
21 May)
Aldous
Stars at Brands Hatch
Hayes and Harlington Road Runners' Colin Aldous found the Brands Hatch motor
racing track to his liking when he competed in a 10 kilometer race there. Brands
Hatch proved demanding with many steep hills and severe cambers. But Aldous
maintained contact with the leaders throughout the race and following an early
challenge from teammate Ian Robinson, built up an impressive lead to be first
Hayes runner home.
he following day saw the Hayes runners compete in the Datchet Dash, again over
10 kilometres, where the flat course favoured speed over endurance. This proved
ideal for Barry Nash who finished 10th overall in 34 minutes. Jack Nisbet was
next Hayes runner home in 35 minutes for 19th place, with the latest edition to
the club, Paul Wilson, 38th in 38 minutes. Ian Smith then pipped Peter Ford in
an exciting sprint to the line. Jack Williams improved her finishing time over
the two races by an impressive five minutes to establish a new 10K personal best
at the same time. (Gazette 3 June)
Ace
Nisbet Leads the Way Home
Hayes and Harlington Road Runners demonstrated their growing strength in depth
by gaining an unexpected team success in the Borehamwood Half Marathon. This was
despite the club being without several top runners because of injury and
holidays. They beat off the challenge of 400 rival runners to take the title for
the fourth time in last five attempts with Jack Nisbet leading the team home in
6th spot. Nisbet was followed by Colin Aldous in 31st position. They were
followed by Brian Matthews who was 36th and Paul Evans 59th to see Hayes and
Harlington win by the narrowest of margins from a strong Metropolitan Police
squad. The Road Runners were also represented at the Bracknell Forest Five with
Chairman Bill Hart returning to running after several months out through injury.
(Gazette 25 June)
Boyle
Storms Home for Third Time
Mike Boyle of Herne Hill Harriers took the title for the third time when Hayes
and Harlington 10K Road Race attracted its biggest entry for many years on
Sunday. The bright sunshine and fresh breeze made the conditions perfect and
Boyle had a commanding lead by three miles and never looked threatened. The
South London runner opened up a lead of almost a minute by the closing stages.
Boyle finished in an impressive 31:53, just outside the course record he set in
1991. Second was Ernie Cunningham of Aldershot and Farnham AC, who finished 10
seconds in front of Watford Harrier David Rosewarn. (Gazette 6 August)
Evans
Unlucky
A gruelling combination of conditions denied Hayes and Harlington Road Runner
Paul Evans a chance of winning the Lausanne Marathon. Evans was highly fancied
for the V50 trophy and led his age category at the half way point of the Swiss
Marathon. But the combination of altitude and high temperature eventually took
their toll forcing Evans to moderate his pace. Finishing in just over three
hours, a disappointed Evans missed out on his goal by the narrowest of margins
and had to settle for a minor placing in a field of nearly 5000.
Jac's
Trophy and She Didn't Even Know It!
Hayes and Harlington Road Runner Jac Williams gave an unexpected demonstration
of her rapidly improving ability when she gained her first ever trophy at the
weekend. Jac's surprise result came in the Super Styles multi-terrain race in
and around Black Park, an event which attracted a strong field of local runners.
The often confusing six mile off-road course, caused several of the front
runners to lose their way. Making the most of the opportunity, Jac battled on
through the forest tracks to take second place in the ladies open competition.
Such was the confusion at the finish that Jac was unaware of her achievement and
was travelling home with her coach when the award ceremony took place. Confusion
reigned in the men's race as well. A number of the Hayes team were sent the
wrong way by a marshall but once back on course, Jack Nisbet pushed hard to make
up lost ground finishing in a creditable 14th Toby (yes Toby!) Betteridge
finished 32nd. (Gazette 29 September)
Marathon
Treble
Not content with running the UK's two toughest Marathons on successive days,
Hayes and Harlington Road Runners' Peter Ford went one better, competing in a
third on the following day. Day one of Peters 78.6 mile ordeal saw him knock
more than five minutes off his personal best in the Seven Sisters event near
Eastbourne. The following day saw him in North Wales clocking yet another
personal best in the Snowdonia Marathon and to complete a hard-working treble
24-year-old Peter was on the starting line for the Dublin race.
Win
Some Loos' Some!
A red faced road runner who started a race four minutes late after getting
locked in the toilet still managed to be the third in his team to finish the
race. An embarrassed Greg Newman, 18, who lives in Hounslow, had to get a race
official to rescue him from the toilet at the Hog's Back nine mile hill climb
road race in Guildford on Sunday. Greg, who had to answer the call of nature
just before the start, managed to lock the toilet door but couldn't get it open
again. His cries for help were eventually answered by a kindly official,
although by the time the Hayes and Harlington road runner had been rescued the
race had started. But despite the set back, Greg managed to make up for lost
time in the loo and finish the course in an impressive 58 minutes. (Hounslow
Chronicle 10 December)
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