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January

We started the year with five cups at the Tadworth 10 - unfortunately they were only thermal mugs which actually turned out to be quite useful for once. Michelle Sampson romped home first in the 5K handicap and followed it up with a fine performance in the Chiltern League fixture at Slough, Upton Court Park, leading the ladies cross-country team home.

February

The 2004 Championship got off to a disappointing start with just four Club members attempting the hilly Watford Half Marathon. Mike McCorkell won the midweek 5K handicap race proving that speed training does pay off. At the Wokingham ½ Marathon Gary Fiddes started his Championship bid with an 8 minute improvement over last year's best and Jac Aldous chalked up another PB with a 1:38:26 finish. The prospect of a bracing day out on Brighton Prom in the Sussex Beacon ½ Marathon didn't appeal to everyone... but the few that made the trip down the M23 were treated to a great race.

Matt Wilkins finished 4th SM and 5th overall at the Stragglers trail race at Bushy Park, while Brian Matthews braved a Safari Park at the Woburn 10K. The month ended with the Bramley 20/10 where Brian Skinner surprised everybody with a terrific run in the 10m, while Jac Aldous knocked the best part of half a day off her 20m PB.

March

Bill Hart finally won his first 5K Handicap race trophy in the last of the Wednesday night Winter Series. Peter Furness went back for a 4th installment the Paris Half Marathon. In the Cranleigh 21 it was a case of Five go mad in Surrey as the pace charts were thrown out the window in a mad dash from the start. The London Marathon training bandwagon creaked on to Hemel Hempstead for the Gade Valley 20 where the organisers donated extra miles as freely as the now famous tea and cakes at the end.

April

Brian Matthews continued his quest for unusual named races with the Third 10K@CH from the Blue Coat school in Horsham. Ian Robinson celebrated his 50th Half Marathon by narrowly missing his 10 year old PB at the White Horse Half Marathon. The Championship finally came to life at the Maidenhead 10 as Michelle Sampson set another PB.

In the London Marathon Jac Aldous pruned 14 minutes from her PB to finish in 3:30:03 overtaking Ian Robinson on Birdcage Walk in the process. Mike McCorkell and Rafat Ahmed also recorded PB's with 3:28:50 and 3:50:10 respectively. Matt Barnard injured a knee but still managed to finish in 5:04:24. Other results: Ian Robinson; 3:30:30, Gary Fiddes 3:53:57, the newly wed Tannians; 5:47:30. Sam Shimakage also completed 26.2 miles in the Lisbon Marathon and after battling rain, wind and hills was simply glad to finish in 3:46:32. Peter Furness's last ever marathon at Boston turned out to be brutal, leaving him with an unlikely 4:20:05 finish and that admission that he won't forget the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston in a hurry!

Three days after the London Marathon, Jac Aldous was back in action cruising home 4th in the Speedbirds 5K helping our women claim 3rd in the team event at Harmondsworth Moor.

May

Gary Fiddes won the first of the Summer Time Trials in Stockley Park. The long awaited return of Jack Nisbet and Colin Aldous at Concorde 10K helped the men pick up 3rd prize in the team competition. Unfortunately Colin sustained another injury at 9K which may well have ended his running days. In the Dolphin Dash Michelle Sampson bagged her first individual trophy finishing 3rd in the canal towpath race. 

June

Brian Skinner closed the gap on Gary Fiddes in the Time Trial table picking up maximum points in the second event of the series. Peter Furness moved up to second place in the Championship as we all suffered in a hot Wargrave 10K. Meanwhile Lucy Morris completed a hatrick of U12 wins at the Surrey Youth Games leaving proud dad Keith to wonder where she gets her ability from - certainly not him! Michelle Sampson and Jacqui Howell ended the month by going on the run from Broadmoor in the Woodland 5 

July

It wasn't Datchet and and hardly a Dash as the wind kept times moderate, but the new course at Dorney Lake proved to be an ideal venue for a revitalised Datchet Dash. Gary Fiddes maintained his position at the top of the Time Trial table with another win, but Pam Swadling and Brian Skinner both remained in contention with second and third.

Thirteen year old Gary Nisbet looked set to follow in his father's footsteps after recording 6:29 in the Sport Relief Mile. More than 250 took part at Harlington School and Gary put in a great performance, finishing in 5th position in a time that most of our adult members can only dream of. Sam Shimakage continued his quest to run a marathon in every European country with a visit to the west coast of Norway for the Hornindal Marathon finishing 7th in his category in one of the most scenic marathons in Europe

August

A shock win for Pam Swadling knocked Gary Fiddes from the top of the to the top Time Trial  table. Despite the conditions Brian Matthews decided to risk dehydration and heat exhaustion at the Bearbrook 10K in order to touch up that sun tan.

September

In the final Time Trial of the Summer Pam Swadling defended her lead in the points table keeping early leader Gary Fiddes in second place. 

A bad case of rhyming slang failed to stop Jack Nisbet finishing 15th in the Chalfont St Giles 10K. Meanwhile the chance to run past the Millennium Stadium was no consolation for Brian Matthews who branded the Cardiff KRUF 10K a shambles of a race.

Rumours that Jack Nisbet won the Iver Heath Ironman Triathlon were finaly confirmed when he appeared at the Club with a trophy the size of a bar table. Peter Furness traveled to the Czech republic for the World Airlines Road Race 5K  only to finish 59th and out of the trophies for once - but claims it was worth the effort for the beer !

At the Mortimer 10K Gary Nisbet got his tactics slightly wrong but still finished 13th in the 5K in 17:46, while Nisbet senior claimed 20th place in the 10K in 39:10. After remortgaging his house to pay to enter the Windsor Half Marathon Ian Robinson took it just a little too easy in the Great Park, being passed by ex members Graham Darvill and Craig George - both of whom claimed to have given up running!

October

This month the Club celebrated its 18th Birthday with a party that saw several old faces return. Ian Robinson picked up a commemorative bath towel in Japan finishing 1st international runner in the Ohmachi Marathon with son Tom doing the same in the Half.  Brian Skinner wrapped up the Club Championship at Twickenham's Cabbage Patch 10. Peter Furness travelled to Portsmouth for the Great South Run claiming the last 2 miles were as enjoyable as a race can be.

The new Cross-Country season got off to a predictable damp start in the first Chiltern League fixture at RAF Halton. At the end of the month the welcome return of Barry Nash at Oxford Horspath helped the Cross-Country "team" move up one place in Chiltern League Div II. 

November

In an otherwise quiet month new member Nicola Downing won the first race of the 5K Handicap series and scooped Runner of the Month

December

The Cross-Country team continued to languish near the bottom of Chiltern League Div II as only Michelle Sampson and Matt Wilkins turned out for the Club in the fixture at Luton. On day later and back at Luton a full road relay team comprising Gary Fiddes, Rafat Ahmad and Simon Roper finished 26.2 miles in 3:20:29 in the Luton Marathon Relays. Tony Newman won the final 5K Handicap of the year in another well contested event.

Rafat Ahmad thought he saved the best for last recording his fastest time of 2004 at the Bedford Half Marathon, however Rhian had other thoughts producing baby Taylr seven weeks early. Thanks to Ealing Hospital and GOSH both mother and child were both reported to be doing well by the end of the year.

At the annual awards night Jack Nisbet was voted runner of the year.