MATT GOES FORWARD TO THE PAST AS COURIERS TAKE BRONZE
How uplifting to see a great win by Matt at Shobdon as he managed to rediscover the form that made him a champ a few years back! And not only the win on the night, but bronze in the series too. Wait till we have both Matt and Eliot firing at the same time! And well done the team to take 3rd overall when we had started the day back in 4th!
It was a humid evening with rain threatening at times but the course was generally hard underfoot as they all have been this summer. The team effort was put in motion by Eliot, less than a minute down on Matt in 5th and the ever reliable Luke in 8th with Ali yet again our top woman in 77th. As so often, she took an individual award, this year, the F50, a great achievement given the difficulties she’s had along the way. As for Luke, surely he has the ability to join Matt and Eliot as race winner one of these days. Maybe go steady on those marathons, Luke!
Other Series award winners were Dave, unchallenged in the M50s as he, like Matt, was recovering some of his former sharpness, Jayne in the F55s who also took the title by storm and Geoff in the V60s. In fact, Geoff finished on the same number of points as overall M55 winner, Jack Parry and beat him 3 out of 3. He had a particularly good run at Shobdon, finishing 28th and carving his way through the field with all the grace of a cuirass cutting through Cretan sheep’s cheese. No need to mention here the exploits of new boy, Rhayader’s Mike Warrick who is a wonder of medical science in all senses of the term, achieving 1st V45 when he is just a tiny bit older.
Other performers at Shobdon were Neil [30th], a stranger by the name of Suff who ran round with a spare wheel on his back, making constant flicking motions with his hand, in 32nd, the Salted Herring in 36th and Kev, fresh from 14 track and field events from the weekend [including the man versus wildebeast tug of war contest, Kev 2nd] 71st out of 120 finishers.
On a personal note, thanks to Steve Littlewood for his First Aid. But do pre-race neck tourniquets need to be quite that tight? On behalf of the Club, huge thanks to the one and only Mike Blenkinsop for expertly orchestrating yet another brilliant Series. And we shouldn’t forget First Lieutenant Clive’s work in making it all dance. Thanks both!
All in all, not a bad summer for the Couriers when there were real doubts at the beginning of the Series whether we would manage to field a team. Onwards, then, with attitude, to the winter series! You can come out now, Mike Link!
Great win Matt