L2SOTM — The Longparish 2nd Sunday Of The Month (handicap race)

Race Results

Race held on Sunday 8th August 2021 over the Cricket Ground RR course

Pictures

There is an album of photos you can look at.

Race Report

It was wet, wet, wet for the August run. We were lulled into a false sense of security because it was hardly raining when we started but boy did it ever rain hard on the way around.

We welcomed new runner Ela Shaw and we welcomed back Jen Mulberry after a four-year absence. Ela's partner, Kevin Hickey was also 'new' as this was the first time he has done the L2 with their baby in a buggy.

All three were running off estimated handicaps and all three greatly underestimated their abilities. It was a family one two (or perhaps one, two, three) for Ela, Kevin and the baby more than three minutes inside their handicaps and followed closely by Jen. Wojtek Majka was first home of a true handicap which he broke by nearly a minute to become our Most Improved Man with a personal record time. Al McKinnon and Stuart Dewy also recorded personal bests and Sandra Doney in 8th place was Most Improved Woman. Well done all.

I promised details of my appeal to help friends in Nepal. Here's the link. https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/17464

We are very lucky here to be getting back to some sort of normality. In Nepal people have been having a hard time. The Covid infection rate is high, the vaccination rate is low, the tourist industry has taken a huge hit, there's no furlough scheme and unusually heavy monsoon rains have brought severe flooding. St Nicholas Church in Longparish have kindly offered to collect donations. The target is £1,500. If you have been vaccinated then please chip in a tenner. If you haven't suffered financially or have even saved during lockdown, please make it £20. And if you live somewhere secure and dry how about rounding it up to £30. Everything you give will help families with no income from tourism or with the repair of six houses washed away by floods.

Thanks very much to Maggie Barber, Nick and Sarah Collier and David Gould for helping and the Cricket Club for the lovely venue.

Our next race is on Sunday 12th September. That is the day after the Longparish fete so be prepared to be asked to help take down tents. You will be very welcome if you'd like to run or help out. We will be gradually easing into a new post-Covid way of organising the race. For the time being we will stick with entries having to be done in advance as it makes the admin much less stressful on the day.

Your start time depends on how fast you are. For your first race it will be based on your estimated time. After that your handicap will be based on your most recent result. Slower runners will start first with the fastest last so the winner is the person who improves most.

We issue a monthly email invitation a few days before each race and very occasional other emails. Please follow this link to be added to our Mail Chimp list. Some email systems may treat your first email as spam so please look out for it and add us to your trusted list.

Sarah sensibly takes shelter from the rain.