Mk XXVII

The penultimate Aretha Franklin (joke courtesy of Chris Walmsley) Mile of 2012. Crazily enough as we go toward deeper Autumn the weather for this Mile was perfect. Cool and no wind. It was such perfect conditions that Ciaran Murphy regretted not running in the end, rueing the chance to have such a lovely evening pass him by.

Thanks to Roy Reeder for taking names and Ciaran for giving half way splits.

Next week, our last run round the Fountain taking two licks of the lollipop (metaphor courtesy of Lirsty Bingham) and I need to remember to bring the box of Cadburys Roses I have to share. Lirsty Bingham I believe is bringing cake.

6:45pm meet for 7pm start. See you there!

RESULTS

1. Harry Matthews 5:21 (PB remains 5:17)
2. John Woods 5:44 (PB remains 5:41)
3. Cristiano Bonato 5:50 (PB remains 5:37)
4. Richard Barman 6:01 (PB remains 6:01)
5. Hayden Matthews 6:06 (PB remains 5:51) 
6. Rue Turner 6:18 (PB remains 6:08)
7. Donna Richards 6:39 (PB remains 6:32)
8. Kirsty Bangham 7:05 (PB remains 6:55)
9. Meredith Kendall 7:15 (PB remains 7:09)
10. Dario Paddano 7:29 PB

Mk XXVI

I'll keep this short and sweet just like the run last night. No wind, dusk light. Thanks to John Woods for taking names and well done to Tracey Wilson for doing her first mile (with daughter Libby as support). Great to have Clan Wilson out enjoying themselves.

No PB's tonight. BOOOO!

Next week - meet at 7pm for a 7:15pm start. It will be the penultimate in this years Mile series, so get your miling in before it stops.

RESULTS

1. Duncan Mallison 5:12 (PB remains 5:01)
2. Harry Matthews 5:22 (PB remains 5:17)
3. Roy Reeder 5:22 (PB remains 5:07)
4. Steve Taylor 5:33 (PB remains 5:26)
5. Dave Wilson 5:47 (PB remains 5:16)
6. Hayden Matthews 6:11 (PB remains 5:51)
7. Donna Richards 6:37 (PB remains 6:32)
8. Joe Wilson 6:48 (PB remains 6:45)
9. Kirsty Bangham 7:20 (PB remains 6:55)
10. Tracey Wilson 9:16 (1st timer)

Mk XXV

Well, I had to contribute my time to the Marathon Talk Magic Mile so as the window of opportunity was closing, I wanted to lay a time down just to contribute to Team UK. Not expecting anything better than last time, not feeling any pressure to do so, just clock an entry. That's why I ran tonight.

I was expecting a much smaller field than the previous week, which it looked like being at around 7:40pm. I popped off to powder my nose and came back to find 26.2 Road Runners Club had decided to pop on down and double the numbers! A pleasant surprise. Thanks to their Club President Joe Chang for persuading a bunch to come and try their hand at a speedy mile!

There's not many weeks left now until we will need to wrap the Arethusa Mile up for the winter and put it in a cardbox box with some hay and some lettuce and let it hibernate. I have ambitions in my head to carry on a winter style speed event in the vicinity of Bushy Park, but it won't be a mile due to sheer logistics and lack of empty well-lit mile strips in the area. Watch this space for ideas.

Huge thanks must go to Hayden Matthews for being the timer and doing a sterling role and thanks to 9 year old Libby Wilson for doing the token giving. It was unsurprisingly a scary task for such a youngster being surrounded by exhausted and eager runners to get their position!

If I'm not mistaken we also had the fastest ever Arethusa Mile time by a woman set by Katherine Wilson and was also the first ever lady under 6 minutes! In fact tonight, there were two! Some speedy ladies they have there at 26.2.

Next week the start is brought forward once again due to sundown getting earlier and will be at 7:30pm. See you then.

RESULTS

1. Danny Norman 4:51 (PB remains 4:49)
2. Jack Holland 4:58 (1st timer)
3. Daniel Harris 5:00 (1st timer)
4. Duncan Mallison 5:01 PB
5. Jack Moran 5:08 (PB remains 5:06)
6. Don Vizer 5:13 (1st timer)
7. Roy Reeder 5:22 (PB remains 5:07)
8. Steve Watkins 5:22 (1st timer)
9. Harry Matthews 5:29 (PB remains 5:17)
10. Joseph Chang 5:29 (1st timer)
11. Ciaran Murphy 5:31 (PB remains 5:27)
12. Carl Moran 5:34 (PB remains 5:26)
13. Dan Hookey 5:37 (1st timer)
14. Kevin Parker 5:40 (1st timer)
15. Katherine Wilson 5:42 (1st timer) *LADIES RECORD*
16. Dave Wilson 5:45 (PB remains 5:16)
17. Jed Leicester 5:47 (PB remains 5:45)
18. John Woods 5:47 (PB remains 5:41)
19. David Pimm 5:49 (1st timer)
20. Vanessa Blackburn 5:53 (1st timer)
21. Ryan Moran 5:59 (PB remains 5:41)
22. Michael Moran 6:00 (PB remains 5:49)
23. Richard Barman 6:01 PB
24. Alice Tozer 6:12 (1st timer)
25. John Sweeney 6:26 (1st timer)
26. Jonathan Pegg 6:31 PB
27. Cat Gaskell 6:43 (1st timer)
28. Joe Wilson 7:25 (PB remains 6:45)
29. Douglas Josham 7:35 (1st timer)

Mk XXIV

Phew! Well, that was as hectic and as busy as I expected and a bit more! My mind is a buzz.

Being an official event for the Marathon Talk Magic Mile we had quite a few new faces, from near and far! I think Philip Morris Jones came from Wycombe way, David Blackman came from the Southampton area and welcome to any of you who travelled some distance, many thanks for coming all this way.
Having to split the run into two waves meant that we didn't have much sunlight as we are beholden to the traffic being closed off when the gates shut, and tonight this was 8:15pm, pretty much as it got dark and there is obviously no street lighting in the park! The second wave of runners were therefore pretty much night running, but I think they all enjoyed it. Especially the youngsters amongst us, being allowed up way past their bedtime on a school night! I wish I had something like this when I was 9 years old. Hurrumph... oh well.

Huge thanks to the volunteers tonight for all their help, the turn out was the largest yet and with the territory comes a need for better logistics. Doesn't help having barely any light but we got there in the end with the times and names.
We even had one runner who wasn't part of the event go past the finish line, that's a first. Little bit of results tweaking needed to remove that additional time. It's funny to have these small inevitable things happen here that many of us have seen before hundreds of times at parkruns up and down the country.
The volunteers in question were Kirsty Bangham who gave out tokens, PSH who assisted in tokens, the 'funnel' and getting names taken down as well as Helen Mallison and bump who recorded audio and helped hold and carry paraphernalia that my hands couldn't deal with. Thank you to PSH for providing the tokens and the stopwatch as well. Huge thank you to you.
Then to the runners who doubled up in running and volunteering; Sarah "Radio 2" Dixon who took Wave 1 names down, Ciaran Murphy who took Wave 2 names, Donna Richards for halfway time calling in Wave 1, Nick Rowe for this role in Wave 2, Rue Turner who provided back up timing for Wave 1 and any other of the ensemble who provided help on the night. Thank you all. If I've forgotten anyone, I apologise and do let me know!

Huge well done to all who ran and happy-happy joy-joy to those with a PB tonight too (or equal/close to), it was PB-tastic I think the phrase goes. Weather conditions couldn't have been much more perfect. No wind, cool/warm temperatures, people being dragged to quick times by each other, just the way we like it.

Next week we are back as always, looking to start at 7:45pm now but as always it depends on the traffic and the gates being closed. It's far safer I feel to run on empty, dark, flat tarmac than well lit roads with cars on.

I think that's everything. Don't forget to log your Marathon Talk times here if you so wish!
See you next week.

* Any errors or corrections, please email me at danny@parkrun.com

RESULTS

Wave 1

1. Ben Gibbons 4:46 PB
2. Roger Barr 4:48 PB
3. David Blackman 4:51 (1st timer)
4. Harry McCulloch 4:56 PB
5. Sathira Don 4:58 PB
6. Stewart Curtis 5:00 PB
7. Jack Moran 5:06 PB
8. Duncan Mallison 5:07 PB
9. Will Rawling 5:15 PB
10. Grant Russell 5:16 PB
11. Harry Matthews 5:19 (PB remains 5:17)
12. Philip Morris Jones 5:26 (1st timer)
13. Steve Taylor 5:26 (1st timer)
14. Ciaran Murphy 5:27 (PB remains 5:27)
15. Colin Haylock 5:30 PB
16. Martin Connor 5:32 (1st timer)
17. Ian Haylock 5:34 PB
18. Nick Rowe 5:36 PB
19. Rob Jones 5:41 (PB remains 5:41)
20. Mike Rayner 5:45 (1st timer)
21. Michael MacNeil 5:57 (1st timer)
22. Peter Wright 5:58 (1st timer)
23. Neil Mitchell 6:05 (1st timer)
24. Tim Wood 6:29 (PB remains 6:20)

Wave 2

1. Carl Moran 5:37 (PB remains 5:26)
2. John Woods 5:48 (PB remains 5:41)
3. Hayden Matthews 5:51 PB
4. Richard Lupo 5:53 (1st timer)
5. Andy Wingate 5:56 (PB remains 5:48)
6. Rue Turner 6:19 (PB remains 6:08)
7. Richard Barman 6:27 (1st timer)
8. Donna Richards 6:36 (PB remains 6:32)
9. Fiona McNeil 6:43 (1st timer)
10. Emily Schmidt 6:49 (1st timer)
11. Jonathan Pegg 7:04 (1st timer)
12. Neil Frame 7:15 PB
13. Sarah Dixon 7:26 PB
14. Daniel Rowe 7:27 (PB remains 7:16)
15. Niamh McNeil 7:37 (1st timer)
16. Jessica Rowe 7:44 PB
17. Stephen Ferguson 7:48 (1st timer)