Wessex Ridgeway Relay Report

 

Wells City Harriers run in all weathers but last Sunday has to be one of the wettest events ever attended by Wells teams.  The Wessex Ridgeway Relay began at Tollard Royal in Dorset at 7.30am just as it started to rain and it didn't stop until mid afternoon.  Everyone got wet, runners and supporters, but it did brighten up eventually to lift everyone's spirits.  The Harriers fielded 2 teams this year - Vet Men and Ladies and chose to run in pairs as the 100km race is run in true relay style as a continuous relay with a small bit of white plastic pipe serving as baton passed from leg to leg.  12 legs in all of approx 5 miles each and a maximum of 6 runners per team.  Wells participants ran 2 legs each, back to back, and men and women were matched as closely as possible in terms of speed and powers of endurance!  These tactics paid off as Wells Ladies, with fantastic support from the men (opening gates, keeping them going!), finished as first ladies team, managing to beat Dorset Doddlers on their home turf.  The 2 ladies teams were fairly evenly matched but Laurie Mc Namee definitely made the difference to pull Wells ahead of Dorset in the final stages.  Team manager, Sue Cook, ran sufficiently strongly to keep the team ahead, despite Dorset's strongest team member trying to catch her up.  Both teams finished joint 8th overall at 18:43, 11hrs 10mins running time in total, out of 19 teams (although 2 had to retire early).  Thanks to all those who took part - Terry Kingham, Caroline Fabre, Chris Storie, Lucy Chard, Nick Mitchell, Tracey Halliday, Viv Fursland, Julia Wiles, Laurie Mc Namee, Aidan Phippard, Paul Chadwick and Sue Cook.  This event is not for the faint-hearted - Wells proved that they now have a number of strong hill runners amongst their members who will do anything for a free bottle of wine