All reports by Alan Dolton unless otherwise credited.
Surrey League XC - fixture 2 13th December
2003
Ellis Trophy & Dysart Cup - 6th December
2003
South of Thames junior - 8th November 2003
East Surrey XC - 25th October 2003
Surrey League XC -
fixture 1 & Croydon 10K - 18th & 19th October 2003
East Surrey XC relays & London to
Brighton - 4th & 5th October 2003
Switchback 5 - 20th September 2003
Surrey Road relays - 13th September 2003
Wimbledon 5K - 10th August 2003
Elmbridge 10K - 20th July 2003
Elmore7 - 19th July 2003
Dysart Dash - 29th June 2003
Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the second round of the Surrey Cross-Country Leagues, held at Lightwater. Their best performance came in the girls' race, where Daisy Collingridge, in only her third race for the club, produced another excellent performance. She placed seventh overall and was third in the under-13 category, recording 14 minutes 6 seconds for the two-mile course. Sophie Shaw was 22nd (15.38) and Ciara Riordan was 26th (16.43). Striders placed sixth in the team event. Striders' men finished in a disappointing ninth place in their Division 2 match. Their leading runner was Justin Macenhill, who placed 34th, covering the five-mile course in 30.56. Veteran Don Kayum was 49th (31.36) while Damian Macenhill was 58th (31.55) and Gerry Crispie 68th (32.31). Long-distance specialist Dave Shaw placed 83rd (33.14), two places and five seconds ahead of team manager Chris Morton.
Striders' women, also in Division 2, fielded a depleted team and finished in a disappointing 11th place. Their first woman home was veteran Elene Kayum, who placed 26th, recording 29 minutes 43 for the four-mile course. Team captain Emma Haillay ran bravely to place 40th (31.23), despite not having fully recovered from a bout of flu. Linda Daniel was 52nd (32.17) and Sarah Lloyd-Jones was 85th (35.25).
Stracey runs strongly at Richmond
Serena Stracey, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run in the annual Dysart Cup cross-country race, organised by Ranelagh Harriers at Richmond Park on Saturday. She placed eighth of the 36 finishers, covering the four and a half mile course in 28 minutes 10 seconds. Striders' men competed at the same venue in the Ellis Cup, over five and a half miles. They placed sixth of the right competing teams. They were led home by the Macenhill brothers, with Justin placing 27th in 33.56 and Damian 32nd in 34.20. Team manager Chris Morton was next home for the club in 52nd place (35.50). Striders' next three runners were all in the over-50 age group, with Peter Yarlett placing 55th (36.03), Dave Batten 61st (36.22) and Colin Cotton 75th (37.16). There were 129 finishers.
Striders out in numbers at Coulsdon
Striders of Croydon had an excellent turnout in the South of the Thames Cross-Country Association's annual inter-club race, held on Farthing Downs. They provided 25 of the 188 finishers. In the eight-to-score competition for the Brent Shield, Striders' A team placed fifth, while their B team were seventh. In the separate women's competition, with four runners to score, Striders' A team were seventh and their B team were ninth. Striders' first man home was Justin Macenhill, who finished 22nd, covering the five-mile course in 30 minutes 24 seconds. Nigel Davidson placed 53rd
(33.03) with Damian Macenhill 55th (33.13). Veteran Bob Ewen placed 70th (34.18), closely followed by Chris Morton (73rd, 34.25) and Dave Batten (79th, 34.55). Striders' women were led home by Serena Stracey who placed 16th in the women's race, recording a time of 36 minutes 36 seconds. Kerry Backshell was 26th (38.32), with Emma Haillay 34th (40.08) and veteran Elene Kayum 40th (41.35). This Saturday (22nd), several Striders will be competing in the annual Pirie 10-mile cross-country race, promoted by South London Harriers.
Croydon High School student Daisy Collingridge, running for Striders of Croydon, produced another excellent run in the East Surrey League cross-country match at Lloyd Park. She was the second girl to finish, covering the undulating two-mile course in 14 minutes 2 seconds, and was first in the under-13 girls' category, more than a minute ahead of her nearest rival. In the senior race, Striders had a good turnout with 18 runners, which was the largest of any of the competing clubs. However they faced strong opposition and placed fifth in the match, lifting them to sixth in the league table. Striders' first three runners were all veterans. Don Kayum ran well to place 15th, covering the five-mile course in 32 minutes 28 seconds, four places and twelve seconds ahead of club colleague Gerry Crispie. Peter Yarlett also ran well to place 26th in 33.59. Team manager Chris Morton was 31st (34.14), closely followed by club colleagues Alan Dolton (32nd, 34.44) and Dave Batten (33rd, 34.49).
Striders' women were well represented. They were led home by Kerry Backshell, who was the seventh woman to finish, placing 58th overall (38.34). Team captain Emma Haillay was 64th (39.34) and veteran Elene Kayum was 68th (41.20). Club stalwart Michele Lawrence was 80th (45.28) with Sarah Lloyd-Jones 81st (45.52). This Saturday (November 8th), Striders' men and women will be competing in the South of the Thames inter-club race at Coulsdon, starting at 2.30pm.
Surrey League crosscountry - fixture 1 + Croydon 10 K Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the first Surrey Cross-Country League Division 2 match of the season, at Wimbledon Common on Saturday, and finished in a disappointing eighth place of the nine competing clubs. Guildford & Godalming gained a clear victory with 150 points, ahead of Dulwich (339), British Airways (432), West 4 Harriers (457), Woking (482), Hercules-Wimbledon (517), Wimbledon Windmilers (523), Striders of Croydon (553) and Croydon Harriers (642). The first Strider to finish was Ciaran Osborn, who ran well to place tenth, covering the five-mile course in 27 minutes 44 seconds. Justin Macenhill returned after injury to place 24th (28.35), while there were also good runs from veterans Don Kayum (33rd, 29.12) and Gerry Crispie (39th, 29.34). Simon Alexander placed 68th (30.50) with Damian Macenhill 72nd (30.56), Nigel Davidson 82nd (31.21), Chris Morton 86th (31.35), Dave Batten 94th (31.59) and Simon Smith 96th (32.02). Striders had 20 of the 151 finishers. Meanwhile, Striders' women fielded a depleted team in their match at Kingston, with only seven women competing. Diane Ballard, returning after a foot injury, produced an excellent run to lead the team home. Veteran Elene Kayum ran well to be second woman home for the club, closely followed by Emma Haillay, who was competing despite a heavy cold. Both Elene and Emma also ran in the Croydon 10 kilometre road race the following day, where Striders had an excellent turnout with 29 club members competing.Dave & Morgan complete 'ultra'
Striders of Croydon's women's team produced an encouraging performance at the East Surrey League cross-country relay at Wimbledon, placing second of the five women's teams. They were given a good start by Serena Stracey, who ran the first two-mile leg in 11 minutes 59, the second fastest women's time of the day. She was followed by Steph Upton (13.00), Emma Haillay (13.24) and Elene Kayum (14.07). The relay was preceded by the young athletes' race, which saw Daisy Collingridge make an excellent debut for Striders. She was the second girl to finish, recording a time of 12 minutes 56 seconds, and also beating most of the boys as she finished sixth overall. Club colleague Sophie Shaw was 15th (14.10). Striders' men faced strong opposition and finished 9th of the 28 competing teams. Veteran Don Kayum was their fastest, running a good first leg of 10 minutes 58 seconds. He was followed by Alan Dolton (11.53), Chris Morton
(11.43) and Gerry Crispie (11.24). Striders' B team was 18th, their runners being Colin Cotton (11.45), Bob Pullen (13.12), Paul Weir (13.51) and Steve Chandler (12.17).
Meanwhile, two of Striders' long-distance runners competed in the annual London to Brighton road race. Dave Shaw and Morgan Steele, both making their debuts in this event, ran steadily to finish the first 50 in a field of 108, both comfortably beating the nine-hour mark. This Saturday (18th) Striders' men and women will be competing in the Surrey Cross-Country Leagues. The men are at Wimbledon (3pm start) while the women are at Kingston (12.30 start).
Bayliss races to Switchback victory
Switchback 5
Striders of Croydon staged their annual Switchback 5-mile cross-country race in unusually hot conditions on Saturday. The winner was Steve Bayliss from local rivals Croydon Harriers, who covered the undulating course in an impressive time of 27 minutes 40 seconds. Veteran Bob Treadwell of Redhill & Surrey Beagles placed second (29.49), while Tom Ulliott of Henfield was third (29.59). The team prize was won by Dulwich Runners.
Dulwich also had the first woman home, with Meredith Pannett producing an outstanding run to finish sixth overall in 31 minutes 18. The next three women were all members of South London Harriers: Jessica Trowbridge was 16th overall (33.48) with Alison MacKenzie 20th (34.28) and Viv Mitchell 27th (35.42).
The first Strider to finish was veteran Gerry Crispie in 11th (32.45), ten seconds and one place ahead of club colleague Peter Yarlett. Simon Smith was 17th (33.51) and Paul Finch 18th (34.06). Striders’ women were led home by Stephanie Upton, who was 48th overall (41.02). Sophie Shaw was 54th (41.57) and Linda Daniel 55th (42.15).
Striders did well to field five teams in the Surrey Road Relays at Wimbledon Park. Their fastest runner was Ciaran Osborn, who placed eighth on the first leg, covering the three-mile course in 15 minutes 27. However Striders were without some of their first-choice runners, and their men’s team eventually had to settle for 16th place in a strong field. They were outshone by their women, who did well to place 8th of 20 teams. Newcomer Serena Stracey made an excellent debut, recording a time of 18 minutes 56 on the first leg. There were also good runs from Kerry Backshell (20.23) and Emma Haillay (20.37). Striders’ B team also did well to place 14th, their fastest runner being Stephanie Upton (20.35).
Striders’ over-40 men got closest to the medals, placing sixth of 17 teams. Don Kayum ran 16.36 on the first leg, and was supported by Simon Smith (17.51), Gerry Crispie (17.19) and Alan Dolton (17.52). Striders’ over-50s placed eighth. Peter Yarlett gave them a good start by running 17.46, and was followed by Colin Cotton (18.15), Mick George (19.57) and Kevin Bannister (21.25).
Striders of Croydon’s road running team completed a fine Surrey Road League season in hot conditions at the Wimbledon 5K. Their men’s team finished the season in an excellent fourth place of the 24 competing clubs, while their women’s team were sixth. Striders’ first man home at Wimbledon was again the consistent Justin Macenhill, who placed 19th of 180 finishers, completing the undulating course in 17 minutes 8 seconds. He was followed by veterans Tony Sheppard (28th, 17.32) and Gerry Crispie (37th, 18.26). Damian Macenhill was 42nd (18.45) and Chris Morton 53rd (19.21). Striders’ leading woman was team captain Emma Haillay, who was the 20th woman to finish, recording 22 minutes 37. Emma’s consistent performances over the season won her the individual championship in the women’s under-35 category.
Striders of Croydon had a good turnout of 17 runners in hot conditions in the Elmbridge 10K on Sunday. They were led home by Justin Macenhill who placed 24th of almost 600 runners in 36 minutes 10. Veteran Gerry Crispie returned after injury and placed 50th in 37.59, one place and ten seconds ahead of club colleague Tony Sheppard. Club colleague Damian Macenhill placed 60th in 38.23, ahead of veterans Alan Dolton (87th, 39.37) and Peter Yarlett (125th, 41.16).
Striders’ first woman to finish was Emma Haillay, who placed 244th (46.08). The other female scorers were Kerry Backshell in 289th (47.35) and Karen McDermott in 477th (56.27).
Osborn finishes fourth for Striders Elmore7
Striders of Croydon had an excellent turnout of 21 runners in hot conditions in the Elmore 7-mile road race, held over a scenic and undulating course to the south of Chipstead. Striders’ leading runner was Ciaran Osborn, who produced another good run to place fourth of the 237 finishers in a time of 40 minutes 21 seconds. Striders’ next four runners to finish were all veterans. Tony Sheppard ran another good race to finish 11th in 42.31, while marathon specialist Dave Shaw placed 15th in 43.05 and another good run came from Don Kayum who placed 19th (43.56). Alan Dolton was 34th (46.37), closely followed by one of Striders’ younger runners, Paul Finch (36th in 46.56). Striders’ leading over-50 runner was Dave Batten, who made his usual fast start and lost ground in the second half but still placed a respectable 53rd (48.45).
Striders’ leading woman was again Diane Ballard, who placed 59th (49.16). Stephanie Upton also ran well to place 86th (52.27), while Elene Kayum (93rd, 53.19) and Emma Haillay (95th, 53.28) also made the top 100. Yvonne Harrison was 167th (62.05) and Sarah Lloyd-Jones 189th (66.22).
Striders will be hoping for another large turnout in their next match, which is the Surrey 5 kilometre championship at Wimbledon on Sunday 10 August. This is also the final match in this summer’s Surrey Road League, and Striders will be hoping that both their men’s and women’s teams can crown a successful season by staying in the top five.
Striders of Croydon climbed to third place of the 24 teams in the Surrey Road League after an excellent team performance in the Dysart 10K at the weekend.
Striders provided one of the largest squads, with 20 of the 454 finishers. They were led home by Ciaran Osborn, who ran well to place 13th in a personal best 34min 51sec, half a minute clear of teammate Justin Macenhill who placed 19th (35min 21sec).
Veteran Tony Sheppard was 29th in 35min 59sec, and was sixth in the over-40 category.
Other Striders to make the top 100 in a competitive race were Damian Macenhill (58th, 38min 26sec) and veteran Alan Dolton (83rd, 39min 46sec).
Striders’ women also produced a fine team performance. They placed third in the Surrey Championships, and climbed to fourth place in the Surrey Road League.
Their first finisher was Diane Ballard, who ran an impressive 42min 25sec to place 139th overall (and was the 16th woman).
Stephanie Upton was 207th (and the 33rd woman) in 45min 18sec, while team captain Emma Haillay was 213th (35th woman) in 45min 56sec.
They were supported by Yvonne Harrison (370th, 54min 33sec) and Karen McDermott (382nd, 55min 41sec).
Striders will be hoping for another large turnout of runners in the next league match, which is the Elmbridge 10K on Sunday July 20.