Stratford Summer 6, Mary Arden’s House, Wilmcote, Near Stratford.
Race report by Dave Phillips.
What a super venue at Shakespeare’s mum’s house ( just a 10 minute or so drive from our house-no connection) for this annual event. The weather was hot, the car parks full, the historic HQ was just buzzing with life and of course there were 18 Massey runners there. The Bard would have been proud.
Local clubs were well presented and I even saw 3 Godiva vests on the start line! Now this is a collector’s item if ever there was one. Mind you Godiva did come 1st and 2nd so well done to Cov’s number 2running club.
The course wound its way round small, quiet and flattish country lanes hardly passing any houses once you had left the village. There were loads of marshals and all very friendly and encouraging so well done Stratford RC.
Eventually mile 5 came and you knew what lay in store as it was back up the tough hill that we had all skipped down for the 1st mile out of Wilmcote at the start.
At the top habitation appeared again in the village and near the end there was raucous applause from the earlier finishers who were outside the pub (beers in hand) shouting us on. Thanks Sphinx-the way you lot were at it I reckon the pub was dry!
Finally the final bend and the end was in sight in Mary’s front drive and car park. Bet she never guessed so many people would visit her house on a Sat evening in July.
Nice T shirt for all finisher so job well done even if I did race walk most of it due to that very dodgy right knee.
Hope it’s OK for next Sat when it’s the Swiss Alpine marathon w/e in Davos.
Winner: Tony Spencer – Coventry Godiva 30.37 (5.06 minute/mile). Well done.
Massey:
22 Simon Neal 37.01
74 Jose Sanches 41.52
80 Virginia Silo 42.00
102 Elizabeth Dobson 43.47
110 Martin Judge 44.29
118 Alan McDougall 42.57
128 Elisse Breugelmans 46.53
140 Ian O’Donnell 48.04
156 James Padvis 49.54
159 Philip Sellers 50.14
179 Sophie Abbott 53.17
186 Stuart Sahan 54.44
195 Alison Lowe 58.01
201 Kelvin Elliott 60.02
213 Mary Connolly 66,28
217 Cath Bern 72.16
218 Dave Phillips 73.43
219 Sally Slevin 88.17