Archive - Club Reports 2008
New Year’s Eve 10k - Ely 31 December 2008
Bungay Black Dogs Chris Chorley & Bobbie Sauerzapf decided to run off their Xmas excesses by competing in the Ely New Years Eve 10k race. As usual this race is fully subscribed well before the closing date, probably due to the free bottle of beer given to all finishers! Over 500 runners lined up at the start in very cold & foggy conditions and Chris sped around the course to finish in 41:23 in 67th overall with Bobbie in 251st place in a time of 48:57.
Hasting Marathon - 14 December 2008
Four Bungay Black Dog runners travelled to East Sussex on 14th December to compete in the Hastings 100th Anniversary Marathon. The route was as near, as could safely be arranged, to the original 1908 course and contained some significant climbs especially in the opening four miles. Mile 23 to 24 was run on the shingle beach between Bexhill and St Leonards which a number of runners found tough. Conditions on the day were perfect with no wind. With spectators lining the course and bands playing this encouraged the runners to record some good times.
First Black Dog to finish was Ian Taylor, who has run 37 races during 2008 including seven marathons, and was 43rd out of 1,174 finishers in a time of 3:07:48 followed by Chris Chorley who recorded a pb to finish 134th in 3:22:31 and Bobbie Sauerzapf, also getting a pb, in 394th place in 3:49:34. Bob Jack finished in 5:30:15 in 1144th position.
The Turkey Trot – Beccles 14 December 2008
On the same day but closer to home, 13 Black Dogs took part in the Waveney Valley A.C Turkey Trot 10 mile race. The course started and finished at The Beccles Sports Centre and was run around quiet country lanes through Ringsfield and St Andrews. In a smaller field, this year, of 90 runners Tim Morton put in a great performance to shatter his pb to finish in 69:52 in 27th place with Richard Dye next in 32nd place in 73:52 and Bruce Rayner finishing in 75:20 in 40th. David Punt exceeding his expectations by 4 mins to finish in 75:49 in 45th place and was 3rd in his age group with Nigel Gilham next in 79:30 in 57th (4th in age group). Gavin Cole, Neil Thomas & Ali Morton all finished within 8 seconds of each other in 60th, 61st & 62nd in 80:22, 80:29 & 80:30 respectively. Ali was also 2nd in her age group. Colin Whale & Bob Paul also finished together in 66th & 67th places in a time of 83:07. Carol Maycock was 1st in her age group in a time of 86:12 in 72nd place with Robin Farrar just behind in 86:45mins in 73rd place (3rd in age group). Karen Waters, improving with every race, finished in 87th place in a time of 102:29.
Suffolk Cross Country Series (4) – Sutton - 7 December 2008
The 4th cross country race in the Suffolk winter league was organised by Woodbridge Shufflers on Sunday from Sutton Village Hall. Amongst the 155 finishers was an excellent turnout of 15 Bungay Black Dogs and, again, the ladies performed magnificently to move up to 3rd in the A series with Lynn Emmett again 1st in her age group & being 2nd lady overall by a mere 7 seconds.
It was an icy morning but the sun was beginning to thaw the ground a little by the time the race started. The juniors went off first over a course of two miles, and Sammy James returned a creditable time of 23:19. and was 10th in his age group. The seniors 2-lap course was about 5.3 miles. Most of this was on farm tracks and fairly flat. There were a few icy puddles to contend with and the tracks were sandy which made the going tough in places. 200m from the finish the runners had to run along the side of a ploughed field which had not completely thawed and everyone found this hard work as their feet twisted on the uneven ground. Lynn had led the women for most of the race but was overtaken on that ploughed field and her legs could do nothing about it. However, she was well pleased with her performance.
The results for the Black Dogs in the senior race were:-
Lynn Emmett 36:01 (36th & 1st FV40), Chris Chorley 37:23 (8th MV45,48th ), Tim Morton 37:43 (10th MV45,53rd), Robbie James 40:48 (70th), John Wharton 40:47 (8th MV50, 82nd), David Punt 41:14 (11th MV50, 90th), Roland Shaw 41:36 (94th), Bobbie Sauerzapf 42:04 (3rd FV45, 97th), Bruce Rayner 62:37 (100th), Nigel Edge 43:04 (109th), Colin Whale 44:14 (117th), Carol Maycock 46:18 (3rd FV50, 129th), Christine Muttitt 47:05 (2nd FV55, 134th), Karen Waters 50:15 (5th FV35, 142nd), Judy Potter 57:28 (2nd FV60, 151st), Sammy James ran in the junior race and finished in a very good time of 23:19.
The team scores after 4 legs are:-
Overall:- A team 8th, B team 15th of 24
Mens:- A team 9th, B team 16th of 24
Ladies:- A team 3rd, B team 13th, C team 17th of 23..
City of Norwich Half Marathon – 30 November 2008
The City of Norwich Half Marathon took place on Sunday 30th November and was fully subscribed with 2700 runners competing in the main race & the support 5k race. The weather was kind to the runners with the rain holding off during the race and with little wind, running conditions were good, although a little wet under foot, vindicating the organisers’ decision to change from a summer to winter race.
Amongst the 2040 finishers in the main race were 19 Bungay Black Dog runners with Mark Fawbert taking the honours for Bungay to finish in 1:32:31 in 185th place. Richard Dye, who has run consistently well this year, was next in 1:34:07 in 216th with the "Flying Doc" Tim Morton next in 1:36:05 in 268th. Tim actually beat his pb for 10 miles but just faded over the last 3 miles. John Wharton finished in 1:37:49 in 315th with Chris Chorley next in 1:40:08(383). Next in was David Spashett in 1:42:15 (466) with Ladies Captain, Bobbie Sauerzapf, next in 1:44:21 (551). Nigel Gilham finished in 1:49:43 (774) then David Punt in 1:51:43 (836), Colin Whale 1:53:02 (922), Bob Paul 1:53:04 (925),Robin Farrar 1:56:21 (1086), Steve Cant 2:06:27 (1499), Tricia Hagan 2:10:46 (1631), Sue Potter 2:11:53 (1656) with Jemma Neesham running in her first race finishing strongly in 2:15:14 in 1745th place. Rob Donovan was next in 2:19:39 (1823) then Gillian Petts-Hannant in 2:30:37 (1955) with Bob Jack finishing in 2:31:29 in 1962nd place.
Hereward Relay - Peterborough to Ely 23 November 2008
On Sunday 23rd November the annual Hereward Relay was held in very wintry conditions. Five teams from Bungay Black Dog Running Club took part in a race which starts at Peterborough Cathedral and finishes at Ely Cathedral. The course is 38 miles and is usually run in 4 stages but 5 runners actually ran the whole course as an "Ultra" runner.
One of these Ultra runners was Bungay Black Dog Ian Taylor who finished second in a time of 5:39:31, and ahead of 21 teams. The first ten miles were run in a blizzard but Ian, who trains shirtless all year, was undeterred, and once east of March there was hardly a snowflake to be seen. The toughest part of the race was the last five miles which included some very long sections of deep mud to test Ian's tired muscles. He was cheered home by some members of his Bungay Black Dog Running Club who had finished their stages. Ian also plans to run in the Hastings Marathon in December which is being staged for the first time since 1908.
Unfortunately on Stage 1, Hazel Garrity was stuck on the A1 so missed the start which was 6.1 miles from Peterborough to Whittlesea. First back was Sue Potter in 1:02:32, then Karen Waters 1:05:03, Katy James 1:09:27, David Cook 1:16:11.
Stage 2 to March was 11.6 miles and John White & Rob James both had good races to finish in 1:23:48 & 1:27:06 respectively. Also in this leg were Bruce Rayner 1:35:32, Philip Neave 2:37:00 & Robin Farrar 1:54:36.
Stage 3 took in the Welney Wash which had just reopened after flooding for the last few weeks. Due to technical problems times & places are not available but John Wharton, Chris Chorley, Richard Dye, Sally Nicholls & Neil Thomas ran this 10.3 mile stage.
The final stage to Ely was 9.6 miles and Andrew Smith 1:23:35, Bobbie Sauerzapf, Carol Maycock & Bob Jack 1:59:19 all finished the run.The 5th runner, Robin Wilson, missed the race due to the weather.
Two of the teams had recorded times. Ist team had an aggregate time of 5:16:00 to finish 63rd and team 2 finished in 6:01:30.
Hadleigh 10 - 23 November 2008
David Punt managed to reach Hadleigh Suffolk, to take part in a very snowy 10 mile race. Despite the icy conditions over 240 runners took part in the race with David finishing in 1:23:05 in 130th place. ..
Suffolk Cross Country Series (3) – Broome 16 November 2008
Bungay Black Dog Running Club hosted the Broome Cross Country which is part of the Suffolk Winter League series. With over 187 finishers, the Bungay club had 27 runners thanks to having a good support team to undertake marshalling & timing duties. A bonus was that Lynn Emmett, Terry Mulcahy & Judy Potter finished 1st in their age categories & along with other good performances helped to boost the team’s placing in the league.
Results as follows(category position in brackets),
John White 26th overall 30.24 (5), Lynn Emmett 46th 32.01 (1), Chris Chorley 50th 32.12 (10), Terry Mulcahy 55th 32.25 (1), Tim Morton 62nd 32.54 (12), Robbie James 67th 33.10 (15th), Paul Chilver 79th 34.01 (20), Richard Dye 90th 34.55 (19), Gavin Cole 91st 35.02 (22), John Wharton 105th 35.30 (14), Roland Shaw 106th 35.40 (15), David Punt 107th 35.41(16th), Jim Cooper 112th 36.03 (21), Nikki Watson 114th 36.07 (2), Bobbie Sauerzapf 128th 37.18 (4), Vicky Wright 134th 37.48 (3), Ali Morton 144th 38.41 (6), Bruce Rayner 146th 38.46 (26), Bob Paul 148th 38.59 (8), Colin Whale 149th 39.08 (27), Neil Thomas 151st 39.22 (26), Christine Muttitt 153rd 39.46 (2), Carol Maycock 156th 40.07 (4), Tricia Hagan 168th 42.27 (13), David Lines 173rd 43.56 (26), Judy Potter 74th 43.57 (1) & Karen Waters 182nd 48.32 (8)
After 3 legs BBDRC are 11th and 16th overall (of 21 clubs); men are 9th and 16th and ladies are 3rd, 11th and 16th.
In the juniors the trio of Mattie, Sammy and Charlotte James gave solid performances too.
Special thanks to Sue and Mark Lowther for organising everything and everyone and to Les for setting up the course. Thanks to the marshals-Jim and Marlene Jervis, Roy Burton, Les Merridale, Ian Ash, Nigel Edge and David Cook and Mary King on car park and Margaret, Linda, Meg and Greta in the kitchen and the gentleman collecting the cake cash.
The cakes were beyond belief. (picture right) A magnificent display with just about every type of cake imaginable!! Move over Delia, Nigella, The Hairy Bikers and Jamie....
Jaguars 10k - Coltishall 16 November 2008
Bobbie & Chris finished the cross country race, and then headed over to Coltishall to run the Jaguars 10k. 133 runners took part in a two lap course through country lanes with Chris Chorley finishing in 41st place in 42:09 & Bobbie Sauerzapf 89th in a time of 48:34. They obviously didn't indulge in the cakes at Broome!
Denton Short Races - 9 November 2008
On Sunday 9th November Bungay Black Dog Team Captain, John Wharton, organised the annual handicap series of 4 x 1 mile & 4 x 200m races around the country lanes of Denton. With a top prize of £100 gift voucher for the Runners Centre (2nd £60,3rd £40, 4th £35 & 5th £15) competition was fierce. In windy but dry conditions new member, Rob Donovan from Reydon, used his handicap well to accumulate 452 points to finish 1st with Gavin Cole in 2nd place. David Cook, a MV70+ runner was pleased to finish 3rd, just pipping young Robbie James by 2 points. Roland Shaw was a further 7 points behind in 5th place followed by Bob Paul, Andrew M Smith, Karen McMorran, Sally Nicholls, Colin Whale, Bruce Rayner, Bob Jack, Kieran McMorran, John White, Neil Thomas, Robin Farrar, Nigel Gilham, Katy James, Michael White, Doreen Whittington & Karen Waters. Kieran was awarded the junior prize of £10.
After the event all the runners and helpers enjoyed drinks and buffet at Roland & Elaine Shaw's house in Homersfield. The club thanks Elaine for all her hard work whilst the runners were "enjoying” themselves and to John Wharton and his team for the excellent organisation. As a thank you to John, whose birthday it is this week, Karen Gedge presented him with a Bungay Black birthday cake.
Poppy Half Marathon - Bexhill on Sea 9 November 2008
On the same day as the Denton Short Races member Ian Taylor was competing in the inaugural Poppy Half Marathon at Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex. The course consisted of four laps along the western section of the promenade and adjacent roads including a lap of Polegrove Park. The route was entirely flat but high winds, which were especially strong on the exposed seafront, added 3-4 minutes to most runners’ times. The wind seemed to get stronger on each lap! Despite this Taylor performed well, lapping many others during his third and fourth circuits to finish 17th out of about 300 runners in 1:30:35. His lap times were: 21:46, 22:50, 23:16 and 22:43. The winning time by comparison was 1:14:59.
Scenic 7m - Stowmarket 9 November 2008
Also on Sunday 3 Black Dogs entered the Stowmarket Scenic 7 mile race. 336 runners lined up to run an undulating course on a blustery day and, once again, Chris Chorley had a great run to finish in 47:58 in 48th with David Punt running his fastest 7 mile race since 2001 to finish in 53:10 (4 seconds off his pb) in 113th. Just behind was Bobbie Sauerzapf, again near to her Pb, finishing in 127th place in a time of 54:04.
Suffolk Cross Country Series (2) - Fritton Lake 2 November 2008
After the torrential rain on Saturday, the Waveney A.C organised Fritton Lake Cross Country on Sunday was run in very muddy conditions and there were a few shoes lost in the mud! Amongst the 147 finishers was an excellent turnout of 22 Bungay Black Dogs and, again, the ladies performed magnificently to finish 4th overall in the A series with Lynn Emmett again 1st in her age group & her Mum, Judy Potter, returning to form to also finish 1st in hers. New club member, Nikki Watson, had an excellent run to finish 2nd in the very competitive FV35 category The results for the Black Dogs in the senior race were:-
32 Chris Chorley 40:15
35 Lynn Emmett 40:30 (1st FV40)
39 Robbie James 40:48
41 Terry Mulcahy 41:10 (1st MV60)
56 Tim Morton 42:16
61 John Wharton 42:50
65 Richard Dye 43:26
81 Roland Shaw 45:35
84 Nikki Watson 45:50 (2nd FV35)
85 David Punt 45:53
92 Bobbie Sauerzapf 46:58
102 Vicki Wright 49:16 (3rd FV35)
104 Colin Whale 49:37
106 Neil Thomas 49:44
111 Ali Morton 50:22
113 Christine Muttitt 50:47 2nd FV55
119 Carol Maycock 52:24 4th FV50
133 Judy Potter 56:31 1st FV60
137 David Potter 60:00
140 Karen Waters 62:37
141 Bruce Rayner 62:37
143 Katy James 66:30 2nd FV60
The team scores after 2 legs are:-
Overall:- A team 9th, B team 21st of 24
Mens A team 10th, B team 21st of 24
Ladies A team 4th, B team 11th, C team 16th of 23.
In the junior race Sammy James was 56th in a time of 21:21 (really great run for probably one of the youngest in the field).
Great Yarmouth 10k - 26 October 2008
8 Black Dogs took part in the East Coast 10k. The rainy conditions ensured that the competitors had no need to avail themselves of the shower facilities! The field of over 400 runners included some top quality runners with a Birchfield Harrier winning the race in 30.43. First to finish for Bungay was Robin Wilson in 77th in a time of 43:39 with Bruce Rayner just behind in 44:27 (85th). Neil Thomas was next in 48:28 (144th) followed in by Bob Paul in 50:37 (189th). Karen Gedge, returning to fitness after injury, finished in 51:47 (209th) with Robin Farrar, attempting to run through an injury, in 53:14 (238th) and then Philip Neave in 53.:35 (244th). Recent new member, Gillian Petts-Hannant was pleased to break the 1hr mark to finish in 59:52 (312th) with Bob Jack just behind in 60:17 (320th).
BUPA Great South Run - Portsmouth 26 October 2008
Amongst the 15,000 runners was Bungay Black Dog, David Punt. For the 3rd year running there was heavy rain throughout and a strong headwind along the seafront for the last 2 miles. David had a target of 1hr 20mins and for the 1st 5 miles he was on schedule but the conditions took its toll and David finished in 1.21.50 in 2,300th place, still a very good effort.
Suffolk Cross Country Series (1) - Bury St. Edmunds - 26 October 2008
Held at Nowton Park, the race, organised by Bury Pacers, was run in typical wet and muddy conditions. Even so, 171 senior runners turned up with a good turnout of juniors. Amongst them were 9 senior and 2 junior Bungay Black Dog runners and Sammy and Charlotte James enjoyed the conditions to finish in 24.41 & 34.21 respectively in the junior race. In the senior race Chris Chorley was first back in 37.43 in 55th with Lynn Emmett just behind in 38.22 in 59th overall but 1st Female V40. Robbie James finished in 65th place in a time of 39.06 with John Wharton in 90th in 41.55. Ladies Captain, Bobbie Sauerzapf, led the rest of her ladies around finishing in 44.30 (112th) with Carol Maycock next in 47.37 (137th, 4th FV50), then Christine Muttitt in 47.44 (139th, 2nd FV55) with Judy Potter, getting back to fitness, finishing in 52.03 (157th, 2nd FV60) with husband David Potter jogging around in 58.05 (166th). The team finished in 13th overall, the men’s team 14th & the 2 ladies teams in 6th & 16th, 1st blood to the ladies! The next cross country is organised by Waveney A.C at Fritton Lakes on 2nd November when the men will be looking to improve on this result.
Crawley Track Marathon - 26 October 2008
As if it wasn't enough to have run a marathon the day before, the very next day Ian Taylor took part in the Crawley Track Marathon held at the new K2 Leisure Centre.
The race consisted of a mind numbing 105.5 laps of an all weather 400m running track. Totally different to his race the previous day this event tested mental endurance as well as physical. The race limit was set at 40 and Taylor was pleased to finish in fifth place/second male vet in 3.20.00.
Beachy Head Marathon - 25 October 2008
On Saturday, Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor competed in his third marathon in three weeks; the incredibly tough Beachy Head Marathon in East Sussex. Measured at 27 miles runners were told to expect to take 40-50 minutes longer than for a flat road marathon as the course included ascents totalling 3,500 feet. There were also gates, stiles, bridges, cattle grids and several flights of steps to negotiate, one of which contained 227 treads. The course did not contain one flat mile; competitors were met by one steep climb after the other. Miles 20-22 were especially arduous as they contained seven 1 in 3 hills known as the Seven Sisters. Having plunged down to Birling Gap runners were then faced with a 535 feet climb to Beachy Head, followed by a perilous descent to the finish. Taylor was relieved to be wearing his new off road running shoes! Given the demanding nature of the race a sub 4 hour time is considered excellent so he was very pleased with 3.53.33 which earned him 70th place out of 867. This is by far the toughest course he has encountered to date but definitely the most scenic
Snowdonia Marathon - 25 October 2008
Further north on Saturday, in horrendous weather conditions the Snowdonia Marathon took place. With the race limit of 1500 reached back in September, 1,113 runners actually managed to finish the race unlike the Original Mountain Marathon in the Lake District which attracted national press. Two intrepid Black Dogs lined up on the start line and James Samkin battled through the torrential rain and wind to finish in 493rd place in a time of 4.09.50. Our other Ultra runner, Colin Whale, who has run the race several times, found the going tough but dug deep to finish in 1,113th place in a time of 5.08.27.
Cardiff Half Marathon - 19 October 2008
Last weekend a group of Bungay Black Dog Running Club members and friends travelled over to Cardiff to compete in the Half Marathon. With an entry of over 6,000 runners the race was run through the streets and park land in the city centre with crowds lining the route and cheering on the runners. John Wharton, who also organised the trip, was 1st Black Dog to cross the line in an excellent time of 1.33.04 in 522nd place (18th M50-54) with Richard Dye just behind in 536th place in a time of 1.33.13 (39th M45-49). Nigel Gilham was next to finish in 1.50.08 (2,157th, 33rd M55-59) with the star of the day, Bungay Middle School teacher Sally Nicholls shattering her pb by over 6 minutes to finish in 1.50.29 (2,193rd, 36th F45-49).On the journey back Sally set a 2nd pb by not talking for nearly an hour, obviously overcome by the enormity of her performance! Next Black Dog to finish was Bob Paul in 1.51.23 (2280th, 35th M55-59) with Robin Farrar just behind in 153.53 (2,579th, 26th M60+). Karen Gedge met her target of a sub 2hr run finishing in 1.57.38mins (3,048th) with guest runner Mark Farrar next in 1.58.03 (3,110th). Colin Knights celebrated his 60th birthday by running at Cardiff and, although injured, managed to finish in a respectable 2.02.13 (3,584th, 34th M60+), with Judy Potter (running her 1st half marathon for over a year due to illness) finishing in a very good 2.09.47 (4,280th, 22nd F55-59). Sue Potter was next in 2.12.52 (4,518th) with Bob Jack, finishing just 30 secs. under 2½ hours in 5,315th place. .
Holt 7 mile - 19 October 2008
On the same day the only Welshman in the club, Neil Thomas, declined a "home run" to compete in the Holt 7. In excellent running conditions Neil had a good run to finish in 56.28.
Saxmundham 5 mile - 19 October 2008
Robbie & Katy James decided to go south to run in the Saxmundham 5. The 1st race organised by the Saxons attracted a field of 50 runners and Robbie (aided by his dog, Morgan) sped round the course in 34.12 with Katy having a good run to finish in 54.12.
Amsterdam Marathon - 19 October 2008
Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor competed in the Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday 19th October finishing in 377th place out 5,972 finishers in a time of 3:04:55. This was a good result for a City Marathon, the course being very flat but rather windy in parts. There were a number of sharp turns at the beginning and Taylor was delayed somewhat by the density of runners especially by some who had promoted themselves to starting positions faster than their anticipated time. All the same he performed well and was very pleased by this fine result.
Peterborough Half Marathon - 12 October 2008
In contrast to the weather of the previous Sunday, with the sun shining, Chris Chorley & Bobbie Sauerzapf took part in the Peterborough Half Marathon along with 2700 finishers. With this race attracting a lot of fun runners good times were difficult to achieve but Chris stretched his legs and finished very strongly in an excellent time of 1.29.21 in 182nd overall. Bobbie also improved on her Felixstowe time by 15 minutes to finish in 1.48.19. in 952nd place.
Felixstowe Half Marathon - 5 October 2008
In absolutely atrocious conditions 446 runners competed in the Felixstowe Half Marathon. The torrential rain meant that another 120 runners did not even start the race. Amongst the (fool) hardy runners were 6 Bungay Black Dogs with Richard Dye battling through to finish in 86th place in a time of 1.39.17. Neil Thomas was next in at 189th, in a good time of 1.49.00 with Chris Chorley & Bobbie Sauerzapf running together to finish in 323/5 places in 2.03.00. Karen Gedge, back running after injury, was pleased to finish in 341st place in 2.05.00 with ultra runner, Bob Jack jogging around in 2.28.23 to finish in 429th place.
Great North Run - Newcastle upon Tyne 5 October 2008
Three Bungay Black Dogs escaped our monsoon weather conditions, and made the long trip to Newcastle to take part in the Great North Run. With a field of 52,000 this is the biggest road race in the world. In direct contrast to the awful day down here, the race was held in perfect running conditions, with blue skies, a temperature of 12º and a gentle North Easterly breeze. First home was Colin Whale, preparing himself for the Snowdonia Marathon in two weeks time, where, no doubt the climatic conditions will not be quite the same. Colin finished in a time of 1.55.52 (10,086th) followed by Robin Farrar in 1.58.05 (11,543rd). Although they were only separated by just over 2 minutes, there were almost a further 1,500 runners finishing in that short time. The third Black Dog was Doreen Whittington who finished in 2.40.08 (31,614th).
Lee Valley Trail Marathon - 4 October 2008
Along with 150 runners Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor competed in the Lee Valley Trail Marathon along the towpath of the River Lee Navigation from St Margaret’s, Hertfordshire to Hackney Marshes, East London, close to the site of the 2012 Olympic Stadium. The course included a large loop around the former gravel workings at Cheshunt which have been transformed into a country park with lakes. Taylor, who grew up in Cheshunt, has many happy memories from the 1970s of running around this area when it formed part of his school cross country course. A confident start from Taylor saw him move into third place in the opening 500m which he then maintained throughout the race! He was never challenged and after the first four miles no one else was in sight over his shoulder. With a keen headwind, no mileposts, very few marshals and spectators, especially in the last six miles, Taylor had to stay focused to finish in an excellent time of 2.57.04. His first sub 3 hour marathon, this was eight minutes faster and five places higher in the results table compared to his performance in last year's race. It was also three minutes faster than his time in the 2008 London Marathon. Taylor has now been awarded a 2009 London Marathon place based on his performance.
Diss 15 mile 29 September 2008
With 3 races in the area on Sunday 28th September, Bungay Black Dog runners were spoilt for choice. Although the weather was warm & sunny 5 Black Dogs decided to run the Diss 15 mile race along with 122 other runners. John Wharton & Richard Dye helped each other around to finish in 44th/45th places in a time of 1.55.12 with new member Richard Austin having a good race to finish in 76th place in a time of 2.06.24. Colin Whale & Robin Farrar had a close race with Colin just pipping Robin to finish in 96th place in 2.14.58 with Robin clocking 2.15.17 in 97th place. Kieran McMorran, who runs for Waveney but trains with Bungay as well, took the honours in the fun run by finishing 1st overall in a time of 8.39.
Tarpley 10 mile 29 September 2008
Travelling a bit further down the A143, the Bury St Edmunds organised Tarpley 10 mile race took place in Beyton. A very picturesque course through country lanes attracted a field of 112 runners including 3 Black Dogs. Chris Chorley ran a very good race to finish in 21st place in a time of 1.09.41. Bobbie Sauerzapf, getting near to a pb, finished in 64th place in 1.21.03 with Nigel Gilham finishing the race in 73rd place in a time of 1.22.53.
Wymondham Abbey 10k 29 September 2008
2 Bungay Black Dog runners took part in the Wymondham Abbey 5k, with a total field of 114. Philip Neave finished in 64th place in 25.25 with novice runner Jemma Neesham finishing in 91st place in a time 28.41.This was Jemma's first race so well done in achieving such a good time and position, as 5k races always attract a fast field.
Bexhill Seafront 10k 29 September 2008
Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor competed in the 10k race held in the East Sussex resort of Bexhill on Sea last Sunday. Off to a strong start Taylor thundered passed many other runners in the opening two kilometres of this surprisingly deceptive course. The race covered the entire length of Bexhill's promenade but included the very steep Galley Hill which had to be tackled twice, along with a short stretch of the pebble beach which was quite hard to run on. These obstacles added about one minute to Taylor's finishing time but nevertheless he was delighted to finish 4th out of 250+ runners in 39:20. Sadly there were only prizes for the first three finishers and no separate awards for the veteran categories but the post-race cakes were nice!
The Round Norfolk Relay 20/21 September 2008
Click here to download results as a PDF file and click here to see some photograph's of the event.
The Bungay Black Dog Running Club entered a team for the first time in The Round Norfolk Relay over the weekend. The course mirrors the county boundary over a distance of about 194 miles divided into 17 unequal stages of unequal length with runners covering distances of between 6 and 20 miles each.
Run over 24 hours, without a break, the event is much more than just a normal relay running race, for it requires special planning and support.
A staggered start, based on anticipated finishing times, ensures that teams of similar ability set off together, with faster teams chasing. The first teams started at 5.30 am on the Saturday in Kings Lynn and then, from Hunstanton, the course follows the stunning coastline through 5 multi terrain stages using the Norfolk Coastal path as far as Cromer. The 35 miles (4 stages) from Cromer to Great Yarmouth are on the road. By the time the majority of teams reach Great Yarmouth it is dark. Night stages run to Gillingham then on to Scole and from there to Thetford and finally to Kings Lynn for the finish. A cyclist accompanied each runner along the way, (except the stages along the Norfolk Coastal Path where cyclists are not permitted,) and a vehicle with a flashing beacon followed behind both runner and cyclist on the night stages to protect them from traffic in the dark.
Runners and supporters reported really enjoying taking part in the event, and the team completed the course in a time of 29 hours 25 minutes and 42 seconds and were placed 45th out of the 48 teams taking part
Bungay runners times and positions in the race stages were as follows:- |
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| Stage 1 | Ian Taylor 115.31 (11th) | Stage 2 | Chris Chorley 104.45 (18th) |
| Stage 3 | Karen Waters 56.29 (43rd) | Stage 4 | Bobbie Sauerzapf 113.47 (37th) |
| Stage 5 | Andrew M Smith 79.19 (35th) | Stage 6 | Darryl Oldman 61.47 (23rd) |
| Stage 7 | Bruce Rayner 72.34 (31st) | Stage 8 | John White 52.32 (15th) |
| Stage 9 | Tim Morton 97.24 (39th) | Stage 10 | Bob Paul 143.41 (46th) |
| Stage 11 | Colin Whale 190.49 (47th) | Stage 12 | Bob Jack 229.07 (48th) |
| Stage 13 | Robin Farrar 121.23 (47th) | Stage 14 | Robert James 59.40 (15th) |
| Stage 15 | David Cook 76.17 (47th) | Stage 16 | Doreen Whittington 60.49 (46th) |
| with Sue Potter (Black Dog co-ordinator) running the last Stage 17 finishing in 129.48 in 47th place | |||
A good result after Sue had spent the last 24 hours ensuring that all the runners/helpers were in the right place at the right time, well done Sue! Thanks also to all the support people who ensured the race ran smoothly.
Wissey Half Marathon - Oxborough 7 September 2008
With heavy rain beforehand, 198 runners ventured out into the pleasant countryside near Oxborough Hall. They say that the sun shines on the righteous, and sure enough, except for a few minutes of welcome, light drizzle, the competitors remained dry for the whole of the race. Predictably, after the end, the rains came once again. Six Bungay Black Dogs competed in a very strong field, with Ian Taylor coming home at 23rd in 1.26.18 followed by Chris Chorley in 1.28.13 (27th). Richard Dye had a good solid race in 1.37.62 (67th) and Bobby Sauerzapf, as strong as ever, came home in 1.49.35 (119th). Unusually Bobbie was 5th in her category of FV45, indicating the high standard on the day. Bob Paul and Robin Farrar steamed in together in 1.56.29 (140th) having pulled each other through from around the 4 mile mark. Bob Jack brought up the rearguard in 2.30.10 (194th)
Framlingham 10k - 7 September 2008
On the same day 5 Black Dogs took the slightly easier option of running in the Framlingham 10k. 236 runners made their way in the heavy rain to the start and completed two laps taking in the castle and much waterlogged country lanes. Nigel Gilham was the 1st Black Dog finisher in a time of 47.53 in 94th overall with Neil Thomas, suffering from a bout of loose shoelaces!, next in 49.57 in 117th. Carol Maycock put in a sprint finish to finish in 149th place in a time of 52.43 with Sally Nicholls next in 54.00 (162nd). Katy James had good run to finish in 224th place in 67.33.
Wroxham 5K - 20 August 2008
An excellent turnout of over 300 runners took part in the final evening Wroxham 5k race on Wednesday evening. Amongst the runners were 8 Bungay Black Dogs and once again Chris Chorley had a good run to just break the magic 20 minute mark by 1 second to finish in 98th place with ever improving Robin Wilson very close behind in 20.06 in 103rd place. Robbie James and Bruce Rayner had a good tussle with Robbie just edging it in 20.32 (118th) with Bruce clocking 20.45(124th). Bobbie Sauerzapf completed the race in 23.16 (180th) with David Punt a few seconds behind in 23.34 (193rd). Novice runners Katy James & Karen Waters egged each other on but were just outside achieving a sub 30 minute time finishing in 30.22 in 275/6th places.
Reepham 10k - 17 August 2008
In diabolical weather’ 6 Black Dogs got thoroughly soaked running in the Reepham 10k race along with 211 finishers. A multi terrain course meant that all finishers were wet and muddy but hot tea and cakes at the finish made their efforts worthwhile. Again 1st Black Dog was Chris Chorley in 42.52 (36th) with Bobbie Sauerzapf next in 49.54 (94th). David Punt was next in 50.56 (108th) just ahead of Colin Whale who finished in 51.51 (115th). Star of the day was Gill Petts-Hannant who, in the awful conditions, knocked 3 minutes of her previous best time to finish in 64.34 in 190th place with Ivan Lees just behind in 64.37 in 191st place.
“6 In the Park” (5) 5K – Hove 14 August 2008
Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor has been affected by the heat and humidity of recent weeks which has caused a downturn in race times. He was therefore very pleased to complete the latest in the summer series of 5k races in Hove Park, Sussex in 18.47 which earned him 7th place out of about 50 runners. This was his fastest time achieved in this year's series but was 13 seconds away from his PB for this distance.
Great Yarmouth Half Marathon - 10 August 2008
The Great Yarmouth Road Runners organised ½ marathon took place on a blustery but warm day. A good field of 191 took part with 7 entries from Bungay Black Dog Running Club. Chris Chorley was the 1st Black Dog to finish in a very good time of 1.34.52 in 39th overall with Mark Fawbert, taking part in his 1st race for a while due to parenting responsibilities, just behind Chris in 1.35.58 in 45th. Richard Dye, consistent as ever, finished in a time of 1.37.43 in 52nd place with Ladies Captain, Bobbie Sauerzapf, finishing strongly taking 1st Female V45 trophy in an excellent time of 1.48.21 in 91st. The last four Bungay finishers had a good tussle with Colin Whale just ahead of Neil Thomas in 1.58.17(136th) and 1.58.58(137th) respectively. Neil just edged past Karen Gedge and Robin Farrar who finished in 141st and 142nd in 1.59.26.
Broome 10k (3) - 30 July 2008
On the Wednesday, Bungay Black Dog Running Club organised the final Summer Series 10k. On a very warm and sultry evening there was a good field of 75 runners and Carl Prewer from Lowestoft Road Runners won the race in 34.27mins.
Black Dog. John White finished in 5th overall and 2nd V40 in 37.42 with Ian Taylor and Robin Sawyer finishing in 11th (39.49) and 12th (40.16) respectively to take the mens’ team award.
Other Black Dog results were:
21st (42:52) Robert James, 37th (47:34) Andrew M Smith, 40th (48:30) Neil Thomas
44th (49:45) Nigel Gilham, 46th (50:01) Bobbie Sauerzapf, 54th (51:43) Colin Whale
55th (52:04) Robin Farrar, 57th (52:18) Carol Maycock, 59th (52:24) Karen Gedge
61st (53:08) Christine Muttitt, 66th (55:43) Patricia Hagan, 69th(57:28) Judy Potter
70th (58:31) Sally Nicholls, 73rd (67:02) Gill Petts-Hannant
For Bungay, Christine Muttitt also won the FV55 award. This is Christine's 1st trophy and is well deserved for the improvement she has attained over the last 12 months.
The series prizes for the best male and female aggregate times for all 3 races were awarded to Richard Moore from Waveney Valley A.C (1hr 47.38), and Carol Maycock from Bungay Black Dog Running Club(2hrs 29.57).
Prizes were awarded to Black Dog runners for the fastest two races and as Carol Maycock won the overall Female trophy the next best was Hazel Garrity who was awarded Female Open with the other female awards as follows: FV35 winner was Karen Gedge, FV45 Bobbie Sauerzapf, and FV55 Christine Muttitt.
The Male Open trophy was awarded to John White, Ian Taylor received the MV40, John Wharton MV50 and Robin Farrar the MV60 trophy.
The running club wishes to thank all 3 race directors and all the marshals, timekeepers and refreshment helpers who have given their time to ensure that the series ran smoothly and maintain the friendly atmosphere for which Bungay is renowned.
The Gatorade Big Half Triathlon - Trentham, Staffs 27 July 2008
Bungay Black Dog Running club member, Sue Potter took part in this tough half Triathlon at Trentham in Staffordshire on 27th July. The middle distance race was set against the backdrop of the Trentham Estate, commencing at 7am with a 1.2mile swim in the ornamental lake followed by an undulating 56 mile cycle ride. The triathletes then returned for a 13.1 mile run in the scenic Italian Gardens . Sue was pleased to complete the course, her first attempt at this distance, in a time of 6.50.42, finishing 158th overall out of 175 competitors.
Newmarket 10K - 27 July 2008
Bobbie Sauerzapf and Chris Chorley decided to have a "warm down" after Friday’s exertions by taking part in the Newmarket 10k race. On one of the hottest days of the year 139 runners took part with Chris finishing in 36th place in a time of 45.49 and Bobbie running well in the heat to finish in 76th place in 51.41.
Worstead Festival 5m - 25 July 2008
On a very warm Friday evening 330 runners took part in the Worstead 5 mile race. As part of the Worstead Festival there was a good village atmosphere with, what seemed, the whole village turning out to watch or help marshall the race. The star of the 8 Bungay Black Dog runners was Lynn Emmett who finished the race in 33.44 in 54th overall and was awarded the 1st Female V35 award. A few seconds behind Lynn was Robin Wilson who is turning in some very good short race times this season. He finished in 61st overall in a time of 33.58. A minute behind Robin was Chris Chorley who finished in 75th overall in 34.50. Next to finish was Bruce Rayner in 115th place (38.03) just pipping Neil Thomas by 10 seconds & 5 places. Bobbie Sauerzapf finished in 40.07 (153rd) with novice runner, Karen Waters, running well to finish in 54.50 (303rd).
Mutford 5k Relay - 13 July 2008
The Mutford 5k Relay was held on Sunday 13th July and Bungay Black Dog Running Club had 5 teams entered in the main event which had to have a female runner to start then followed by 4 other runners. In the past it has been a struggle to find female runners to compete but such is the strength of the Ladies section of the club that 8 females took part
Lynn Emmett set off on the 1st leg avoiding the bottleneck at the front but soon surged to 2nd place and was awarded 1st F V35 trophy for her time of 19.48mins which helped the A team to finish in 6th overall. Ian Taylor & John White each ran two legs, running in the “A” team and also the “E” team. Ian finished in times of 18.57 & 19.21 and John in 18.10 & 18.53. Please see the “Results” page for the team times.
Norwich Triathlon - 6 July 2008
The fourth Norwich Triathlon was held recently and with the option of Olympic Distance & the new Sprint Distance it attracted a field of over 400 competitors. 7 Bungay Black Dogs took part with 5 in the Olympic Distance event. This event took in a 1500m swim in Whitlingham Broad followed by a 39k bike ride around South Norfolk lanes and finished with a 10k run around Whitlingham Park. Terry Garrity enjoyed success by finishing in 2.33.31 to take 1st place in the Male V55 category. Lynn Emmett emulated his performance to take 1st place in the Female V40 category in a time of 2.41.30. Ali Morton was next in 2.56.00 and was awarded 3rd V45 with Andy Drinkell a few seconds behind in 2.56.26. Sue Potter just crept under the 3hr mark by 48 secs and her reward was 1st place in the V50 category.(picture attached shows Sue,Terry & Lynne with their awards)
In the Sprint Distance which comprised of 750k swim, 20k bike & 5k run, Robbie James finished in 39th overall from 150 competitors in a time of 1.13.43 with Karen Waters putting in a good performance to finish in 1.38.06.
Great Bentley 5m – 11 July 2008
Friday evening and another 5 mile series race was held in Great Bentley, just over the Suffolk/Essex border. Amongst the large field of 413 finishers were 3 Black Dogs with Chris Chorley finishing in 33.18 in 94th place. Neil Thomas was next in 38.27 (232nd) with Bobbie Sauerzapf a few seconds behind in 38.48 in 241st place.
Mike Groves 5.85k - Coltishall 9 July 2008
In torrential rain on Wednesday 9th July 125 hardy runners took part in the Coltishall Jaguars organised Mike Groves Run. The unique race distance of 5.85k took in muddy farm tracks and a steep hill at 5k, nevertheless, Chris Chorley had a excellent race to finish 28th in 24.13 with Bobbie Sauerzapf next for Bungay in 28.08 (70th). Philip Neave was next in 29.47 (80th) with Judy Potter, in her 1st race for a while due to illness, finishing well in 32.46(95th) with husband David Potter just behind in 100th place in 34.34.
The Lord Mayor’s 5k - Norwich 5 July 2008
The City Centre Classic was run on Saturday evening. This is a very prestigious race and entries include international runners. The premise is that runners have to finish the first lap (2.5k) in under 10 minutes which limits the field. 3 Black Dogs competed in the 69 finishers and John White had an excellent run to gain a pb in a time of 18.01 in 39th overall (8th V40) with Ian Taylor (running his 3rd race in 4 days) finishing in 19.16 (59th, 14th V40) with fast improving Robin Sawyer well inside the cut off point in a time of 19.27 (64th)!
Downham Market 5M - 3 July 2008
On Thursday evening, 5 Black Dogs competed in the Downham Market 5 mile race with Ian Taylor finishing in 25th place from 170 runners in 31.18, followed by Chris Chorley in 47th place in 33.56. Bobbie Sauerzapf had a good run to finish 12 seconds under the 40min mark in 96th place with Philip Neave in 121st place in 43.48 and David Potter finishing well in 139th place in 48.07
Broome 10k (2) - 2 July 2008
Close to home on Wednesday 2nd July was the 2nd of the Bungay Black Dog summer series 10k races.
21 Black Dogs took part with John White finishing in 3rd place (2nd V40) in a time of 37.21 with Ian Taylor in 6th place (3rd V40) in 39.16. Steve Barrett was next in 7th place in 39.53 with Robin Sawyer having a very good run to finish in 10th place in a time of 40.36.
Other Black Dog results
were Robbie James 12th (42.32), John Wharton 14th (3rd V50, 42.46), Tim Morton 15th (43.25), Gavin Cole 16th (44.13), David Punt 21st (45.27), Nigel Gilham 26th (47.51), Carol Maycock 28th
(2nd F V45 48.51), Bob Paul 29th (48.56), Hazel Garrity 32nd (50.12), Robin Farrar 34th (51.50), Karen Gedge 35th(51.53), Lucy Fawbert 37th (52.15), Patricia Hagan 40th (53.36), Sally Nicholls 41st(53.57), Christine Muttitt 43rd (1st F V55, 55.17) Sue Potter 45th (56.22) and Bob Jack 49th(60.37).
The Reedham Humpty Dumpty 10k - 29 June 2008
The inaugural Reedham "Humpty Dumpty" 10k race took place on Sunday. The very hot & humid conditions took its toll on the runners with 216 finishers. Fortunately, the race was sponsored by a local brewery so there was an opportunity to take part in a brewery tour and free tasting to replenish lost fluids!
Chris Chorley, fully recovered, was the 1st Bungay runner to finish in 42.52 in 35th place with Robbie James next in 40th in a time of 43.28 with Richard Dye breathing down his neck just behind in 43.30 (41st). A rare appearance by Andy Prime saw him finish in 47.06 (71st) with Bobbie Sauerzapf taking 1st FV45 award in 48.34 (87th). Karen Gedge, just recovering from a foot injury, had a good run to finish in 53.39 (137th) with Sally Nicholls a minute behind in 141st. New club member Gill Petts-Hannant chose a taxing course to compete in her 1st road race and was very pleased to finish in 66.55 in 205th place, a good bench mark for future races, well done Gill.
Stowmarket 5m Cross Country - 27 June 2008
Friday evening was the date for the Stowmarket 5 mile cross country. 356 runners took part in a very scenic run through mature woodland. Robbie James was 1st Black Dog home in 71st place in a time of 34.35 with Neil Thomas next in 162nd in 38.48. Bobbie Sauerzapf & Chris Chorley finished together in 40.12 (198/199th) with Sally Nicholls, in her first race for a while, next in 43.43 (283rd) followed by David Potter in 48.07 (329th). Junior runners Matthew, Sammy & Charlotte James took part in the Junior fun run and all 3 finished well up the field but times/ places were not recorded.
Wroxham 5k (2) - 25 June 2008
Race 2 of the evening 5k series saw 8 Black Dogs competing amongst the 229 finishers.
John White finished in 14th place in a time of 17.36, slightly slower than he had hoped, with Robbie James next in 20th in a time of 20.12 with Robin Wilson snapping at his heels 1 second behind. Junior runner & youngest in the race, Matthew James, had a really good run to finish in 21.47 in 95th, well done! David Punt, enjoying a period of injury free running, gained his gold award with a time of 21.47 in 99th place. Bobbie Sauerzapf was 1st in the FV45 age group and also gained a pb finishing in 23.17 in 135th with Chris Chorley, recovering from an operation, jogging around in 23.20 in 136th place. Carol Maycock warmed up by cycling 90 miles around Norfolk and then gained 2nd FV45 in a time of 24.06 in 149th place.
The Seaford 10k - 15 June 2008
Ian Taylor competed in this almost entirely off road 10k which contained the hardest climb he has encountered in any race so far. All races involving the Sussex Downs are demanding but the negotiation of a hill known as "High and Over" involved runners ascending to a height of 100m within a distance of just 350m taking almost five minutes. The arduous nature of the course was reflected in Taylor's finishing time of 43:22 which earned him 15th place out of 143 finishers
Hethel Engineering 10 mile - Wymondham 15 June 2008
The three Black Dogs who took part in this race would have preferred the day's weather to be reversed as the Sunday morning sultry conditions were found trying by many of the 140 finishers. The course around the scenic country lanes was well marshalled and for Bungay Richard Dye finished in 1.13.04 in 52nd position with Bobbie Sauerzapf taking the honours as 1st Female V45 runner to finish in a very good time of 1.21.54 in 95th place. Despite the heat, V65 runner, Robin Farrar finished strongly to record a time of 1.26.32 in 115th place.
Kirton 5m - 13 June 2008
Five Black Dogs ran the third leg of the Friday 5 series at Kirton on Friday. The weather was perfect for an evening run and all 427 runners enjoyed the scenic rural course. First Bungay runner was Robbie James 33:57 in 97th place with Andy Prime next in 37:50(202nd) with Bobbie Sauerzapf just behind in 38:31(220th). Neil Thomas had a good run to break the 40 minute mark finishing in 39:07 (238th) with David Potter very pleased with knocking a full two minutes off his Ipswich time to finish in a time of 46.59 (385th) . The younger members of the James family ran the 2 mile Fun Run but times were not recorded officially.
“6 In the Park” (3) 5K – Hove 12 June 2008
Cooler temperatures on this Thursday evening for the third race in the Hove Park Summer 5k Series produced another fine result for Ian Taylor when he finished third out of about 50 runners in 18:50. Worthy of diamond standard this represented a 17 second improvement over his May attempt. It also placed him one position higher in the results.
Fishbourne Flat Five - Chichester 8 June 2008
Ian Taylor entered the first of his three races this week. He finished 7th out of 104 in this flat five mile cross country in a time of 34:02. There were numerous stiles, gates, bridges, muddy tracks and narrow footpaths to negotiate in temperatures of 20°C.
St Albans Half Marathon - 8 June 2008
Chris & Bobbie then drove down to St Albans on Sunday to take part in the Half Marathon. On a very hot day nearly 2000 runners set off running a very hilly course through narrow country lanes with the finish in Verulamium Park with a distant view of St Albans Cathedral. Chris Chorley had another good race & finished in 111th overall in a time of 1.33.35 (39th in age category) with Bobbie Sauerzapf finishing in 1.52.23 in 664th position (17th in age category).
Bury Friday 5m - 6 June 2008
Friday evening's race was the 2nd of the Suffolk 5 mile series. A very wet Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds was the venue and there were 393 runners running around the park & country lanes with John White again 1st Black Dog to finish in 29.34 in 27th place followed in by Chris Chorley in 61st place in a time of 32.56. Bobbie Sauerzapf had a good run to finish in 41.41mins in 271st and then the runners had a pint & burger!
Broome 10k(1) - 4 June 2008
Wednesday evening was the date for the 1st of 3 10k races organised by Bungay Black Dog R.C and Broome Village Hall is the HQ. Over 70 runners took part with Wayne Utting (Norwich Road Runners) & Richard Moore (Waveney Valley A.C) having a close battle to decide the winner with Wayne just pipping Richard by 15 seconds to win in a time of 35.15. Bungay runner, John White had another good run to finish in 4th place in 36.29 with Ian Taylor just passing Steve Barrett on the last 25 metres to finish in 8th/9th in 38.39 /38.44 respectively. Carol Maycock achieved a pb to finish in 39th overall in 48.48 & was awarded the ladies F45 trophy for her efforts. Other Black Dog results were Robin Sawyer 40.34 (17th), Chris Chorley 40.56 (19th), Robert James 42.04 (22nd), John Wharton (pb & platinum age related award) 42.40(25th), Terry Garrity 42.32(26th), Gavin Cole 43.55(27th), David Punt 47.36 (32nd), Bob Paul 48.41(36th), Nigel Gilham 48.56 (40th), Ali Morton 49.20 (41st), Hazel Garrity 50.48 (44th), Bobbie Sauerzapf 51.11 (45th), Robin Farrar 51.15(46th), Colin Whale 52.14 (48th), Lucy Fawbert 52.47 (50th), Christine Muttitt 52,53 (51st), Sally Nicholls 53.02 (52nd), Ivan Lees 62.14 (60th), Katy James 64.50 (63rd), David Cook 67.10 (65th) & Doreen Whittington 73.59 (67th).
Woodhall Spa 10k - 1 June 2008
Sunday morning was an early start for 7 Black Dogs & families as they took a minibus to North Lincolnshire to compete in the Woodhall Spa 10k. Star of the run was John White who, in a very competitive field of nearly 1000 runners, finished in 35.51 (pb) in 13th place & won the prize for 1st Male V45. A just reward for all his hard training sessions! Next for Bungay runner was Ian Taylor in 38.02, another pb and in 38th place overall. Chris Chorley, running his 3rd race in 5 days, finished in 75th place in a time of 40.08mins with Richard Dye next in 118th in 42.18. Craig Anderson, in his 1st race since the Bungay Marathon, was very pleased with his time of 45.05 in 223rd place. Bobbie Sauerzapf, also running for the 3rd time in 5 days, recorded a time of 51.31 (455th) with Sally Nicholls finishing in 53.47 in 540th place.
Ipswich Jaffa 5m - 30 May 2008
On Friday evening, 3 of the Bungay runners from Wednesday night competed in the Ipswich Jaffa 5 mile race with Chris Chorley again 1st Black Dog finishing in 33.36 in 70th place with Bobbie Sauerzapf next in 41.30 in 224th place. David Potter finished in 49.57 in 329th with Andy Prime, running his first race in over a year, completing the course in 57.26 in 345th place.
Wroxham 5k (1) - 28 May 2008
On Wednesday evening, 9 Bungay runners had a more local run taking part in the 1st of the Wroxham 5k series. Amongst the 266 finishers Chris Chorley was 1st back for Bungay in a time of 19.57 in 53rd place with Robbie James & Robin Wilson in close contention in 20.26 (64th) and 20.30 (69th) respectively. Bruce Rayner ran well to finish in 21.10 (90th) with junior runner, Matthew James, running extremely well to finish just behind Robin in 21.55 (103rd). Next was Bobbie Sauerzapf in 24.12 (154th), then David Potter, improving with every race, in 27.36 (218th),with mother and daughter Karen & Hannah Waters both getting pbs and Hannah was also 2nd junior female. Their times were 30.45 (245th) & 31.02 (247th), well done
Brandon Half Marathon - 26 May 2008
Bank Holiday Monday saw Robbie James competing in the Brandon Half Marathon & despite the strong wind & rain Robbie finished in a very good time of 1hr 41 in 71st place from 229 runners.
BUPA London 10K - 26 May 2008
Meanwhile Karen Gedge took part in the inaugural Bupa London 10k race. The course was around the city centre with Buckingham Palace the backdrop for the start and finish of the race. With over 6,000 runners battling through the atrocious wet and windy conditions Karen was very pleased to finish in 52.45 in 1916th position.
Myra Garrett 10K - Bexley Heath 25 May 2008
In a field of 181 runners, Black Dog John White raced two laps around Danson Park. It rained heavily all morning, but cleared up just before race began. 90% of race was off-road, so it was quite slippery and more like a cross-country race. He competed in his road shoes against others wearing spikes. Taking the first mile easy, he moved from 15th at the start to about 10th. After 4k he had progressed to 6th and was 5th by the end of the 1st lap. It took the whole of the second lap to close down the 50m deficit to 4th but he achieved it just past the 9k point and came home comfortably ahead. John finished in a creditable time of 37.54, taking the MV40 prize, and only 3 minutes behind the race winner. John's time was slower than the 10k point last Sunday, but very respectable given the conditions.
Watford Harriers 1,500m - Watford 21 May 2008
On Wednesday evening, John White competed on the track. He won his heat comfortably in a time of 4.41.23. This was despite having run a fast 10 mile race on the previous Sunday.
Bognor Prom 10K - Bognor Regis 18 May 2008
On Sunday 18th May Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor competed in the Bognor Prom 10k Road Race in West Sussex. The entirely flat course has three very sharp bends within the first 500m and with a large field this makes for a congested start. Competitors had to cope with a keen head wind as they ran eastwards to Felpham, passing one of the few remaining Butlins Holiday Camps en route. Having rejoined the promenade at 6k, Taylor continued his fine performance passing a number of others who appeared to be flagging. The sun was out now and temperatures were rising. Strong until the end, Taylor was pleased to finish 42nd out of 1,302 in a chip time of 38:44.
Dereham 10m - 18 May 2008
4 Black Dogs took part in the Dereham 10 mile race. In near perfect conditions John White, in his 1st 10 mile race, stormed round to finish in 16th overall in a time of 60.30 & was 3rd V45. Richard Dye finished in 77th place in a very good time of 71.01, followed by David Punt in 145th in a time of 78.52, being 3½ mins faster than last year and just missing his target to obtain a gold standard award by a few seconds. Karen Gedge, one of Bungay's newer runners & improving with every race she competes in, had a very good run to finish 4 minutes faster over last years race in a time of 82.59, and was 2nd in the FV40 category.
Halstead & Essex Marathon - 11 May 2008
Not content with doing a 100 mile walk on the previous Sunday, then the Yarmouth 5m midweek race, Chris Chorley then ran the scenic & rural, Halstead & Essex Marathon. Although the weather was hot, Chris kept re hydrating at the water stops and then achieved a pb time of 3.30.08.
“6 In the Park”(2) 5K – Hove 8 May 2008
Ian Taylor competed in the 2nd of the Hove Park 5k series in Brighton. Ian had a very good run to finish 4th overall (2nd V40) in a time of 19.07 from a field of 53 finishers. This was an improvement of 3 secs. & 1 position on the previous race.
Great Yarmouth 5 mile series (2) – 7 May 2008
There was another good turnout of Bungay Black Dog runners for the 2nd race in the Great Yarmouth 5 mile series. With this race being part of the Norfolk Grand Prix series the entries were high at over 200 and competition was fierce with Robert Chenery from Ipswich Jaffa just piping Carl Prewer from Lowestoft R.R by 7seconds in a time of 26.43 .The first of the 16 Black Dog runners was Jim Cooper in 17th place in 29.58 with John Wharton next in 57th place in 33.28 just ahead of Tim Morton who finished in 65th place in 33.53. Chris Chorley was next in 84th place in 34.57, a bit slower than normal, probably due to the 100 mile walk he undertook with Bobbie Sauerzapf over the Bank Holiday weekend which was a non-stop 39hrs 25mins! Other Black Dog runners were Neil Thomas 37.44 (115th), Carol Maycock 38.41 (123rd), Bob Paul 39.05 (130th), Karen Gedge 40.02 (147th), Bobbie Sauerzapf 40.59 (157th), Robin Farrar 41.22 (161st), Sally Nicholls 41.27 (162nd), Christine Muttitt 42.17 (168th), Philip Neave 44.47 (177th), David Potter 47.37 (181st) with Bruce Rayner & Karen Waters finishing together in 50.10 (190, 191st).
Edinburgh 10K – 5 May 2008
Eight Bungay Black Dog runners and families flew from Norwich to Edinburgh over the May bank holiday weekend to take part in the BUPA Great Run series. The Edinburgh 10k race started and finished in the Meadows Park with the runners running through the city centre & part of Holyrood Royal Park. The support from the spectators, encouraged the runners especially on the long climb between 7/8k. With over 8,000 runners taking part Ian Taylor was very satisfied to finish in 99th place in a time of 40.29. The 2 minutes difference to his normal 38 min 10k time emphasised how difficult the course was. Next in for Bungay was John Wharton in 459th place in a time of 45.25 with Robbie James just behind in 488th place in 45.34. Sally Nicholls had a very good run to finish in 2,239th in a time of 54.09 with Bob Paul next in 2,435th place in 55.05. Next was Nigel Gilham in 3,113th in a time of 58.06 with David Cook finishing just ahead of Katy James in 4,418th in 65.01 with Katy next in 4770th in 67.32mins.
Sheffield Half Marathon - 27 April 2008
Three black dogs ran this year's Sheffield Half Marathon. Robin Wilson and Bruce Rayner stayed in Sheffield on the Saturday night in the clubhouse of the Sheffield branch of the Black Dogs (brother Tobin Rayner's lounge) and all three set off the following day with various wives and friends.
It was quite a dramatic start to the day with Tobin nearly writing off the car followed by a dramatic car crash adjacent to the tramline which blocked it and led to a mad dash to the start by car and an almost Jim Cooperesque late start.
The run itself was great with Tobin sporting a GPS system which very accurately demonstrated a loo stop on 3 miles. Tobin ran with wife Julie on her inaugural half marathon and came in on a very impressive 2.11.40 3,707th out of a total finishing field of 4,540 although he has managed around 1 hr 32 recently. Robin came in on 1:35.40 PB(598th) and Bruce on 1:36.32 PB(655th)). Conditions were good and another highlight was being overtaken by the son of local runner Roger Mawer, who recognised the shirts and gave a hearty hi.
Bruce says that he would certainly recommend this run for all round atmosphere, with plenty of crowds to cheer you on and a really great location for start and finish (Don Valley Stadium). Tobin is taking bookings for next year.
Chase The Train - Aylsham 27 April 2008
Four Bungay Black Dog runners took part in the Chase The Train event which was run on footpaths alongside the Bure Valley narrow gauge steam railway between Aylsham and Wroxham. Perfect conditions on the day made for some very good performances over the flat 8.9 mile course with Ian Taylor achieving 7th place out of 131 finishers in 57:59. Neil Thomas finished 61st in 1.13.40, Karen Gedge in 79th place in 1.18.14 and Sally Nicholls just behind in 81st place in 1.18.34. The runners then had pleasure of travelling back to Aylsham on the little train.
Great Daffodil Run 15m - Kelmarsh, Northants 27 April 2008
Chris Chorley & Bobbie Sauerzapf competed in the Daffodil 15 mile run at Kelmarsh Hall. This is a charity run organised on behalf of Marie Curie Cancer and over 250 runners took part running through undulating country lanes & taking in the site of one of the major battles of the Civil War, the Battle of Naseby. Chris had a very good race and finished 24th overall in 1.50 with Bobbie in 107th place in a time of 2.10.
Great Yarmouth 5 mile series (1) - 23 April 2008
The first of Great Yarmouth Road Runners organised evening 5 mile races was held on Wednesday 23rd April. 16 Bungay Black Dog runners were amongst the 174 finishers with John White being the first Black Dog to finish in 15th overall in 29.56. Jim Cooper and Ian Taylor had a hard fought battle with Jim just ahead in 30.54 in 25th & Ian 5 seconds behind in 26th place and the trio just missed out on 1st V40 overall by a matter of seconds. Amongst the 5 Bungay ladies competing Carol Maycock took the honours with a pb to finish in 38.53 in 116th overall and claimed the F45 2nd place. Other times were as follows:- Chris Chorley 32.34 (45th), John Wharton 33.24 (60th), Tim Morton 33.40 (61st), David Punt 36.31 (91st), Bob Paul 38.25 (106th), Bobbie Sauerzapf 39.40 (127th), Karen Gedge 40.05 (131st), Robin Farrar 41.32 (140th), Christine Muttitt 41.53 (144th) Sally NIcholls 42.02 (146th), Philip Neave 44.31 (157th) & David Potter 47.06 (166th).
Cambridge Duathlon - 20 April 2008
Bungay Black Dog runner Chris Chorley competed in his first duathlon in Cambridge. The course comprised of 7.5k run followed by a 35k bike ride and finished with another 7.5k run. Lining up with the 115 competitors in light rain and a blustery wind Chris completed the 1st running stage in 32.21. Setting off into the wind on the bike stage Chris maintained his form to finish in 1.15.24 and as he started the 3rd running stage the rain stopped and Chris crossed the finish line in 34.23 in an aggregate time of 2.22.28 being 54th overall & 5th in his age category. A very good result upon Chris's first attempt. On completion the runners received eco friendly goody bags and Chris's supporter Bobbie reported that (most importantly) excellent tea & cakes were provided by Heathlands Animal Sanctuary from Royston.
“6 In the Park” 5K – Hove 17 April 2008
Despite having run the London Marathon on Sunday 13th April Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor still found the energy to run in the first 5k race of the summer series in Hove Park in East Sussex on Thursday evening 17th April. This event forms part of "6 in the Park" which this year is being sponsored by Sense. The runners had to work quite hard against a chilly and blustery north wind on each of the 2.5 laps of the somewhat hilly park but Ian, not feeling any after effects from Sunday, finished in fifth place out of 50+ runners in 19.10. As a warm up and warm down from the main event he ran the 2.5 miles to/from the event from his Brighton home! .
Flora London Marathon – 13 April 2008
7 Bungay Black Dog runners managed to obtain entries to this year’s London Marathon and, even with the heavy rain and hail showers all 7 achieved their targets. The 1st Bungay runner to complete the course was Ian Taylor in a time of 3.00.10 finishing in 1,105th place from a field of 35,000 which puts Ian in the top 5%. Although Ian missed the 3hr mark by seconds, this time was still 5 minutes faster than his last marathon and he clocked pbs on the 10k, 10 mile, 13.1 & 20mile splits so he was very satisfied with his performance. Richard Dye was another Black Dog to record a pb on the day with an excellent 3.33.32 to finish in 4,737th place. Yet another pb was recorded by James Samkin who finished in 4.10.02 in 11,512 place. The conditions suited James better than last year’s warm temperatures, as he improved by 50 minutes! Because James set off from the red start this year he managed to get into his marathon pace straight away and he is now looking forward to running the Edinburgh Marathon on 25th May.
Just behind James was Andrew M Smith who completed the course in 4.18.54, coming in at 13,158. Andrew had a good race up to 22 miles but the conditions took their toll and he jogged the last few miles, although he was pleased with his overall performance. Another star on the day was Robin Farrar, who at 65¾, is enjoying his running and recorded another pb to add to his portfolio. Robin finished in 4.35.27, in his very first marathon, well in the top half of the finishers at 16,146, and 88th in his age group. Being a hardy Northerner, he enjoyed the challenging conditions!
Bob Paul, who, on limited training, hoped to finish in 5 hours, was very satisfied with his time of 4.37.05. with a placing of 16,387. After the stress of being Race Director at last weeks Bungay Marathon, Bob relished the opportunity just to run without the worry of organising everyone. The final Black Dog runner to finish was Colin Whale, who was running Bungay & London back to back in preparation for the Comrades race in South Africa, which is 56 miles in 12 hours. Having achieved his qualifying time for this race at Bungay, Colin could relax and sauntered around in 4.52.46. finishing at 18,166. Well done to all the Bungay runners for their individual achievements in what was described as, at times, the worst conditions in the race's history.
Lewes Easter Fun Run 10K - 24 March 2008
For most runners the final two weeks leading up to the London and Bungay Marathons mark a period of wind-down before the exertion of a 26.2 mile run. Not so for Black Dog Ian Taylor. Ian took part in the Lewes Easter Fun Run on Monday 24th March in the county town of East Sussex at the foot of the Sussex Downs. This Multi Terrain 10Km race was almost entirely off road but recent rain had made the chalk farm tracks very slippery in places and there were cattle grids and stiles to negotiate.
Having visited the picturesque downland village of Iford, runners returned to Lewes using footpaths acrossfields where the mud succeeded in pulling one or two runners shoes off. This fate did not befall Taylor, who ran a good race despite the conditions underfoot, finishing in 26th place out of 548 in a time of 41:39. Almost immediately he ran back to his house eight miles away in Central Brighton. Most of his route was on pavements alongside the busy A27 Dual Carriageway although the off road element, which he included to add to his enjoyment, included mud worse than that encountered during the race!
Joe Cox Half Marathon – Stowmarket 23 March 2008
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The very first Joe Cox half Marathon took place on Easter Sunday in very interesting running conditions. The heavy snow that began falling at about 8.00am deterred all but the hardiest of runners, and so it took place with a much smaller field than expected. However, after consulting the race referees and local police the race was given the all clear and started on time at 11.00am.The snowfall persisted until well into the race. 3 Black Dogs braved the conditions and club captain John Wharton finished 28th out of 175 runners in a time of 1.34.45. John was close on the heels of Chris Chorley (23rd) in a time of 1.32.45. Bobbie Sauerzapf represented the ladies, finishing 69th in 1.46.19 to win the V45 category.
City of Norwich 10k - 23 March 2008
On Easter Sunday runners braved the blizzards to participate in the City of Norwich 10k race at Whitlingham. 8 Black Dogs completed the taxing course. For Karen Gedge, Tim Morton and Robert James this was their second 10k in three days. First Black Dog home was Steve Barrett (38th of 304) in a time of 40.30. First Black Dog lady was Ali Morton (184th) in 51.30 just in front of Karen Gedge (190th) in 51.47. Other finishers were Tim Morton (76th) 44.11 Robert James (139th) 48.11; Robin Wilson (91st) 45.11; Bruce Rayner (93rd) 45.26 and Andy Drinkall (183rd) 51.29.
Jog Shop 6k – Brighton 21 March 2008
In the south of England, Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor took part in a Good Friday event organised by the Jog Shop in Brighton. The race attracted a small, but high quality, field of 26 competitors who tackled a 6k off road race from Telscombe Cliffs to Brighton Marina. The course was surprisingly tough, as it contained many undulations and was run against a stiff headwind on very exposed cliff tops along the English Channel coast. The front runners jostled for position throughout the race with Taylor finishing in fifth place in 26:19, forty four seconds behind the winning time of 25:35. He also ran the three miles to and from the start of the race encountering a particularly heavy hail storm on his way home!
Roger Wing Memorial 10K – 21 March 2008
The third running of the Roger Wing Memorial 10Km road race, took place this Good Friday.
29 Black Dogs took part and the first one home was John White in tenth place. Returning from injury, John recorded a very respectable time of 38.14. Terry Mulcahy finished in 33rd place (42.57) to win the V60 category prize. For the ladies, novice runner Carol Maycock shone to finish 88th in a time of 50.54. Carol just pipped Karen Gedge 92nd (51.28) racing Hazel Garrity 93rd (51.30)
The course was an out and back one, which started outside the Artichoke PH in Broome Nr Bungay and went out just short of Hales Green where the runners turned and retraced their steps home. The out bound leg was into a very stiff northerly wind, but the return leg was a very fast one that encouraged several runners towards PBs. The race winner in fact managed to break the course record with a very swift time of 32min 54sec.
The charities that were supported by this event were East Suffolk Prostate Support Group and Breast Cancer Care. Bungay Black Dog Running Club recognised the huge amount of work done by Cancer UK with their Running For Life series of races and wanted to perpetuate the momentum they have built up. This was the main reason for selecting the two charities. Prostate Cancer has they felt been left behind in terms of men not being very proactive. It was felt that if they and Breast Cancer were brought together at one event, Prostate Cancer may be brought to the attention of men, who tend to just put it at the back of their minds.
The club tried to stimulate a certain amount of rivalry between the sexes by challenging them to compete as to who could raise the most money, the males or the females. The generosity of the runners was truly overwhelming, with a large amount of money being given by donation or sponsorship. Unless the donor stipulated otherwise the male entry fee and donation went to Prostate and the female to Breast Cancer Care. At this point we do not have a final total, or how it will be divided but an estimated total is about £1,200. As soon as the totals are accounted it will be publicly announced.
The amount going to the charities is one hundred percent as Bungay Black Dog Running Club are covering all the expenses involved in promoting the event. The presence of John Dent chairman of Prostate Care and his committee gave an added sense of reality to the event. His brief talk about Prostate Cancer after prize presentation was well received and thought provoking.
The entry was very pleasing with an all time club 10K race entry record being achieved. With 184 entries it beat the old record by over 50 runners.
Additionally the Fun Run was reintroduced after an absence of many years. On what was a very cold and windy day it was very satisfying to have 30 plus runners line up at the start, ranging in age from Peter Lowther not yet 3 years to adults of nearly 50.
All fun runners received a small Easter egg and category winners receiving larger ones.
In the 10K event goodie bags, small eggs and bottles of beer were awarded to finishers. The category winners were awarded larger Easter Eggs that were kindly sponsored by Tesco at Beccles. The standard of the runners was very good; all completed the event inside 70mins, which is very commendable.
Bungay Black Dog Running Club would also like to thank the residents of Broome Village for their patience and courtesy during the 2 hrs when they were somewhat out numbered by runners. Results of the 10K race and the fun run can be found on the Results Page of this website.
Broadland Half Marathon – 16 March 2008
The wet and blustery conditions did not deter seven Black Dogs from competing in the annual Broadland Half Marathon on Sunday 16th March. The cold conditions and undulating, but scenic, course were not favourable for fast times. However, two Black Dogs managed PBs. Novice runner Karen Gedge smashed the two hour mark in 1:57:05 and Bobbie Sauerzapf knocked a minute off her previous best to finish in 1:46:18. Chris Chorley maintained his good form to finish in 1:33:44 with Tim Morton close behind in 1:36:54. Sally Nichols and Ivan Lees strolled in at 2hrs 20, no mean feat for Ivan following six months with no running, followed by Bob Jack nursing an injury following a previous south coast half. Bobbie was also first in the V45-54 class.
Mondi 15m - Cambridgshire 9 March 2008
While most runners took the opportunity to enjoy a rest from the spring race build up, stalwarts Chris Chorley and Bobbie Sauerzapf ventured into the Fens to complete the Mondi Packaging 15 mile race at Whitemoor Prison. Despite the blustery conditions, Chris maintained his solid form of late by finishing 33rd of a field of 128 in a time of 1:47:22. Bobbie was 83rd in 2:04:03.
Hastings Half Marathon –16 March 2008
Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor competed in the 24th Hastings Half Marathon in East Sussex. Drizzling rain throughout the race suited Taylor who had to climb some significant hills during the first five miles of the very interesting but demanding course through St Leonards on Sea. There were vast numbers of spectators lining the route especially along the flat section near Conquest Hospital, prior to a steep downhill section which took runners through Hastings Old Town where parts of the TV drama "Foyles War" was filmed.
The last 2.5 miles along Hastings promenade and Grand Parade made for a flat, fast finish. Taylor was 157th out of 3,704 finishers in a chip time of 1.27.57 which was a good performance given the demanding nature of the course. Regarded by many as the best half marathon in the country, and with substantial cash prizes up to £2,000, competition was very tough especially as the event formed part of the Sussex Road Racing Grand Prix. The Race Director who has organised the race for 24 years has been awarded the MBE for his services to the sport.
Wymondham 10 & 20 miles - 2 March 2008
Another very windy Sunday in Wymondham was the setting for the annual 10/20 mile road race. As last week at the Bury 20 mile a strong headwind was experienced up to the 6 mile mark for the 10 milers and again on the 2nd lap for the 20 mile runners. In the support race of 10 miles 8 Bungay Black Dogs took part with Chris Chorley finishing in 44th place in a time of 72.16. Neil Thomas who is improving with every race had a very good run to finish next in 98th place in 81.29 with Bobbie Sauerzapf just behind in 102nd place in 82.09. New lady runners Carol Maycock & Karen Gedge exceeding their expectations finishing in 113th (84.45) & 137th (89.35) respectively. Another lady runner, Sally Nicholls ran well to finish in 145th place in 90.20 with Sue Potter next in 97.45 (171st) & Ivan Lees, back after a layoff, finishing in 99.58 in 183rd place. There were 218 finishers in the 10mile race. The main race of 20 miles had 201 finishers with Ian Taylor running his 2nd 20 mile race in the last 8 days. Conditions were less favourable & Ian finished 3 mins slower than last week in 16th overall in a time of 2.18.53. As a guide the winner was 8 minutes slower than last week at Bury so well done to Ian. Just to prove a point Colin Whale improved his race time from last week by 10 minutes to finish in 3.11.34 in 157th place. Super vet, Robin Farrar, training hard for the London Marathon, put in a solid performance to finish in 3.17.36 in 170th place, no mean feat for a 65+ runner! .
Bury St. Edmunds 20 Mile - 24 February 2008
Not only 5 Bungay Black Dogs were competing but also Nigel, Karen & Darrell Edge & Margaret & Roy Burton manned two of the water stations in a reciprocal gesture for the help given at last weeks Great East Run by other Suffolk clubs. The star of the race for Bungay was Ian Taylor who scorched around the course in a personal best time of 2.15.45 to finish 27th overall in a very good class field of 398 finishers. The stiff headwind for the first 9 miles caused a few problems but nevertheless Chris Chorley had a good run to finish in 145th in a time of 2.40.40 with Richard Dye chasing him hard at the end to finish just behind in 2.41.28 in 150th place. Bobbie Sauerzapf maintained her good form to finish in 232nd place in 2.53.04 with Colin Whale, training for his ultra run in South Africa, finishing in 3.20.37 in 337th place.
Bury St. Edmunds Cross Country - 3 February 2008
The final race of the Suffolk Cross Country Winter series took place at Bury St Edmunds on Sunday 3rd February. In a field of 185 runners Bungay Black Dog Lynn Emmett took the honours by winning the series trophy for the Ladies V35 category and finished 51st (1st V35) on the day in 38.42. Just ahead of her was Jim Cooper in 34th overall in a time of 37.37 with Chris Chorley performing well in the mud and strong headwind to complete the course in 39.32 in 57th place. Robbie James finished next in 40.50 in 74th with Bruce Rayner a couple of minutes behind in 42.55 (92nd). Ladies Team Captain, Bobbie Sauerzapf, was next in 46.19 (122nd) with Carol Maycock in close contention clocking 46.25 (123rd). A few seconds behind was Neil Thomas in 46.41 (127th) with David Potter returning to form next in 54.24 (167th) with Christine Muttitt finishing well in 54.30 (168th) to take 3rd place in her age category in the overall series. Chris Harbord was next in 57.59 (177th) with new runner, Karen Waters, just behind in 59.43 (181st) Overall the Bungay team were 10th from 18 teams with the Ladies finishing 8th overall and the men were 11th.
The absence of cake at the end of the race was a calamitous disappointment to our runners, especially the team captain whose running is usually motivated by the thought of the post race grub.
This must be reported to the County officials and not allowed to happen again !
Worthing Lido 4m - 27 January 2008
Bungay Black Dog runner, Ian Taylor, competed in the Worthing Lido 4 mile race. Against a backdrop of thousands of tonnes of timber washed up on the beach as a result of a recent shipwreck (which almost lead to the race being cancelled) a high quality field of 444 runners including Team GB athletes set off along the promenade. The still conditions and a temperature of 9°C ensured for some very good times with the winner finishing in just over 20 mins. Ian had a good race and finished in a very credible 19th place overall (4th V40) in a time of 23.57mins (sub 6 minute mileing pace) Not content with that, Ian then ran the 12½ miles back to Brighton still wearing his race vest and number, obviously thinking about his carbon footprint!!
Stowmarket Cross Country – 20 January 2008
This was the penultimate race in the Suffolk Cross Country series. After heavy rain on Saturday the course at Stowmarket was very muddy, & coupled with a testing head wind in places, the runners found the course to be very challenging. Running through ancient woodland there were fallen trees to hurdle and muddy holes to try to avoid and most runners finished exhausted and very dirty! The race saw a good turnout of Bungay Black Dog runners with 12 male & 5 females hoping to maintain their overall positions in the series. With one race left the overall team is placed in 11th from 18 teams. Honours are still with the ladies team who are 8th overall with Lynn Emmett finishing as 1st F35 runner in all her races whilst the male team are in 13th position. On the day Jim Cooper again had a good run to finish in 44th overall in a time of 38.50 with Chris Chorley just behind in 40.10 in 57th place. Lynn Emmett was next in 41.35 in 77th place (1st V35), followed in by Robin Sawyer in 42.34(90th) with Robbie James next in 44.52(115th). Bruce Rayner, in a rare appearance, finished in 47.15(141st) with Ladies Captain, Bobbie Sauerzapf, running a good race in a time of 48.35(154th). Neil Thomas was next in 48.51(156th) followed in by Carol Maycock 49.14(161st), then Colin Whale 50.58(172nd), David Punt 51.36(180th), Tug Wilson 53.04(191st), Ian Ash 53.04(192nd), David Lines 54.14(199th), Christine Muttitt 55.59(204th), David Potter 58.46(214th) and new runner, Karen Waters, doing very well in extreme conditions to finish in 64.07 in 224th place. Team Captain, Bobbie, reported that the tea and cakes, supplied afterwards, were excellent and made the trip worthwhile.
Wymondham 10k - 1 January 2008
New Years Day saw over 350 runners converge on Wymondham to take part in the annual 10k race. Conditions were excellent with little wind & cool temperatures. Carl Goose from City of Norwich just held of the challenge from team mate Neil Davidson to win in 33.10mins. Bungay Black Dog, John White, just missed out on a p.b. to finish in 20th place in 37.48mins & took 2nd V45. Ian Taylor was just behind in 38.12mins in 26th overall & 2nd V40. Just breaking the 40 min barrier was Jim Cooper in 45th place in 39.48mins. Chris Chorley, running his 2nd 10k in 2 days, finished in 41.51 (72nd), being 1 second slower than his time at the Ely New Years Eve 10k! (88th). Tim Morton had a very good run to finish in 43.03(81st) with Robbie James recovering from the excesses of the night before, next in 43.53(94th). Just behind Robbie was Richard Dye in 44.09(100th) with Robin Wilson next in 45.49(118th). Nigel Gilham finished in 130th place in a time of 46.30mins with Colin Whale next in 49.03(220th). 1st Black Dog female was Ali Morton who was disappointed to finish just over the 50min mark in 50.02(190th), with next lady, Bobbie Sauerzapf, back in 51.52(220th),a minute slower than her time at Ely (50.33). Sally Nicholls finished in 53.41(245th) with Sue Potter next in 58.55(286th) & Philip Neave, another Ely 10k runner, finishing in 58.58 (288th) a couple of minutes slower than at Ely (56.45).