Test Way Relay, 9th September 2006

WHO said Scotsmen can’t swim?!! Wee Gordon Reid didn’t need armbands or his rubber ring as he waded through parts of the River Test to steer Stubbington Green Runners to victory in the Test Way Relay.

Gordon found himself confronted by knee high waters on the final leg of the 50-mile relay. On a day which featured some of the highest tides for many years, Gordon and some of the other faster finishers were faced with the hazards of wading through waters crossing the River Test to the Salmon Leap pub at Totton.

“It was incredible, we were trying to run through knee-high water,” said Gordon. “It was fun, though.”

This was a day of superb achievement for Stubbington, and for the men’s team victory at the prestigious Test Way. Coming on the back of their win at the South Downs Relay earlier this summer, it adds up for one of the best seasons on record.

Team manager Chris Hall wasn’t helped by the late pull-out of veteran Tony Allen which meant some quick reshuffling.

Zippy Grice opened Stubbington’s account strongly in the opening 7.1km leg from Inkpen Beacon to Linkenholt, giving the Greens a near minute lead over rivals Southampton Running Club.

He handed over to Chris Hall, who had brought himself in as a replacement for Tony, and though still not fully fit, Chris ran well to hand over at the end of the 8.8km leg at Stoke Hill in third place, just under a minute down on Southampton.

But Chris blotted his copybook big time. The Pompey-supporting Stubby, who dashed off to Fratton Park straight after the run to watch his beloved Blues beat Wigan, amazingly played the Good Samaritan to our arch rivals.

Chris revealed: “As you may know I dislike them up the road with a passion but you would be proud of my sportsmanship. I took over from Zippy on the second leg after he had led us in and was gutted when a S******ton runner overtook me after two miles. He then took a wrong turn, even though he was 10 metres ahead. I called him back and redirected him. I’m delighted that it didn't cost us the race.”

Chris is now receiving psychiatric help and counselling for this temporary moment of insanity!

Mark Le Gassick stormed through leg three, a tricky 10km run to Middleton Farm and managed not to get lost this year! Mark pulled out more than three minutes from the Southampton runner at the end of his lightning run providing a two minute cushion for Tor Duffin on leg four to Wherwell.

It was here that Winchester, who was sitting tight on Southampton’s heels in third place, went wrong, and their runner finished seven minutes slower than Tor for only the eighth fastest leg. That effectively turned the challenge into a two-horse race between Stubbington and Southampton, who have won the last five men’s Test Way titles.

Alistair Ewing ran a very solid fifth leg to Stockbridge, chased hard by Southampton’s experienced runner Simon Ridley, who had reduced the gap to just five seconds.

But when you need a blistering leg, who better to ask than Andy Vernon? The guy gets taller every time you see him, and borrowing his dad’s unironed Stubby vest set off down the path with a vapour trail flying off his Nike’s and leaving Southampton’s Dave Blackman in his wake.

Andy, 20, who runs second claim for Stubby as a member of Aldershot, Farnham & District, said he was gearing up for quite a busy cross country season – last year he won a silver medal for Great Britain at the European Junior Championships in Holland. He ran the 9.1km leg in 29 minutes flat – which is 5min 7sec per mile! – and built a four minute cushion over Southampton by the finish near Mottisfont Abbey.

“That final hill seemed to go on and on,” admitted Andy afterwards, but who was still pleased with his run and joined his team-mates at the finish to celebrate the success.

It was a crucial leg, and provided the platform for victory. Barry Hards kicked on with a fine run on the 9.1km leg to Romsey, handing on to Ray Gunner who, despite a niggling injury which had threatened his participation, demonstrated he is in superb form with the second fastest leg time of the day.

That gave Gordon a lead of 2min 20sec going into the anchor leg from Lee, close to the M27 to Eling. This leg was added this year, and included running across the marshes at Nursling through to Totton where he was confronted by the lapping waters of the River Test.

Gordon’s a strong runner, and the lead was never in any danger as he brought the Greens home to victory at Eling Wharf in a time of 4hrs 36min 52sec - to Southampton’s 4:38.44, with Winchester in third in 4:49.40.

It was our first win at the Test Way in seven years. The last time we held the leaping salmon trophy, which apparently is a former angling club award, was in 1999.

It was a terrific team effort, and well deserved. “To beat an ‘elite’ club such as S*******ton is a great achievement,” said men’s captain Chris Hall. “We really do punch above our weight.

“I couldn’t be there with them at the end but I was at my other great love. Mike Harper phoned to tell me we had won the relay just as Pompey scored the winning goal so there was a double celebration from Zippy, Helen and myself!”

Stubbington also fielded three other teams in the 50-mile race; a men’s B team, ladies and mixed squads.

The men’s B team, which also faced some last minute changes because of injury, ran well in a competitive field for eighth place in a time of 5:31.41.

Chris Vernon ran the opening leg from Inkpen to Linkenholt for the B team, and he had a slight run-in with a Winchester runner. “He really was taking the proverbial,” said Chris.

“He ran the first leg obviously thinking that he would always have someone in sight to follow. I overtook him down the very steep hill before the sharp left-hander onto the track, but he hauled me back on the flat. He didn’t have a clue as he asked at every junction which way to go.

“I got my own back, though. Most of you will know that there is a hidden turn up into the woods along a narrow steep path. As he got to it I said “up the hill”. It didn’t register and he followed around the track bend. As I got to the turn I said it again. By this time I was ahead and he was forced to follow me through the woods.

“He didn’t even know which way to turn at the Linkenholt road junction and then had to nerve to look round to check I was still following him.”

There was one moment of confusion at the end of leg seven between Mottisfont to Romsey. B team runner Tim Crumpton was running along the path to the bridge to handover to Ryan Gunner, who had already gone!

Apparently, moments earlier when Suzie McGregor, running for Stubbington's mixed team, came running to the finish, accompanied by Nick Kimber who was acting as an escort. It had been assumed that it was Nick who was running for the men's B team, so the marshall sent Ryan on his way.

Fortunately, there was no time penalty added to the B team.

There was also drama for the ladies’ team with Sarah White only just making it for her third leg from Stoke Hill to Middleton Farm after the car she was travelling in was involved in an accident.

Jane Thomson was on her way to the handover, but there was no sign of Sarah to hand over to.

Mark Le Gassick explained: “Luckily, Gordon (Reid) works with Sarah and had her mobile number. She said that they were running late but were about five minutes away. Panic over, or so we thought!

“A couple of minutes later, Sarah’s husband called back saying that someone had just run into the back of their car!

“Gordon and I jumped in the car to see if we could find Sarah and get her to the start but we drove for about 10 minutes with no sign of them and it was getting near to my handover time so we had to go back.

“Miraculously, we arrived back at the handover to learn that Sarah had made it by the skin of her teeth and had to literally jump out of the car and start running as Jane handed over to her.”

Donna Shaw guided the ladies’ team home to sixth spot in 6:52.32, with a strong Winchester & District AC winning the event yet again in 5:22.42.

Winchester packed their mixed team with some strong lady runners, and they claimed title honours in a time of 5:06.49. Stubbington’s mixed team held second place early on, but still managed to finish well in fifth when Rachel Openshaw anchored the team home in a time of 6:24.55.

It was a good day for Stubbington.

Everyone involved with the club was cheered by the victory of the men’s team, but there was good support for the other squads too seeing a number of runners turn out for Stubbington in a team race for the first time.

Some 234 runners from 26 teams took part in a race organised by Hardley Runners.

Organiser, Andy Suswain said: “Everyone agreed that the new finish at the Anchor Pub in Eling was better, however we may need to look at improving the route across the A35 in Totton. We will also consult the tide tables for next year, which will be the 22nd event.”

Leg

Men's A team

Time

Team pos

Men's B team

Time

Team pos

Ladies team

Time

Team pos

Mixed team

Time

Team pos

Inkpen to Linkenholt (7.1km)

Zippy Grice

26.22

1st

Chris Vernon

30.16

4th

Gerry Perrier

42.30

6th

Marcus Lee

33.20

3rd

Linkenholt to Stokehill (8.5km)

Chris Hall

35.18

2nd

Lloyd Exley

43.03

9th

Jane Thomson

50.10

5th

Andy James

38.46

2nd

Stokehill to Middleton Farm (10km)

Mark Le Gassick

36.17

1st

Mike Harper

39.40

8th

Sarah White

60.07

6th

Paul Hammond

45.21

4th

Middleton Farm to Wherwell (7.8km)

Tor Duffin

28.42

1st

Phil May

34.15

8th

Verity Wright

45.06

6th

Kathy McKay

46.57

5th

Wherwell to Stockbridge (7.5m)

Alistair Ewing

30.19

1st

John Exley

33.14

7th

Margie Pritchard

42.35

7th

Liz Hall

47.55

5th

Stockbridge to Mottisfont (9.1km)

Andy Vernon

29.00

1st

Dave King

39.55

7th

Annie Tomlinson

48.20

7th

Gary Littlecott

46.02

5th

Mottisfont to Middlebridge (9.1km)

Barry Hards

37.37

1st

Tim Crumpton

38.45

7th

Lauren Coates

46.02

6th

Suzie McGregor

43.00

5th

Romsey to Lee (7.6km)

Ray Gunner

29.25

1st

Ryan Gunner

43.52

8th

Kate Sadler

40.55

6th

Tracie Jarvis

47.08

5th

Lee to Eling (6.1km)

Gordon Reid

23.52

1st

Nick Crane

28.41

8th

Donna Shaw

36.47

6th

Rachel Oppenshaw

36.26

5th

Total Time

4hrs 36min 52sec

1st

5hrs 31min 41sec

8th

6hrs 52min 32sec

6th

6hrs 24min 55sec

5th

1st

Stubbington A