Mad March 20
STUBBINGTON'S ladies made it through the rain and pain at the Mad March 20 to remain on course for promotion from the Hampshire Road Race League.
Despite awful running conditions for the 20-miler, the club managed to field four ladies for the tough race and they were rewarded with a string of fine performances, and a fourth place finish among Division 2 clubs.
With nearest rivals Farnham Runners failing to field a team of three, it means the club are lying second overall, just four points behind leaders Gosport Running Club, with two races to go - at Eastleigh and Totton.
Two teams go up this year. Farnham lie 15 points adrift of Stubbington, so two good turnouts at the remaining HRRL races should ensure promotion to the top flight.
On a wet and windy day in Dorset, the girls were led home by Kay Sadler in 78th place with a time of 3hrs 7mins 8secs. Lauren Coates worked hard for 96th spot in 3:13.22, while Tracie Jarvis and Kathy McKain worked their way past the flash floods which swept the Christchurch course to cross the line together in 119th and 120th places with a time of 3:26.38.
Five Stubby men turned out for the club on a tough day for running. Jon Leigh has raced a lot in 2007, and raced well too at distances ranging from 5km to 20 miles. He led the boys home in 110th with a time of 2:37.38, followed by Nick Kimber in 126th in 2:39.36, and a certain Marcus Timothy Lee (well, that's what it says on the results sheet) coming hom in 134th position with a time of 2:42.16.
Fellow Stubbies Sean Jones and Simon Holford both ran inside three hours with Sean taking 150th spot in 2:48.35 and Simon 158th with 2:51.28.
In the team rankings, Stubbington's men lie fourth overall after seventh placing on the day at the Mad March, adrift of the top three of Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth Joggers. Both men's and ladies' B team lie ninth in their respective divisions.
The race was won by Dominic Croft from Woodstock Harriers in Oxfordshire with a winning time of 1:55.46. Karen Rushton from Southampton Running Club won the ladies race in a time of 2:14.32. Sean Jones' wife Katharine, running for Winchester & District AC, was third in 2:17.26. A total of 378 runners took part.