Jeans Report
What a fantastic time I had, could not have enjoyed it anymore. Having all those familiar and friendly faces on the start line definitely made it more of a social fun run.
13 miles seem to fly past, maybe it was the continual talking! dancing at the water stops or just the wine!! whatever it was I was disappointed when we got to the finish.
Mile 2 First taste of white wine, Trevor's eyes lit up at all the Power Gels and started to fill his pockets.
Mile 6 Brought a queue for the toilets and welcome sponges, supplied by an old gentleman having the time of his life, sponging down all the ladies!!
Mile 10 Brought extra wine tasting - a water fight with me and Kay - Two courgettes! carried by Trevor and Jules (have you cooked them yet?) and a lovely picture of Claire skipping off into the distance.
Mile 13 MSTC competitiveness kicked in and there was a dash for the finish or it just could have been the tea, coffee, cake, fruit, Bar b q and more wine supplied at the end, so we greedily put back all the calories we had lost.
Bring it on again next year:)
Trev's
Report
I'd just like to mention the pumpkins ... I was first competitor
over the line carrying a pumpkin!
I also managed to eat more crisps , pretzels and jelly babies than anyone! And despite a valiant attempt from Jim I won the competition to earn the entry fee back by collecting as many gels as possible , even managing to store some inside Roses sports bra !
Also the MSTC medics at mile 12 ... Steve pumping that poor woman full of gels until she vomited!
And it was Roses first half marathon!
JulesReport
The "courgettes" are actually the size of small pumpkins rather
than the sort you find in Sainsbury's!
Definitely the most fun I have ever, and I'm sure will ever, have on a half marathon. I echo Jean's sentiments when I actually got quite sad At mile 9 when I realised there were only 3 miles left!
I think the quantity of wine increased each stop due to realising that there were fewer and fewer people following us :-D
Clairs
Report
Sunny 'Skippy' Sunday
I went to bed on Saturday night and slept soundly. On Sunday it
was a perfect day, I left with my printed out map of the bike route
to get to Denbies and met Jean on route.
Cycling to an event has to be the way to go, no problems with nerves. The route was great and Jean and I enjoyed the bike ride so much, it was more of a concern that my map reading skills - while cycling - would get us there (which they did). It was a beautiful scenic route and didn't feel like the 30 miles at all. We got to see the Olympic rings on the heights of Box Hill as we made our final road towards the Vinyard.
On arrival at Denbies, which was so lush-green and beautiful we were surrounded by runners dressed up to the nines! I liked the runners dressed up as vineyard grapes - by the time the run was done their balloons as had deflated with the heat of the sun pounding down on them and every so often a few would bang as the balloons burst with all the friction created.
It was Such a relief to be back in the swing of things, again. It really didnt feel like 13 miles. I was pretty certain that post injury that I would run 4 and walk the rest. I ran and skipped a very decent 12 plus miles. Meeting up with Fiona, Jo, Sharon, Graeme, Steve, Kay, Jim, Helen, Juls and of course Trevor and Rose was superb.
We had an enormous amount of fun, we chatted, danced and stopped of course at every feed-drink station to make sure that we were hydrated, re grouped and then we all ran on again. I did quite a lot of skipping ... I found that too much sugar does make for a very skippidy hoppidy me - thank goodness I didnt have any wine !
This event was really well organised, lovely marshalls and a really good event to be part of - sometimes running for fun, chatting with friends and enjoying the scenic view has to be a founditory reason for all the training that is done in the year. They provided a great post BBQ, music and the atmosphere was fantastic. I would definitely do this again, be more organised and dress up and would cycle back next time too.
Jim's
Report
A great day for a PW (personal worst finish time).
Brilliant fun race with fancy dressing, wine, sunshine, friends
and great scenery.
Felt like it was the South of France running beside vinyards in
blazing heat.
Had the rare privelage to run with (and chat to) the race leader
(eventual winner) for a couple of miles. Jonathan Ratcliffe had
lapped me and I had no trouble keeping up with him for a while
seeing as his legs were 13 miles more tired than mine. Jonathan is
a 2:45 marathoner and won this event in 3:11, which shows how tough
the course was with hills and half-drunk half-marathoners to
negotiate.
Not for the first time, my competitive wife sprinted past me on
the finish and beat me by a couple of seconds.
Sharons Report
Best half marathon I have ever done & best of all I achieved a PW (Personal Worse) - also the first time I have ever finished a run feeling a little bit tipsy (lightweight - I obviously don't get out much).
I've just checked the pics on the website & it's the first time I'm smiling while running - he! He! The scenery was fantastic and it was great to just stroll up the hills exercising the jaws from all the chatting
Also needs to be said on the race report that Steve was
"chicked" at the finish post by at least a second - lol xx
Steve's Report
What a great race and my kind of nutrition plan more wine than you can drink and more jelly babies than you can eat a great social run except for the last 5 meters when the girls got a bit competitive :) think this will have to be a club run for next year.
| Place | Time | Name |
| 48 | 01:56:44 | Fiona Bussell |
| 138 | 02:14:54 | Joanna Rendall |
| 193 | 02:23:38 | Helen Graham |
| 194 | 02:23:40 | James Graham |
| 242 | 02:30:06 | Graeme Fitzjohn |
| 509 | 03:19:08 | Claire Cresswell |
| 562 | 03:43:56 | Sharon Chladek |
| 563 | 03:43:57 | Kay McMenamin |
| 564 | 03:43:57 | Jean Fish |
| 565 | 03:43:57 | Steve McMenamin |
| 567 | 03:44:05 | Rose Ryan |
| 568 | 03:44:05 | Trevor Moore |
| 0 | 03:43 | Jules - times missing |