KFL 2021-22 Match 4 - Minnis Bay

Sevenoaks AC women retained their lead in the Kent Fitness League after the fourth match at Minnis Bay on 2nd January.

The cross-country course at Minnis Bay is unique, adds Jim Knight. Runners start at the end of Marine Parade and follow the coastal footpath towards Reculver Towers. After 3 miles, they turn inland, across the fields, over the railway embankment and then they have to jump over five deep mud-filled dykes before returning to the embankment for the final two miles to the finish. The dykes get progressively deeper and wider. The first is jumpable, but the 3rd is virtually impossible to cross without falling into waist-deep mud. A real cross-country course.

27 Sevenoaks AC athletes joined the 467 runners taking part in the race. By the finish their pristine white SAC vests were various shades of grey and brown.

The SAC women’s team ran well and were just beaten into second place by Canterbury Harriers. With two wins each, Sevenoaks and Canterbury have the same score in the series, but on count-back Sevenoaks retained their lead. The next two races, at Rough Common, Canterbury and Knole Park, Sevenoaks will be crucial in deciding the series winner. The SAC scorers on the day were Bridgit Weekes, Cath Linney, Suzy Claridge and Hannah Sangham with the rest of the team also running brilliantly over the soaking course.

Meanwhile, Jamie Philip was third overall, and first veteran, in his first appearance in the league. Along with fellow-scorers James Graham, Jonathan Marsh, Andy Evans, Mike Lochead, Ed Saunders, Richard Alford-Smith and Harvey Taylor, Jamie led the SAC men to seventh place on the day, but fifth after four races.

All this meant that Sevenoaks AC's combined team were fifth on the day and stay fifth in the standings. The SAC results were:

Ov Pos	Lg Pos	Bib	Runner	Age	Time	Club	Score	Rtg	#
3	3	1062	Jamie Philip	44	36:53	Sevenoaks AC	V40:1	99.33	Debut
15	15	688	Edmund Saunders	39	38:08	Sevenoaks AC	M1	95.29	15
30	30	673	Michael Lochead	41	40:09	Sevenoaks AC	V40:2	90.24	15
50	48	637	Richard Alford-Smith	45	41:39	Sevenoaks AC	M2	84.18	8
61	58	694	Harvey Taylor	17	42:08	Sevenoaks AC	M3	80.81	4
68	65	652	Chris Fenn	30	42:29	Sevenoaks AC	NSBLS	78.45	4
75	72	676	Andrew Milne	39	42:49	Sevenoaks AC	NSBLS	76.09	31
79	76	702	Daniel Witt	46	43:06	Sevenoaks AC	NSBLS	74.75	61
81	77	680	Sebastian Naughton	47	43:08	Sevenoaks AC	NSBLS	74.41	3
95	90	678	Shaun Mullen	45	44:19	Sevenoaks AC	NSBLS	70.03	6
116	9	672	Catherine Linney	52	45:40	Sevenoaks AC	V45	95.29	38
124	114	703	Tim Young	49	46:00	Sevenoaks AC	NSBLS	61.95	4
128	118	679	James Nash	30	46:10	Sevenoaks AC	NSBLS	60.61	8
134	11	642	Suzy Claridge	49	46:18	Sevenoaks AC	V35	94.12	8
137	12	916	Hannah Sangan	27	46:35	Sevenoaks AC	F1	93.53	2
147	15	657	Vanessa Gilmartin	46	47:09	Sevenoaks AC	NSBLS	91.76	20
156	138	650	Graham Dwyer	49	47:44	Sevenoaks AC	NSBLS	53.87	14
160	20	647	Julia Davis	24	47:56	Sevenoaks AC	NSBLS	88.82	4
175	151	669	Leonard Lai King	42	48:42	Sevenoaks AC	NSBLS	49.49	4
180	155	659	James Graham	68	48:57	Sevenoaks AC	V60	48.15	25
192	163	1059	Jonathan Marsh	61	49:34	Sevenoaks AC	V50:1	45.45	Debut
196	166	651	Andrew Evans	51	49:41	Sevenoaks AC	V50:2	44.44	48
219	35	699	Bridgit Weekes	63	50:49	Sevenoaks AC	V55	80.00	14
301	71	685	Ella Pyman	55	55:48	Sevenoaks AC	NS	58.82	16
333	252	701	Jeremy Winter	68	57:37	Sevenoaks AC	NS	15.49	5
337	84	704	Samantha Znetyniak	46	57:51	Sevenoaks AC	NS	51.18	6
349	90	1000	Sarah Fisher	25	58:34	Sevenoaks AC	NS	47.65	5

The full results are here.

The next (fifth) match is at Blean Woods, Rough Common on 6th February.