Sam Znetyniak won the first club handicap race of 2023 ahead of Lucy Wilkes.
Sam was the only runner to beat her handicap over the five mile course.
Chris Desmond in third was the fastest on the day with guest Francesca Desmond the fastest woman and Lucy the fastest scoring woman.
The next race, over the seven mile course, is on Sunday 26th February at 08:30 from the track.
The details are here.
No fewer than 27 SAC runners made the trip to Deal for the fifth match of the Kent Fitness League 2022/23 season at Betteshanger Park on 15th January.
Both the women's and men's teams ran well with the women 2nd, men 3rd and the combined team 2nd.
Scorers for the women were Bridgit Weekes, Caroline Fenwick, Andrea Berquez and Suzy Claridge, while Jeremy Winter, William Palmer, Sean Leith, Andrew Hutchinson, Ed Saunders, James Mason, Javier Montoya Montero and Mike Lochead scored for the men.
The full Sevenoaks AC results were as follows:
| Ov Pos | Lg Pos | Bib | Runner | Age | Time | Club | Score | Rtg | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 8 | 820 | James Mason | 39 | 30:28 | Sevenoaks AC | M1 | 97.14 | 18 |
| 19 | 19 | 842 | Edmund Saunders | 40 | 32:04 | Sevenoaks AC | V40:1 | 92.65 | 21 |
| 25 | 25 | 826 | Javier Montoya Montero | 35 | 32:33 | Sevenoaks AC | M2 | 90.20 | 3 |
| 27 | 27 | 808 | Andrew Hutchinson | 43 | 32:41 | Sevenoaks AC | V40:2 | 89.39 | 19 |
| 30 | 30 | 816 | Michael Lochead | 42 | 33:03 | Sevenoaks AC | M3 | 88.16 | 21 |
| 40 | 39 | 834 | William Palmer | 50 | 34:16 | Sevenoaks AC | V50:1 | 84.49 | 6 |
| 49 | 2 | 784 | Andrea Berquez | 37 | 34:46 | Sevenoaks AC | V35 | 99.28 | 5 |
| 56 | 52 | 780 | Richard Alford-Smith | 46 | 35:14 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 79.18 | 13 |
| 63 | 58 | 830 | Sebastian Naughton | 48 | 35:45 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 76.73 | 9 |
| 68 | 62 | 813 | Sean Leith | 51 | 36:14 | Sevenoaks AC | V50:2 | 75.10 | 5 |
| 72 | 8 | 796 | Caroline Fenwick | 45 | 36:26 | Sevenoaks AC | V45 | 94.96 | 5 |
| 75 | 66 | 829 | James Nash | 31 | 36:40 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 73.47 | 13 |
| 83 | 72 | 824 | Andrew Milne | 40 | 37:13 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 71.02 | 35 |
| 102 | 13 | 788 | Suzy Claridge | 50 | 38:33 | Sevenoaks AC | F1 | 91.37 | 13 |
| 111 | 16 | 791 | Julia Davis | 25 | 38:47 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 89.21 | 10 |
| 115 | 96 | 823 | Nicholas Mileham | 42 | 38:54 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 61.22 | 3 |
| 129 | 24 | 815 | Catherine Linney | 53 | 39:35 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 83.45 | 41 |
| 134 | 110 | 793 | Graham Dwyer | 50 | 39:45 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 55.51 | 19 |
| 158 | 129 | 811 | Leonard Lai King | 43 | 40:51 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 47.76 | 9 |
| 172 | 141 | 794 | Andrew Evans | 52 | 41:49 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 42.86 | 52 |
| 177 | 34 | 801 | Vanessa Gilmartin | 47 | 42:05 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 76.26 | 26 |
| 184 | 38 | 851 | Bridgit Weekes | 64 | 42:40 | Sevenoaks AC | V55 | 73.38 | 19 |
| 188 | 149 | 853 | Jeremy Winter | 69 | 42:49 | Sevenoaks AC | V60 | 39.59 | 8 |
| 196 | 156 | 819 | Jonathan Marsh | 63 | 43:24 | Sevenoaks AC | NS | 36.73 | 5 |
| 218 | 169 | 789 | Duncan Cochrane | 65 | 44:42 | Sevenoaks AC | NS | 31.43 | 40 |
| 235 | 55 | 856 | Samantha Znetyniak | 47 | 45:39 | Sevenoaks AC | NS | 61.15 | 12 |
| 265 | 68 | 843 | Sarah Shewell | 63 | 47:33 | Sevenoaks AC | NS | 51.80 | 121 |
After five of the seven matches the women lie 2nd in the standings just narrowly behind Canterbury Harriers, with the men 5th and the combined team in 3rd place. The full results are here
The next race is at Blean Woods, Rough Common, Canterbury on 5th February.
Kent Fitness League – Race 4 – Minnis Bay. Jan 8th 2023.
The cross-country course at Minnis Bay is unique. Runners start at the end of Marine Parade and follow the coastal footpath towards Reculver Towers, writes Jim Knight. 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 – and this year it was wetter than ever.
25 Sevenoaks AC athletes joined the 474 runners taking part in the race. By the finish their pristine white SAC vests were various shades of grey and brown.
SAC’s Andrea Berquez had an outstanding run to win the women’s race and bring the team home in second place, just behind Canterbury Harriers.
The other scoring members of the SAC women’s team were Caroline Fenwick (9th), Nicola Glover (15th) and Pauline Dalton (30th).
After 4 races, the women’s team still leads the series.
In the men’s race, James Mason led the team home with an impressive 5th place overall , with the team in 6th place. The other scoring members were Ed Saunders (16 ), Michael Lockhead (30th), William Palmer (43rd), Andrew Monk (78th), Sebastian Naughton (81st)
Simon Bishop (110th), and Jeremy Winter (164th)
After 4 races, the men’s team is in 5th place, the women 1st, and the combined team 3rd.
The full SAC results were:
| Ov Pos | Lg Pos | Bib | Runner | Age | Time | Club | Score | Rtg | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 820 | James Mason | 39 | 37:25 | Sevenoaks AC | M1 | 98.62 | 17 |
| 16 | 16 | 842 | Edmund Saunders | 40 | 40:23 | Sevenoaks AC | V40:1 | 94.81 | 20 |
| 30 | 30 | 816 | Michael Lochead | 42 | 41:46 | Sevenoaks AC | V40:2 | 89.97 | 20 |
| 39 | 1 | 784 | Andrea Berquez | 37 | 42:34 | Sevenoaks AC | V35 | 100.00 | 4 |
| 45 | 43 | 834 | William Palmer | 50 | 42:50 | Sevenoaks AC | V50:1 | 85.47 | 5 |
| 84 | 78 | 825 | Andrew Monk | 46 | 45:27 | Sevenoaks AC | M2 | 73.36 | 4 |
| 89 | 81 | 830 | Sebastian Naughton | 48 | 46:00 | Sevenoaks AC | M3 | 72.32 | 8 |
| 90 | 82 | 799 | Jimmy George | 41 | 46:09 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 71.97 | 18 |
| 92 | 9 | 796 | Caroline Fenwick | 45 | 46:14 | Sevenoaks AC | V45 | 95.68 | 4 |
| 95 | 85 | 829 | James Nash | 31 | 46:23 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 70.93 | 12 |
| 113 | 15 | 802 | Nicola Glover | 35 | 47:47 | Sevenoaks AC | F1 | 92.43 | 6 |
| 125 | 110 | 785 | Simon Bishop | 59 | 48:38 | Sevenoaks AC | V50:2 | 62.28 | 4 |
| 144 | 20 | 791 | Julia Davis | 25 | 49:26 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 89.73 | 9 |
| 150 | 128 | 811 | Leonard Lai King | 43 | 49:34 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 56.06 | 8 |
| 159 | 136 | 844 | Jatinder Soomal | 40 | 49:55 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 53.29 | 16 |
| 160 | 24 | 815 | Catherine Linney | 53 | 50:00 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 87.57 | 40 |
| 173 | 30 | 790 | Pauline Dalton | 58 | 50:36 | Sevenoaks AC | V55 | 84.32 | 57 |
| 185 | 151 | 794 | Andrew Evans | 52 | 51:22 | Sevenoaks AC | NSBLS | 48.10 | 51 |
| 201 | 164 | 853 | Jeremy Winter | 69 | 52:19 | Sevenoaks AC | V60 | 43.60 | 7 |
| 202 | 38 | 851 | Bridgit Weekes | 64 | 52:20 | Sevenoaks AC | NS | 80.00 | 18 |
| 205 | 40 | 828 | Katrina Murphy | 34 | 52:33 | Sevenoaks AC | NS | 78.92 | 3 |
| 210 | 167 | 818 | Alan Male | 53 | 52:56 | Sevenoaks AC | NS | 42.56 | 3 |
| 214 | 46 | 833 | Anna O'Donovan | 22 | 53:18 | Sevenoaks AC | NS | 75.68 | 2 |
| 241 | 52 | 801 | Vanessa Gilmartin | 47 | 55:00 | Sevenoaks AC | NS | 72.43 | 25 |
| 278 | 214 | 789 | Duncan Cochrane | 65 | 57:05 | Sevenoaks AC | NS | 26.30 | 39 |
The full results are here.
The next race is in Betteshanger Park, Deal on January 15th.
The Kent Fitness League is a series of cross-country races between the 18 registered Athletics Clubs in Kent. Any number of club members can compete, but 12 are needed to score in the team competition – 8 men (of whom one must be aged 60+, two must be 50+ and two 40+) and 4 women (of whom one must be aged 55+, one 45+ and one 35+).
In the coldest conditions ever in the 35-year history of the current format of the club handicap race, Jane Morgan won the final race of the 2022 handicap series and just pipped Andrew Mead for the series trophy on tiebreak.
Both runners finished with six points but Jane's four scoring races were slightly better attended.
None of the other runners on the day were able to improve their scores sufficiently to contest the top three series placings, so Andrew finishes second and Lucy Wilkes held on to third.
Congratulations to Jane who, faced with the task of winning the final race to take the series trophy, ran her fastest time for five years in very cold conditions to win by ten seconds from Sam Znetyniak.
As night follows day, so the 2023 series will follow the conclusion of the 2022 series, and the first race will be on Sunday 29th January at 08:30 from the track. All are welcome.
The full details are here.