Undeserved Winnings by Rupert

Way back in the January Newsletter, Annette wrote a piece on the Tadworth 10, but said that I should be the one to explain why I came away from that event clutching a bottle of wine.  I haven’t yet done this, what with having been away for a while in Hong Kong and Australia, and Jean having been away for another 2 months.  (It’s a poor excuse, I know, but it is the only one I have got.)  So now I will explain.

The Collingwood AGM at the start of April set me thinking back over the past year, and I realised that there has been a bit of a theme to some of the possibly undeserved benefits that my running has brought me, in particular in the past 12 months, but also over a longer period.

The first instance last year was at the Dorking 10 mile race.  Because of the way the cut off works in this event, I have to run the first third of the race quicker than I might otherwise plan to do, and so I suffer for it later on, and end up finishing at a leisurely pace.  While I was making my way slowly round, the host club officials had been handing out a few spot prizes to random finishers, until finally they got to a position where they suspected that the last runner had finished, but they realised that they had one prize left.  Luckily for them (and for me), at this point I came jogging gently through the finish line.  It was clear to me that this was a bit of a relief to them.  It meant that they could unload the prize onto me, and pack up and go home with a clear conscience.  The prize was a strong and useful jute canvas bag branded with the name of a firm of Dorking estate agents, but more interestingly, tucked inside was a very nice bottle of Prosecco.

By the time of the Dorking 10, the first of the three South London Harriers Informal 10k events, better known as the Near As Damn It, had taken place.  As most people will know, these take place over Farthing Down and Happy Valley on the last Thursday of May, June and July, and to win the event, or to win an age group, it is necessary to run all 3 races.  After the third race, the prize offered to the winners in each case is a bottle of wine.  In 2018, there were only two of us in the V70 category who completed both of the first two races.  The other guy was much quicker than me, so when I saw him ready to run before the start of the third race, I thought I had no chance.  We set off but before we reached the road crossing, I met him limping back to the start. This was unfortunate for him, but then I knew I had only to finish (and before everyone went home) to be sure of taking home the bottle of wine for the V70 category, which I duly did.  The following year, in the first race, there was just me and one other V70 runner.  He did not run in the second, so by the time of the third race I knew, once again, that I had only to finish to win the age group and secure the bottle of wine.  The races did not take place in 2020 and 2021, and in 2022 and 2023 I believe that no V70 runner completed all 3.  In 2024, I was the only V70 finisher in the first race, so once again I simply made sure that I finished races 2 and 3 to take home the bottle of wine once again.

And so to the Tadworth 10 mile and 10k races in early January this year.  For the first time this year, the organisers politely asked that anyone unable to complete the 10 mile course in 2 hours or less should not enter the main race, but they were welcome to enter the 10k race, which had been run for the first time the previous year.  My time in the preceding two years had been much closer to 2 hours 20 minutes, so reluctantly I decided that I should comply with their request and enter the 10k. 

As an aside, I should add that Tadworth AC have told me that they might well decide to impose an official 2 hour cutoff for the 10 mile race next year.

After the race, I was in the middle of changing when I half heard over the PA system something about Collingwood being the winners of the male team prize in the 10k event.  This was puzzling, because, while Gill S and Karen C had run, I knew I was the only male Collingwood member who had run in the 10k.  I explained to the various Tadworth AC officials who were winding up proceedings that I did not believe that we had a male team in the 10k and asked what was going on.  They were adamant that Collingwood were winners if the team prize, and that as I appeared to be the only Collingwood representative still around, I should take the bottle of Prosecco that was part of the prize, and also a piece of paper inviting me to contact the Tadworth AC Treasurer to claim a £50 cash prize.

When I got home, it soon became clear what had happened.  For some unexplained and very random reason, the entry system had registered about half a dozen members of Mole Valley Runners as being with Collingwood, thus making us appear to be the only Club with enough entrants to form a team.  Obviously, I could not claim the £50 in cash, but what to do with the bottle that was now in my fridge?  I contacted Tadworth AC who said that they would get back to me about this, but after hearing nothing for over 2 weeks, I decided that I should open it.  Only some days after this, did they contact me to say that they had decided that I was welcome to keep it.  I thanked them graciously, and did not let on that the bottle was already empty, but had been much appreciated by both Jean and me.

I doubt that the coming 12 months will prove so fruitful.  In the Near As Damn It, I do not have high expectations.  I am aware that at least one strapping young 70-year old, who on past form can be expected to complete all 3 races, has moved up this year from the V60 category into V70.  Oh well, only another couple of years, and I can start contending for the V80 category.  I can hope to have that category to myself again, although by that time I may need to ask for a much earlier start time, maybe about 4:30 in the afternoon!

PS 

In the last few days we have received the final results of the East Surrey Athletic League 2024-25, where the pattern appears to continue.  I would appear to be the only name in the frame for overall winner of the M75 category.  This is slightly embarrassing.  Can I really claim an award for having entered only 2 out of the 3 races, and duly finishing last in both of them by quite a hefty margin?