Handicap league

2006 results

Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4

Race 5 Race 6 Race 7

Race 8 Race 9 Race 10

Race 11 Race 12 Final League Table

Handicap Race 1

Sunday 12th February 2006 - 5.8 miles

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Rob Swift	48.25	46.25	8.00	-2.00
2nd	Angie Swift	47.40	46.23	8.00	-1.17
3rd	Andrew Falkingham	49.20	48.42	8.24	-0.38
4th	Kevin Anholm	47.00	46.34	8.02	-0.26
5th	Mark Nurse	40.35	40.34	7.00	-0.01
6th	Andy Watson	35.45	35.50	6.11	+0.05
7th	Gordon Harker	50.15	52.42	9.05	+2.32
8th	Tina Anholm	65.15	70.05	12.05	+4.50
8th	Terry Hirst	43.00	47.50		+4.50

After all the dry days we have had over the last few weeks I suppose it was inevitable that it would be raining for our first race of the new season. Fortunately it was only light rain, which according to the running manuals is apparently good for runners, as it makes more oxygen readily available as we battle our way round the 5.8 mile course.

It’s been 4 months since the last race, so the first event gives an indication of which Withernsea Harrier member has put in some solid winter training. Those that haven’t usually stay away until April, so that it gives them time to work on their fitness. However those runners who do enter can score some points early in the season and so put themselves in a good position to make an early challenge for The Title.

The winner of the first race was Rob Swift who was making his first appearance since the 2004 season. Rob spent most of last season singing for some local rock band (called Stealer whoever they are)!! All the sex, drugs and rock and roll (well 1 out of 3 ain’t bad) meant that he neglected his running last year, but after training with The Withernsea Harriers regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays this winter Rob looks like he may re-capture some of his 2004 form.

In second place was Angie Swift. Angie finished runner up in the League last year and she is already looking like she will be challenging hard this season, to finish 1 place higher. Andrew Falkingham finished 3rd with Kevin Anholm close behind in 4th place.

The 2 quickest men in the field managed to finish in the points positions. Mark Nurse was in 5th place and Andy Watson, despite a slight detour, finished in 6th place.

After the race the draw for the 1st round of The Knockout Cup was made. 16 runners went into the hat, with the tie of the round pairing the cup holder Derek Parker against the quickest man in the draw, Andy Watson.

Back to top

Handicap Race 2

Sunday 5th March 2006 - 5.8 miles

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Tina Anholm	68.00	67.28	11.38	-0.32
2nd	Angie Swift	46.10	46.35	8.02	+0.25
3rd	Rob Swift	45.45	46.45	8.04	+1.00
4th	Andy Watson	35.45	36.50	6.21	+1.05
5th	Jeff Copping	51.00	52.50	9.07	+1.50
6th	Mark Nurse	40.10	42.30	7.20	+2.20
7th	Tony Carter	41.30	43.54	8.09	+2.24
8th	Tony Falkingham	55.00	57.56	9.59	+2.56
9th	Andy Falkingham	48.20	52.16	9.01	+3.56
10th	Kevin Anholm	46.15	50.14	8.40	+3.59
11th	Terry Hirst	43.00	47.12	7.40	+4.12
12th	Matt Anholm	48.00	54.22	9.22	+6.22

The sun was shining brightly in a clear blue sky, which gave the competitors for the 2nd race in the Withernsea Harriers Handicap League the impression that Spring had arrived. However a strong cold north westerly wind soon reminded everyone that Winter hadn’t finished quite yet. Worse still, the direction of the wind meant the runners had to run into the icy blast for the 2nd half of the course, which would ensure a tough finish to the 5.8 mile route.

With such difficult conditions, it was unlikely that anyone would run to their handicap, or manage a quicker time than the first race 3 weeks ago. So it was to her credit that Tina Anholm ran the race 2 minutes and 37 seconds faster than the previous race when the conditions where less demanding. Tina has the most difficult position in our handicap races, she is first off and so has the rest of the field racing her to the finish line. Despite this she finished over a minute ahead of her nearest challenger Angie Swift.

In third place was Rob Swift. Rob and Angie have made an excellent start to this season's campaign. Both runners have 14 points and already have a big lead at the top of the table. However, as Sheffield United are finding out, it's how you finish the season that counts.

Fourth was our speed merchant, Andy Watson, who ran the 5.8 mile course in 36 mins 50 secs, an excellent time in the conditions. 5th was Jeff Copping and 6th was Mark Nurse.

The next race will be on Thursday 30th March, 4 miles. Race starts at 7.00pm from The Plough Inn, Hollym. £1 entry.

We are also introducing a new league over much shorter distances. The first race night will be Thursday 13th April and there will be 2 races. The race distances will be 1 mile and 2 miles. All will start and finish at The Plough Inn, Hollym. First race will start at 7.00pm. £1 entry for each race.

If you fancy having a go, please come along. Everyone of whatever ability is very welcome.

Back to top

Handicap Race 3

Thursday 30 March 2006 7.00pm - 4 miles

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Andy Griffiths	28.30	27.13	6.48	-1.17
2nd	Tony Carter	29.00	27.57	6.59	-1.04
3rd	Mark Nurse	27.00	26.09	6.32	-0.51
4th	Terry Hirst	30.00	29.14	7.18	-0.46
5th	Pauline Steele	43.40	42.52	10.43	-0.48
6th	Jeff Copping	33.15	33.09	8.17	-0.06
7th	Tony Falkingham	39.00	38.56	9.44	-0.04
8th	Angie Swift	30.20	30.26	7.36	+0.06
9th	Pete Hadgraft	32.00	32.11	8.03	+0.11
10th	Andy Watson	24.20	24.44	6.11	+0.24
11th	Tina Anholm	43.40	44.24	11.06	+0.44
12th	Amelia	32.00	33.54	8.29	+1.54
13th	Kevin Anholm	31.00	34.56	8.44	+3.56
14th	Derek Parker	32.00	37.23	9.21	+5.23

The early leaders:

1st	Angie Swift	16 points
2nd	Rob Swift	14 points
3rd	Mark Nurse	10 points
4th	Tina Anholm	9 points
=	Andy Griffiths	9 points

Now that the clocks have thankfully moved forward, the Withernsea Harriers handicap races can now be held at the favourite time of Thursday evenings. This and the much improved weather resulted in a near record field assembling last Thursday for the 3rd race of the 2006 season.

The race was over 4 miles, also a favourite amongst the members. This course usually produces a fast race and coming so early in the season, is very difficult for “The Handicap Committee” to accurately judge everyone’s handicap. There was the usual moaning and groaning before the start about their handicap, none more so than Andy Griffiths. In the event he was proved right, as he ran over 1 minute under his handicap time to win the race. His comments about poor handicapping have been noted by “The Committee” and I’m sure this will be put right for the next race.

Close behind in second place was Tony Carter, who also finished over a minute under his handicap time. This came as a shock to Tony whose chosen profession is a train driver, so he was not used to being a minute ahead of his scheduled time.

Third was Mark Nurse who showed a welcome return to form in completing the course in 26 minutes. Fourth was the club’s pensioner, Terry Hirst. In fifth was Pauline Steele. Pauline has only started running in January this year and has been training regularly with the Withernsea Harriers. In her first ever race, she ran the 4 mile course in 42 mins 52 secs which is an excellent effort. Pauline’s fine performance shows it’s never too late to start running and also reflects that Withernsea Harriers are pleased to welcome and run with, any individual, no matter what their abilities are.

Amazingly, this report is nearly finished without the name Angie Swift being mentioned. So we better put this right. Angie managed to run within 6 seconds of her handicap time and so picked up 2 championship points and so now holds the out right lead at the top of the table after 3 races.

The next handicap race is on Thursday 20th April over 5 miles. Race starts at 7.15pm from The Plough Inn, Hollym.

On Thursday 13th April we start a new competition. There will be 2 races held on the night, over 2 miles and 1 mile. Competitors can run either race or both. There is a £1 entry for each race. Both races start and finish as usual at The Plough Inn, Hollym.

So everyone, take a leaf out of Pauline’s book and come down and have a go.

Back to top

Handicap Race 4

Thursday 20th April 2006 - 5 miles

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Kevin Anholm	41.15	39.17	7.51	-2.02
2nd	Pauline Steele	53.30	51.50	10.22	-1.40
3rd	Pete Hadgraft	39.35	38.25	7.41	-1.10
4th	Matt Anholm	42.30	41.39	8.20	-0.51
5th	Andy Watson	31.15	31.58	6.24	+0.43
6th	Angie Swift	37.30	39.05	7.49	+1.35
7th	Jeff Copping	40.50	42.25	8.29	+2.35

The early leaders 1/4 way through the season

1st	Angie Swift	18 points
2nd	Rob Swift	14 points
3rd	Kevin Anholm	13 points
4th	Mark Nurse	10 points
5th	Andy Griffiths	9 points
=	Tina Anholm	9 points
=	Andy Watson	9 points

Race Report

The rain which had fallen for most of the day looked like it would relent by the time the slightly below average field assembled for the fourth race of the series. In fact the conditions were nearly perfect for running with very little wind and only light rain falling at race time. According to the running manuals these weather conditions bring down more oxygen to help the poor struggling runner to fill up his lungs and so improves their performance to achieve their personal best, apparently! Can’t say I’ve noticed!!

Anyway the extra oxygen must have been coming down in bucketfuls because Kevin Anholm stormed around the course nearly 2 minutes below his handicap time. Kevin has struggled lately so it was nice to see him recapture some of his old form. In second place was Pauline Steele, who continues to improve, in what was only her third race. This is a good example that steady regular training can reap rewards on race day. Third was Peter Hadgraft, another runner who has had recent injury problems. This was his best performance of this season (must be that oxygen again)!

Fourth was Matt Anholm, with Andy Watson fifth. Andy lives in Burstwick and he cycled to Hollym for the race. I know this is a handicap race, but I think Andy might be taking this a bit too far!! Angie Swift scraped in sixth place and so picked up 2 more Championship points and so extended her lead at the top of the table.

Back to top

Handicap Race 5

Thursday 5th May 2006 - 5.5 miles

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Tony Falkingham	54.00	52.12	9.19	-1.48
2nd	Andy Falkingham	49.00	47.53	8.33	-1.07
3rd	Mark Nurse	38.30	39.30	7.03	+1.00
4th	Rob Swift	43.30	44.36	7.58	+1.06
5th	Angie Swift	42.35	43.49	7.49	+1.14
6th	Tony Carter	38.30	40.06	7.10	+1.36
7th	Pauline Steele	56.40	58.29	10.27	+1.49
8th	Matt Anholm	45.00	46.58	8.23	+1.58
9th	Gordon Harker	49.30	53.57	9.38	+4.27
10th	Jeff Copping	46.15	51.17	9.09	+5.02
11th	Kevin Anholm	42.10	47.55	8.33	+5.45
12th	Tina Anholm	61.30	68.06	12.10	+7.36

Leaders after 5 races:

1st	Angie Swift	21 points
2nd	Rob Swift	18 points
3rd	Mark Nurse	15 points
4th	Kevin Anholm	13 points
5th	Andy Falkingham	12 points

Back to top

Handicap Race 6

Thursday 25th May 2006 - 5.8 miles

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Tina Anholm	69.00	65.50	11.21	-3.10
2nd	Paul Smith	-	55.40	9.38	-
3rd	Jeff Copping	50.45	49.48	8.35	-0.57
4th	Liam Dowling	57.30	56.52	9.48	-0.38
5th	Mark Nurse	39.25	38.56	6.43	-0.29
6th	Pauline Steele	60.45	60.27	10.25	-0.18
7th	Matt Anholm	47.10	47.03	8.07	-0.07
8th	Angie Swift	44.50	45.09	7.47	+0.19
9th	Rob Swift	44.20	44.44	7.43	+0.24
10th	Andy Falkingham	47.45	48.40	8.23	+0.55
11th	Patrick Eudas	-	49.50	8.34	-
12th	Kevin Anholm	46.25	48.31	8.22	+2.05
13th	Andy Watson	35.20	37.04	6.23	+2.21

There had been a week of excessive rain in the days prior to the 6th race of the season. The race distance was to be over the 10k course which took the runners along the old railway lines. However, parts of the course were waterlogged and so “The Committee” made a swift decision and changed the race to the 5.8 mile route. This course is strictly on the concrete as it starts at Hollym, goes around Hompton and back to the finish at The Plough Inn.

This course must suit Tina Anholm. She won the last handicap race when this course was used and history repeated itself, as she stormed around the circuit over 3 minutes under her handicap time. In second place was a guest runner, Paul Smith. We all thought Paul had come down to join in and enter one of our runs. However we later learned of a more interesting explanation.

There was a 1st round cup match scheduled to be played between Liam Dowling and Jeff Copping. Liam that well known Irish hustler, had managed to use Paul as his “pace man”. If it’s good enough for Paula Radcliffe…..!!!! The tactic nearly paid off but in a close finish, Jeff using all his experience, just edged past Liam to finish 3rd.

At the halfway stage in the championship standings, Angie Swift still leads the table. However her lead has been cut to 2 points, with Mark Nurse in 2nd place and Rob Swift and Tina Anholm only a further point behind.

The previous Thursday, there was the second night of the “no watch league”. The aim in this competition is to finish as close to your handicap time as possible. There where 2 races, over 2 ½ miles and 1 ½ miles. The winner of both races was Mark Nurse, who was 1 second quicker and 2 seconds quicker respectively. Kevin Anholm was 2nd finishing 4 seconds quicker in both races. These results show there really is no substitute for experience.

The next 2 races for your diary are very important events. On Thursday 29th June we have our Club Championship Race over 7 miles. The race starts at The Plough Inn 7.15pm, entry £1.

The following Sunday, 2nd July, Withernsea Harriers are organising a 5 mile fun run which starts and finishes at The Pier Towers. This is the first road race to be organised by the club since 1993 and we all hope that all local sportsmen and women will enter and support this event. The race starts at 10.30am. For further details please contact Kevin Anholm on 613029.

Back to top

Halfway League Table

Position	Name	Points
1st	Angie Swift	21
2nd	Mark Nurse	19
3rd	Rob Swift	18
=	Tina Anholm	18
5th	Jeff Copping	13
=	Kevin Anholm	13
7th	Andy Falkingham	12
8th	Pauline Steele	10
9th	Andy Watson	9
=	Andy Griffiths	9
=	Tony Carter	9
=	Tony Falkingham	9
13th	Matt Anholm	6
14th	Peter Hadgraft	5
15th	Liam Dowling	5
16th	Terry Hirst	4

Back to top

Handicap Race 7

Thursday 29th June 2006 - 10K

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Jenny Adds	69.00	66.23	10.41	-2.37
2nd	Matt Anholm	50.00	48.13	7.46	-1.47
3rd	Dino Verrecchia	-	45.39	7.21	-
4th	Paul Smith	52.15	51.02	8.12	-1.13
5th	Pete Hadgraft	48.10	47.11	7.36	-0.59
6th	Kevin Anholm	50.45	50.05	8.04	-0.40
7th	Angie Swift	47.45	48.34	7.49	+0.49
8th	Jeff Copping	52.15	53.32	8.37	+1.17
9th	Pauline Steele	64.35	66.16	10.40	+1.41
10th	Andy Watson	38.50	40.45	6.34	+1.55
11th	Tina Anholm	69.00	71.14	11.28	+2.14
12th	Mark Nurse	41.25	47.33	7.40	+6.08
13th	Rob Swift	47.25	53.40	8.39	+6.15

Last week was a busy week for the Club. On Thursday we had the 7th race of the handicap league, while on Sunday The Club staged its first road race since 1993. More about that later. First, last Thursday. We have reached the midway point of the season and the latest race was over the 10k course. There was a strong wind helping the runners over the first 2 miles, but as they turned for home, the competitors had to battle against the wind to reach the finish at The Plough Inn, Hollym.

The winner making her 10k debut was Jenny Ads. Jenny only joined the Harriers in April, but has been making rapid progress over the last few months. Jenny ran the 10k course in an excellent time of 66 mins 23 secs and we are looking forward to seeing her improve on this time in the future. In second place and showing a welcome return to form was Matt Anholm.

The next 2 positions where taken up by 2 more debutants. 3rd was Dino and in 4th was Paul Smith. Both have again just recently started to enter our races and have been welcome additions to our group. We hope they continue to participate in our future races.

It remains tight at the top with only Angie Swift picking up some championship points. Angie has now stretched her lead at the top of the table to 4 points.

Back to top

Handicap Race 8

Thursday 10th August 2006 - 10k

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Jenny Adds	66.30	59.47	9.38	-6.43
2nd	Jeff Copping	53.20	51.09	8.14	-1.49
3rd	Mark Nurse	42.15	40.58	6.36	-1.17
4th	Tina Anholm	69.30	68.19	11.00	-1.11
5th	Matt Anholm	46.45	45.36	7.21	-1.09
6th	Pauline Steele	65.30	68.29	10.23	-1.01
7th	Andy Griffiths	43.00	42.00	6.46	-1.00
8th	Dino Verrecchia	43.30	42.59	6.52	-0.31
9th	Kevin Anholm	48.20	48.01	7.44	-0.19
10th	Angie Swift	48.00	48.10	7.45	+0.10
11th	Andy Watson	37.50	38.20	6.10	+0.30
12th	Paul Smith	49.00	52.11	8.24	+3.11

The Withernsea Harriers handicap league season starts in February and is completed early in October. So it’s a long season. During this time the future champion has to contend with various weather conditions and will almost certainly have peaks and troughs with regards to their own form, (e.g. Kevin Anholm, although he has had more troughs this season!!!). In addition to our 12 race season, there are numerous other races held in and around the Holderness and Hull area. Some of these races will have some significance to the individual and they may target their training to a particular event. So with so many potential distractions, it can be difficult to pick up league points.

At this stage of the season the majority of the local events have been held, but there are still 5 handicap races left this season. So this is the time for the new potential champion to make their move. Those runners at the top of the league are looking for a strong finish to clinch the title. Conversely those runners in the “pack” need to start making a significant move up the table, so that they can challenge for the no.1 spot.

This may explain why so many runners produced such a good performance last Thursday in the latest handicap event. The race was over 10k which is not an easy distance to produce a fast time. The conditions may also have played a part. It had been raining but mercifully the rain had stopped. It was cool, with a light wind helping the runners back to the finish.

Whatever the reason, ¾ of the field ran under their handicap time. None more so than Jenny Ads. Jenny was only competing in only her second ever run at this distance and she managed to break the hour mark. Her time of 59 mins 47 secs was an excellent effort considering Jenny only joined The Harriers in April. One to watch in the future. Jeff Copping was second nearly 2 minutes under his time, with Mark Nurse third. Mark’s time of 40 mins 58 secs was his fastest 10k time for 5 years. There were only 17 seconds between Mark in 3rd place, down to Andy Griffiths in seventh, which again highlights what a good race this was. Fourth, fifth and sixth were Tina Anholm, Matt Anholm and Pauline Steele.

So the jockeying for a good position for the Final Day has begun. We have a new leader, Mark Nurse, by a point from Angie Swift. However, there are 8 runners separated by only 8 points and with 9 points for a win, anything still can happen.

Back to top

Handicap Race 9

Thursday 24th August 2006 - 5.5 miles

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Jeff Copping	44.55	45.06	8.03	+0.11
2nd	Kevin Anholm	42.20	43.26	7.45	+1.06
3rd	Dino Verrecchia	37.35	38.47	6.56	+1.12
4th	Angie Swift	42.30	43.36	7.49	+1.16
5th	Mark Nurse	36.05	37.23	6.41	+1.18
6th	Tina Anholm	60.15	61.58	11.04	+1.43
7th	Andy Watson	34.00	35.45	6.23	+1.45
8th	Jenny Adds	52.15	56.37	10.07	+4.22

Leaders 3/4 way through the season.

1st	Jeff Copping	29 points
2nd	Angie Swift	27 points
2nd	Mark Nurse	27 points
4th	Tina Anholm	24 points
4th	Kevin Anholm	24 points
6th	Rob Swift	18 points
6th	Jenny Adds	18 points
8th	Matt Anholm	16 points

The weather forecast predicted rain for all day on the day of the race, which gave fears of the 5.5 mile course being waterlogged. However, as usual, our bit of coastline missed the downpours experienced in the rest of the region and so the 8th race of the season went ahead as planned.

The previous race was notable for the excellent times achieved by the majority of the field. With this in mind the handicap committee not unreasonably used these times as the standard for the 5.5 mile course. Despite the distance being 0.7 miles less than the previous race not one competitor managed to beat their handicap time. In fact the winner, Jeff Copping, was 1 minute 11 seconds slower than his handicap time. I don't believe that anyone has ever won a race so far over his handicap time. Normally a runner finishing a minute over his predicted time would not finish in the top 6 so this was indeed a bonus for Jeff. Why did this happen? One reason could have been the different weather conditions. The competitors had to run 1/2 the race into a stiffish wind which would slow everyone down. I think though, in the end, it just came down to the fact everyone had a very good day on the previous race and in this race everyone returned to their normal form.

Back to top

Handicap Race 10

Thursday 7th September 2006 - 5 miles

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Rob Swift	45.00	41.18	8.16	-3.47
2nd	Gordon Harker	44.00	42.11	8.26	-1.49
3rd	Tina Anholm	54.30	54.26	10.53	-0.04
4th	Dino Verrecchia	34.10	34.10	6.52	+0.10
5th	Sarah Newton	56.00	56.25	11.23	+0.25
6th	Andrea O'Mara	56.00	56.26	11.23	+0.26
7th	Mark Nurse	32.55	33.48	6.46	+0.53
8th	Angie Swift	38.40	39.59	7.33	+1.19
9th	Matt Anholm	36.30	37.57	7.35	+1.27
10th	Jenny Adds	49.10	50.40	10.08	+1.30
11th	Jeff Copping	39.10	40.44	8.09	+1.34
12th	Pauline Steele	51.50	54.45	10.57	+2.55

The leaders going into Grand Final Day:

1st	Jeff Copping	29 points
=	Tina Anholm	29 points
2nd	Mark Nurse	27 points
=	Angie Swift	27 points
=	Rob Swift	27 points
6th	Kevin Anholm	24 points
6th	Jenny Adds	18 points
8th	Matt Anholm	16 points

Back to top

Handicap Race 11

Sunday 8th October 2006 - 2 miles

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Tina Anholm	20.35	18.43	9.22	-1.52
2nd	Sarah Newton	19.30	18.48	9.24	-0.42
3rd	Gordon Harker	15.40	15.01	7.30	-0.39
4th	Andy Watson	12.30	11.56	5.58	-0.34
5th	Matt Anholm	14.10	13.42	6.51	-0.28
6th	Jeff Copping	15.15	14.52	7.26	-0.23
7th	Mark Nurse	12.30	12.10	6.05	-0.20
8th	Pauline Steele	19.10	19.07	9.35	-0.03
9th	Jenny Adds	18.00	18.08	8.04	+0.08
10th	Sue Wiles	18.00	18.16	8.08	+0.16
11th	Angie Swift	14.40	14.58	7.29	+0.18
12th	Kevin Anholm	14.25	14.46	7.23	+0.19
13th	Pete Hadgraft	14.00	14.22	7.11	+0.22
14th	Rob Swift	14.20	15.11	7.36	+0.51
15th	Liam Dowling	19.00	19.51	9.55	+0.51

Back to top

Handicap Race 12

Sunday 8th October 2006 - 4 miles

Finishing Position	Name	Handicap Time	Race Time	Rate per Mile	Difference
1st	Sarah Newton	45.00	42.14	10.33	-2.44
2nd	Tina Anholm	42.40	40.08	10.02	-2.32
3rd	Sue Wiles	42.40	40.29	10.07	-2.11
4th	Pauline Steele	42.00	40.07	10.02	-1.53
5th	Andy Watson	26.40	25.09	6.17	-1.31
6th	Mark Nurse	26.40	25.31	6.23	-1.09
7th	Wendy Hadgraft	35.30	34.39	8.40	-0.51
8th	Matt Anholm	29.20	30.00	7.30	+0.40
9th	Gordon Harker	32.40	33.36	8.24	+0.56
10th	Angie Swift	30.00	31.27	7.52	+1.27
11th	Jeff Copping	31.20	33.32	8.23	+2.12
12th	Kevin Anholm	29.40	32.11	7.48	+2.31
13th	Jenny Adds	39.45	42.43	10.41	+2.58
14th	Rob Swift	29.40	33.28	8.22	+3.48

Back to top

2006 Final League Table

Position	Name	Total Points	Last Years Points
1st	Tina Anholm	45	21
2nd	Jeff Copping	31	15
3rd	Mark Nurse	29	29
4th	Angie Swift	27	30
=	Rob Swift	27	-
6th	Kevin Anholm	24	19
7th	Matt Anholm	19	7
=	Sarah Newton	19	-
9th	Jenny Adds	18	-
10th	Andy Watson	16	22
11th	Pete Hadgraft	13	9
12th	Andy Falkingham	12	5
=	Pauline Steele	12	-
=	Gordon Harker	12	17
15th	Andy Griffiths	10	4
=	Dino Verrechia	10	-
17th	Tony Carter	9	4
=	Tony Falkingham	9	-
19th	Liam Dowling	5	15
=	Paul Smith	5	-
=	Sue Wiles	5	21
22nd	Terry Hirst	4	18
23rd	Andrea O'Mara	2	-

Withernsea Harriers - Final race day report

Our race season started on 12th February and since that date we have had 10 races, leaving 2 races, which were held last Sunday. It promised to be an exciting last day with just 2 points separating the top 5 runners in The Championship.

The race distances are 2 miles for the first race, then after a short breather, a 4 mile run. This format gives the competitor an interesting dilemma. Does he/she go flat out on the 2 mile in the hope of picking up a lot of points, or does he/she keep something in reserve for the 4 miler and hope to pick off his/her rivals as they tire. With the league table so tight, the wrong tactics could prove crucial to the final outcome.

One of the joint leaders, Tina Anholm, decided that attack was her best option. Tina was the only challenger who had previously won The Title and she used her vast experience to the full. She flew around the 2 mile course nearly 2 minutes under her handicap time and finished over a minute ahead of Sarah Newton who was second. The nine points collected meant that only Jeff Copping could deny Tina picking up her second league title. Tina then firmly shut the door on Jeff by finishing 2nd in the 4 mile race and so became Withernsea Harriers League Champion of 2006.

This has been a fantastic effort by Tina. She has had a difficult year and struggled for form early in the season. As so often happens with the Title Winner, she found form around the middle of the season and came through very strongly at the end. Tina also has to cope with having the worst spot on the field. She is usually the first runner to start and so has no one to chase in. An excellent and very popular Champion.

The Cup Final is also played over the 2 races. The runner with the best aggregate over both races being the winner. This year we had 2 people making their Cup Final debut, Mark Nurse and Jeff Copping. Both runners were in good form and it promised to be a good final. Jeff Copping managed to hold off Mark in the 2 miler and so held a narrow lead going into the 4 mile race. However Mark over turned the deficit in the 4 miler and so became The Cup Winner for 2006.

The other prize winners on the day were:

League Runner Up: Jeff Copping
3rd Place in League: Mark Nurse
4 mile winner: Sarah Newton
Spot prize winners: Rob Swift, Jenny Adds, Pauline Steele and Liam Dowling.

The Club would also like to give a big thank you to Janet Nurse for her help in counting everyone out and back in for every race and The Plough Inn who looked after us all year and provided an excellent meal on Sunday afternoon.

Back to top