Results 2005

2005 race reports
< Race report and results index

One of the first events of the new 2005/06 season saw Surrey Walking Club in the medals. The medals were not for the Open event but for the Southern Area Veterans Championship held in conjunction. Shaun Lightman was an excellent 11^th overall holding off several powerful rivals in his own group to gain the over-60s gold while Pam Ficken repeated the achievement with the Women’s 60’s gold. Surrey also had two other competitors out including Heather Fenton who had a very pleasing time in to gain the W45 silver. The course in entirely on park roads and includes a long slope on each of the one mile laps which is modest on the first lap but appears mountainous by the last especially on the longer races.

Results:

Enfield and Southern Veterans 5km:

12. (1^st M60) S.Lightman 28 min 16 sec; 30.(2^nd W45) Mrs H.Fenton 31 min 21 sec; 37.D.Hoben 33 min 52 sec; 43.(1^st W60) Mrs P.Ficken 36 min 37 sec.

Surrey Walking Club 3km Track Championship

Surrey Walking Club held its 3km track championship for 2004/5 in conjunction with the Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC championship at Norman Park last week. With race walking events as part of the Kent junior leagues BHHAC now have a number of young walkers, several of whom are towards the top of the UK lists. One of these, Robert Bain, was the clear race leader lapping all of the Surrey members despite the first SWC group setting off much too fast in the early pursuit. It was a warm, humid evening and during the event the first 3 Surrey walkers soon regretted the early sprint and their positions reversed with Shaun Lightman coming through to take the gold and the Edgington Cup. Lyn Atterbury, a Surrey member now living in Poland, where walking is very popular, justified his special day trip back for this race by a good demonstration of his fitness and a determined second place. We were also pleased to welcome new member David Hoben for whom this short, fast race was a new experience and whose already reasonable time will soon fall no doubt.

Results (SWC Championship in brackets):

2.(1) S.Lightman 16min 37sec; 3.(2) L.Atterbury 16min 50sec; 4.(3) P.Hannell 17min 15sec; 6.(4) N.Simmons 18min 37sec; 8.(5) D.Hoben 20min 05sec.

Southern Area Race Walking One Hour Championships 8th May 2005
Incorporating Surrey Walking Club 7 miles.
Surrey Walking Club had a good afternoon at Dartford Track on Sunday to gain silver team medals in the Southern One Hour. Due to a clash of fixtures, last November, the Club's annual 7 miles Alec Potton Championship for 2004 was postponed and fitted into this race and for the 24th successive year Mark Easton came home winner. Mark managed a brave 2nd in the Area despite not being 100% fit. It was a warmish afternoon but Mark was determined to retain his long record of wins and walked steadily having little chance of winning the Area event but finishing a good second. Ian Statter walked a good race to almost hold Hannell despite an injury sustained in the London Marathon which he race-walked. Heather Fenton took the Ladies Cup after yet another improvement and Simmons was unable to close on her although finishing only about 180 metres down over the 24 hard laps.

Results (Southern Champs – Surrey Walking Club in Brackets) :
2. M.Easton 12.064km(1); 14. P.Hannell 10.259km(2); 16.I.Statter 12.924km(3); 26.Mrs.H.Fenton 9.506km(1st Lady); 28. N.Simmons 9.324km(4).
SWC Team: 2nd.

Surrey, Middlesex & Vets AC 10km Track Walking Championships 27 April 2005
This first track event of the 2005 season saw a good field with Surrey Walking Club well represented, including the winner, Mark Easton. The evening was sunny but cool enough to make ideal conditions for this popular fixture. Unsurprisingly, Mark was soon away from most of the field and lapped all by the end. Further down the field was more bunched and we were pleased to see Sandra Brown, well known 100 mile specialist and holder of several world records, out for a short spin together in a group with Lightman, Hannell and others right through the halfway point until Sandra took off in pursuit of another walker who lapped the group. This broke the bunch and increased the pace just as it had settled down. Heather Fenton made a good start and held on as Nolan Simmons returned to form and caught her late on. Most members obtained satisfying time although perhaps the lack of fast opposition meant the only one dissatisfied with their time was the clear winner.

1. M.Easton 47 min 53 sec (1^st Surrey County and VAC M40);
5. Sandra Brown 57 min 8 sec (UK W55 record, 1^st Surrey, 1^st VAC W55);
8. S.Lightman 58 min 4 sec (3^rd Middlesex, 1st M6;
9. P.Hannell 58 min 18 sec (3^rd Surrey, 2^nd M60);
12.P.King 59 min 15 sec;
20.N.Simmons 64 min 16 sec;
Mrs.H.Fenton 62 min 24 sec (3^rd Surrey).

Southern Area 20km Championship 26 February 2005
This fixture has been held on the seafront at Littlehampton for the past two years but unforeseen repairs forced a late switch to the roads around the Met .Police sports ground at Hampton Court. A very cold afternoon made the move inland slightly more comfortable for the small field for such an important event. The standard at the front was good with the leading six or seven close together for the first few laps. Among these was Surrey Walking Club’s Chris Cheeseman who felt he had not done enough speed work. Nevertheless he kept working hard, as usual, and was rewarded with 3rd place and 2nd in the Championship, behind a Midlands visitor, having been 5th at one point. The rest of the team struggled but improved on last year despite a lack of preparation for the longer distance. Pam Ficken bravely pushed on in the Ladies event and, although out in the chilling weather longer than some, completed the full distance.

Results(Southern Area Championship) :
Men: 2.C.Cheeseman 108 min 28 sec; 13. P.King 119 min 58 sec; 17.C.Flint 123 min 23 sec; 20.P.Hannell 124 min 29 sec; 21. S.Lightman 128 min 17 sec.
Ladies: 7.Pam Ficken 147 min 5 sec.

Chris Cheeseman in action

Surrey Walking Club 10 miles Championship 22nd January 2005

As we move into the second half of the Winter season the distances move up and Surrey Walking Club put on its 10 Mile Championship on this cooling Winter day before the snow fell in other parts. Although International and race leader Mark Easton was soon away the rest were reluctant to push too hard too early. It was only at the halfway stage that the 'chasing' pack split. Paul King took advantage of the steady pace to finish 2nd in the championship and also in the handicap. Some of the competitors were also racing indoors the next days so remained at a steady pace but the rest all completed the second half faster than the first as temperatures fell. Once again Heather Fenton improved winning the Ladies race and filling third place in the handicap.

Results (Handicap position in brackets):

Men: 1(1).M.Easton 79 min 4 sec; 3(2). P. King 94 min 36 sec; 6.I.Statter 98 min 10 sec; 6. S. Lightman 99 min 47 sec; 8.C.Flint 100 min 34 sec; 9.P.Hannell 101 min 47 sec; 11 P. Crane 109 min 26 sec.

Ladies: 2(3).Heather Fenton 103 min 58 sec; 5.Pam Ficken 129 min 36 sec.

British Masters Indoor Championships (23 January 2005):

Men M60: 1.P.Hannell 16 min 8.3 sec

Steyning Open 15km Race

On a fine Saturday afternoon in pleasant if hilly countryside, in the South Downs, Steyning AC held their annual 15km with 3 from Surrey Walking Club having made the trip. Up front, and by one position above last week, was Chris Cheeseman among the medals in 3rd. His time of 73 mins 40 sec was not was not far off last week’s equivalent pace for a much hillier course. Chris Flint and Shaun Lightman battled all the way with only 15 metres separating them at the 12 km point but Chris held his pace better to drop Shaun by a couple of minutes at the end. Our new member Heather Fenton achieved a fairly good time for fourth lady but also one the prize awarded to the most consistent walker with her return time on this out and back course only 1 second over her outward result. This was Heather’s farthest Race Walking performance but appeared to cause no difficulty.
Results (Handicap in brackets):

Men: 3. C.Cheeseman 73 min 40 sec; 12. C.Flint 90 min 42 sec; 13 S.Lightman. 92 min 31 sec.

Metropolitan Police Open 10km Race 9th January 2005
Although this was advertised as the 64th and last staging of this major Winter event the field was around 40 and hopefully will continue. As usual it brought out most of the best competitors in the South East and was very fast at the front and the first two were in the 42 minute bracket. Surrey Walking Club had 9 out which again represented the majority of its regular races. They were ably led home by Chris Cheeseman in 4th who, as usual, fought to hold the leaders the whole way despite a lack of recent racing. Although more spread than positions suggest the rest of the team packed the middle of the results to end with 3rd team on this relatively pleasant afternoon. All were around or ahead of their current best over this flat traffic free course which is usual for this event with the festivities past and a new year to look forward to. We all hope that both this popular race and the Surrey Walking Club team continues in the same way of improves still further.

Results (Handicap in brackets):

Men: 4. C.Cheeseman 46 min 13 sec; 17.P.King 57 min 26 sec; 18. P.Hannell 57 min 32 sec; 19 I.Statter 58 min 17 sec; 20. S.Lightman. 59 min 15 sec; 22. C.Flint 60 min 33 sec; 25 N.Simmons 62 min 57 sec.

Teams: 3. Surrey Walking Cliub.

Ladies: 7. Heather Fenton 62 min 59 sec; 9. Pam Ficken 75 min 22 sec.