Harrogate Road Race League - Harlow Carr 22nd April 2003

Richmond and Zetland Harriers’ Elite Team made an immediate impact when they finished first in the opening fixture of the Harrogate Road Race League on Tuesday 22nd April. The Summer League has ten Clubs competing in five midweek races with individual and team trophies for those successful. Race one was hosted by Harrogate AC; a hilly one-lap course from Harlow Carr Gardens, past the Army Foundation College, down and up Pot Bank and back to the Gardens.

Start at Harlow Carr

With Ian Fisher out injured and Alan Stimpson retired hurt, the red and white Peacocks of Richmond vest of Jon Orange was relatively untroubled. He led the record 223 strong field from the start, improving last year’s time by a massive 55 seconds, to win and take maximum points on four counts - the individual Trophy plus the Open, Veteran Men’s and Elite Team’s Trophies.

The Elite Team result is the sum of times of each Club’s first three runners across the line and, with Scott Wardman finishing 9th and Shaun Purkiss 11th, the team posted a 58 second lead over second place Ilkley Harriers to stand as early favourites.

Nick Zissler was fourth home for the Club in 17th place and, at that point, RZH led the Open (ten-to-score) Team race but then the absence of several key runners showed. Jim Robinson and Mike Brooks were 2nd and 3rd M50s in 38th and 46th places respectively, split by Louise Jackson in 40th place and 2nd lady, just 14 seconds behind the evergreen Cathy Wright of Harrogate AC. That made it seven but Ilkley had their ten counters home in 42 places scoring 2019 points; Harrogate and Ripon followed with 1950 and 1905 points before Taff Rogers, Colin Sewell and Neil Piper in 103rd place completed the Harriers team, 4th with 1821 points.

The Veteran Men’s Team race is five-to-score and they also finished in 4th place - despite the massive 101 point start from Jon Orange. The premature “retirement” of the RZH Vet of the Year plus another working in Cumbria, both regular top ten finishers in 2002, along with injuries, other work commitments etc, meant an entire team was missing and the over 50s gang made up most of the 402 point total, 66 points behind leaders Harrogate AC. Ian Hepworth was eleventh Harrier home, making the effort despite London Marathon legs!

Results Summary