Ryston members in the medals

The scheduled fifth race in the Ryston XCGP Series took place on Sunday, although, realistically, it was only the fourth time athletes had congregated in this season’s series because of the weather-enforced postponement of the December fixture, now due to be re-run on March 2.Club members went home with 20 of the medals on offer on the day.Isabella McKenzie set the tone by winning the U17G, before first places were then taken by Nathan Stockdale (who has just been named as a member of the RAF team for the upcoming Armed Forces competition), and Ellen Ferrie in the SM and SF categories.Ben Keeley and Dawn Robinson in the 35-39 age groups, Lucy McDowie, Ruth Chadwick, and Pauline Sparrow, F45,F55, and F65, and Jit Patel in the M65s, all over the 9k course.Second-place medals went home around the necks of Dylan Whitehouse (U17M), Anna Kahn (SF), Andy Simmonds (M40), Rob Skillings (M45), Linda Marshall (F55), and Kevin Howlett (M65), and thirds were gained by Freddie Hubbard (U11B), Nellie Chadderton (U13G), Cody Pearman (U17M), Irena Marcinek (F45), Will Honeybone (M50), and Debbie Crowley (F50).Other Ryston placings were: U9B 8th Dexter Young, U11B 5th Joshua Downey, U11G 6th Maya Marcinek, U13G 6th Kaitlyn Allen, SM 4th Gareth Hunt, 8th James Trim, SF 4th Olivia Chaplin, 6th Charlotte Smith, M35 4th Tristan Langley, 5th Christopher Cann, F40 8th Claire Whitehouse, M45 7th Jamie Bransgrove, 8th Mark Fountain, M50 5th John Crowley, M55 7th Martin Elsegood, M60 4th Tony Savage.Missing the club’s home fixture to consolidate their places in the Sportlink 2025 Grand Prix series, five club members went to Easton College, Norwich for the Norfolk Gazelles’ Valentine 10k. The consensus was that, given the excellent running conditions, which generated a course record for the winner, various roadworks and diversions made getting to the event much harder than actually running in it. Jane Ashby, undeterred by such trivia, recorded a 90%+ age grading while winning the F75 category in 536th place overall with 53:49. Lynne Howlett took third place in the F65 age group in 547th with 54:05.Justin Walker and Julie Williamson placed 286th and 287th, were both given 45:52, with Walker placed 26th M50 and Williamson 8th F40.Martin Blackburn just broke the hour, clocking 59:30 for 691st place overall and 16th M65.