The “Big Stampede”, hosted at the Norfolk Showground saw eight Ryston Runners teams among the 142 taking part.
The highest finishing position was achieved by the “Ryston Hares” team of Danny Smith, Beth Shaw, James Ord, and Dan Yallop, who were placed seventh overall and took the win in the Mixed Open team category with a total time of 1:14:52.
A category win was also bagged by Olivia Ord, Ruby Smith, Madison Hicks, and Belle McKenzie, competing as “Ryston Leverets” who were placed first in the Female Junior category, 58th overall, with an accrued time of 1:30:25.
The “Ryston Racers” Junior Male team of Thomas
Anderson, Dylan Whitehouse, Ethan Ward, and Cody Pearman were ninth overall with 1:18:57, which gave them third place in their category.
Fifth place in the Mixed Open category was achieved by team “Ryston Runners”, with Oliver Foxwell, Tiegan Moore, Ben Foxwell, and Justin Walker covering their four x5k in 1:25:28 for 32nd place overall.
The “Ryston Really Cool” quartet were placed 16th in the MO category and 61st overall with Neil Goodbourn, Julie Williamson, Kerrie Page, and Chris Chaplin clocking a cumulative time of 1:31:21, four minutes faster than 76th-placed Matty Parker, Charlotte Price, Jon Pentelow, and Ian Wiggins whose 1:35:16 gave them 21st spot in the Mixed Open competition.
The all-female “Ryston Give It a Go” team were placed 14th in their category and 127th overall, with Lynne Howlett, Zoe Flander, Claire Chamberlain, and Helen Driver covering the four laps in 1:57:41.
Unfortunately the eighth Ryston team, the “Ryston Lads” (Matt Hitchcock, Brad Melville, Jamie Bransgrove, Alan Colby) recorded a DNF and ended up placing 140th.
A solo effort over 5K saw Jake Whitehouse place 15th out of 70 with 21:03, and Casey Ward had a brilliant race in the U10 “Calves Canter” over 2k, missing out on top spot by a mere second, clocking 8:37.
Another solo effort on the same day saw Jimmy Hornigold take third M55 spot in the Felbrigg Trail 5k and was placed 39th overall with 34:45.
Out of county, a dozen club members to “enjoy” the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon.
Rob Skillings, Lesley Robins (fourth F50), and Malcolm Tuff achieved their objective of running and finishing together and were placed 297th, 298th and 299th while Stewart Robins not far behind in 356th with 3:36:11.
Martin Ive (657th/3:51:53) and Kirsty Butters (705th/3:54:06) beat the four-hour barrier.
Sarah Taylor was the first Ryston Runner home after the four had ticked over and was placed 1115th with 4:10:27, followed by Julia Norman (1352th/4:19:35), Mel Reed (1606th/4:28:49), Karen Smith and Caine Burton (1661st and 1662nd/4:30:52) and Juliette Meek (2069th/4:45:51).
Moving even further afield, two vintage Ryston members have competed abroad, despite preparations for both being hampered by injuries and other factors, leading to possibly below-par results by their own exacting standards.
Gaye Clarke, in her second week of competition at the European Masters Championships in Pescara, Italy, was 13th in the W60 and achieved her best result in the 80m hurdles, and was placed fifth.
Cath Duhig repesented her Spanish club, Millennium Torrevieja, in the Trofeo de Nerja 5k road walk and was placed 22nd out of 26 women with 33:36, surprisingly, on the brink of starting her 70th year, to take third place in the over -45 category.
