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Club News 2010

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HILL CLIMB

Tuesday evening saw the tenth and final race in the Club’s 2009/10 Wine Bar-sponsored handicap series. With over seventy members taking part, this series rightly deserves the epithet of the most successful ever.

Success in the race itself went to Eddie Finn, who was competing in it for the first time, with Toni Ramsey, another Hill Climb novice, and Dan Magill filling the minor places. Eddie competed in every race in the series so it was good to see his hard work over the past year reap its due reward. He is an indomitable competitor with more talent in his little finger than most runners. Unfortunately for Eddie, this doesn’t usually help him very much because most other runners keep their talent in their legs where they find it of much more use when they’re racing.

Toni is a more recent recruit to the joys of handicap racing so it says much for her strength and determination that she only surrendered the lead to Eddie on the final bend. Dan, who must feel like a positive handicap veteran compared to Eddie and Toni, was running in his third successive Hill Climb and must be pleased with the fact that his times have improved year on year since 2008.

No blow-by-blow account of the race this time, but it’s worth drawing attention to some of the runners’ performances. Nat Glenn set a course PB and was the fastest runner on the night. Perhaps Davy Clarke should turn up at all the races from now on, although, on second thoughts, perhaps not. If Davy had a few more races under his belt Nat might find that he was no longer the front man in that particular partnership.

Brian Herron set off like a fire-breathing dragon, but by the time he reached the finish he was more like Puffed, the Not-so-Magic Dragon. Looks like Little Jackie Paper won’t be coming round any more.

Sammy Drummond’s times over the past three years have been very consistent. This could mean that Sammy is either holding his form remarkably well or that his future’s all behind him. Let’s leave it to posterity to decide.

Stephen McKenna was over two minutes faster on Tuesday night than he was last year, but as he seems to have difficulty reading a watch he probably didn’t realise this until he looked at the results. You should have paid more attention when Playschool was on TV, Stephen, but here’s something to jog your memory: when the big hand is pointing straight up it’s something o’clock.

Apparently Paul Tilson is now in the Vets 40-44 category. At least he’ll be getting beaten by a better class of runner in future. Paul’s not the only one to have moved up a category recently. The bad news for Nat and Bert Brady is that they are now in the same category as Craig Hutchinson. The good news is that it won’t look so bad on paper the next time, sorry, every time, he beats them.

Billy Thompson’s times appear to be enjoying something of a Benjamin Button moment as they are coming down as his age goes up. Billy, of course, is no spring chicken these days; in fact he barely qualifies as a winter chicken any more, but his resemblance to a plucked chicken still draws the occasional comment.

With Jackie not being the man he once was, Rhonda has picked up the baton in the Wallace household. Unfortunately Jackie forgot to tell her Tuesday evening’s race wasn’t a relay so she had to carry it all the way to the car park before she could hand it back to him. Nevertheless, she had an excellent run with her corrected time being even faster than her finishing time.

John Agnew’s chances of winning another handicap race are virtually nil, unless future winners are determined by the placing of competitors’ names in alphabetical order.

I’ll stop now before I offend anyone, but before closing, congratulations to Ruth Wilson for winning the overall handicap series with a points total of thirty-five, to Beverly Gaston who finished second, just two points behind Ruth, and to Eddie and Paul T who finished joint third on thirty-nine points, the second year in a row that Paul has finished joint third.

As ever, thanks to Denise, Emma and Kirsty for timing and refreshments, to John for setting the handicap, to Elaine for organising the prizes and to everyone who helped with, or turned out to support, the handicaps throughout the year. Finally, a special word of thanks to the Wine Bar for their continued sponsorship of the series; as always, it’s very much appreciated by everyone in Larne AC.

Details of the times and places and the overall handicap scores can be found by clicking on the Results tab.

PS: Look after the trophy Eddie and make sure you return it in the same condition you received it in.