Natalle Coles 1^st Female overall on Stage 2
Glyn Loveday 1^st Senior  Man on Stage 1
Graham Chapman 1^st MV50 on stage 4
Ely Runners Men ‘A’ 5^th of 122 teams

Ely runners had a record 7 teams in this tough mixed-terrain relay race that finished for the first time at Ely Football Club instead of Palace Green, because of traffic on the A10 bypass crossing. The 4 stages followed much of the Hereward Way from Peterborough to Whittlesey (6.1 miles), Whittlesey to March (11.6 miles), March to Welney 10.3 miles, and Welney to Ely (9.6 miles). There were 133 teams entered and 122 finished. Ely Runners Men's 'A' team improved their position from 6^th in 2006 to 5^th in 2007. Results for Ely Runners' teams in 1-4 stage order with (left to right) individual stage position, name, time, team position with places (+/-) and 1^st,  2^nd, 3^rd  stage category places.

Men ‘A’ (5^th in 3:56:53)
3^rd        Glyn Loveday               37:33         3^rd                    1^st SM
8^th        John Crisp                1:10:45         8^th        (-4)
6^th         Ian Day                    1:08:36         8^th       (+2)
7^th         Peter Gipp                  59:59         5^th           (0)

Men ‘B’ (12^th in 4:11:25)
5^th         Stephen Pettit              38:02        5^th                   2^nd MV40
16^th       Adam Etches            1:13:39      10^th      (-5)
24^th       Stephen Howard        1:14:41      10^th       (0)
21^st       Graham Chapman      1:05:03      12^th      (-2)        1^st MV50

Men ‘C’ (18^th in 4:23:18)
22^nd      Darren Murfitt              43:03        22^nd
23^rd       Steve Barker            1:17:32       18^th      (+4)
38^th       Charlie Barker          1:18:43       20^th       (-2)
18^th       Simon Jackson        1:04:00       18^th      (+2)

Men ‘D’ (72^nd in 5:05:13)
54^th       Paul Heselwood          48:41        54^th
83^rd       Ian Blatchford           1:31:38       73^rd      (-19)
48^th       William Wilson         1:22:21       60^th     (+13)
96^th       Nigel Leadbetter       1:22:33       72^nd      (-12)

Women ‘A’ (73^rd in 5:05:17)
65^th       Rachel Roberts           49:58       65^th                    3^rd FV35
43^rd       Natalle Coles           1:24:02       49^th       (+16)     1^st F overall/1^st FS
89^th       Emma Greaves        1:29:18       63^rd       (-14)
90^th       Melanie Fisher         1:21:59       73^rd       (-10)  

Mixed (105^th in 5:29:25)
91^st        Heidi Fochtmann         54:27        91^st
98^th       John Turner              1:35:04       95^th       (-4)       2^nd MV60
91^st       John Crawford           1:30:55       96^th       (-1)
111^th     Kevin Jennings         1:28:55     105^th       (-9) 

Women ‘B’ (111^th in 5:38:08)
72^nd        Siobhan Palmer           51:29       72^nd
105^th      Julie Foreman            1:39:21       99^th     (-27)
102^nd      Lisa Redman             1:34:00     104^th      (-5)
117^th      Emily Knight              1:33:18     111^th      (-7)

   Ely Runners in other teams:

   Muddy Mucky Munkeys ‘A’ (1^st in 3:45:53)
   1^st       Alex Tate                    1:04:31       2^nd    (+13)      1st SM  (stage 2)

    Alexander Chasers (91^st in 5:15:32)
    97^th     Susanne Bethell         1:22:37      91^st      (-7)                   (stage 4)

The 1st men's team was Muddy Mucky Munkeys 'A' in 3:45:53 and the 1st (38^th overall) women's team was Cambridge & Coleridge 'Stairway to Heaven' in 4:43:14.

Conditions were quite good being cool, overcast with hazy sunshine, and with a light following NW wind. The off-road sections were soft but not particularly muddy except the Bishop’s Drove on stage 4 which had been cut up into deep muddy ruts by 4WD off-roaders and a woman competitor broke a leg negotiating a difficult and slippery bend. The Welney Washes on stage 4 were on the brink of flooding but, unlike last year, the causeway remained dry.

Congratulations to Ely Runners and friends, especially to Alan Rutterford for recruiting the club’s runners and to his weatherproof marshals, Eric Drury for setting up the finish area, signs and PA system, Tony Hall and Peter Harris as high mileage course drivers, Rod Baron for his major contribution to the event website and being mobile course photographer, and to the club’s stage drivers and teams.
Photographs are available on www.elyrunners.co.uk

For more details see         http://www.marchathleticclub.co.uk/hereward.htm