Dan Ashcroft reports:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst best of times.”
On a sunny Friday evening, 9 teams comprised of 4 runners from Matlock Athletic Club and Sole Mates competed in Hairy Helmet Relay which consist of a two and a bit mile loop around Darley Park at Darley Abbey, Derby.
With team names that had a Dickensian theme, the Club’s runners embraced the wise words of David Copperfield “The most important thing in life is to stop saying, ‘I wish’ and start saying, ‘I will’. Consider nothing impossible, then treat possibilities as probabilities.”
There were some excellent performances and results from all teams, but first back for Matlock AC were the HARD TIMERS, who were 3rd overall and 1st in the Male Vets 160 category with Luke Beresford recording the quickest time of any MAC runner in 11 minutes 20 seconds.
Earlier in the day, with two juniors short Matlock’s team organiser was trying to come up with a solution. In a vision, possibly it was Marley’s Ghost, it was a message from the Club captains who were saying “Please sir, I want some more.” But unlike poor Oliver Twist, they got it and stepped up to run a leg for Team GREAT EXPECTATIONS. If it had been possible to update the team details in time for the race, the team would have taken the category win.
Another success story came from the MISS HAVISHAM COLLECTIVE in the Female Vets 160 category who set out on a mission to slay the other teams and “break their hearts and have no mercy.”
The final win was delivered by THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOPPERS in the Ultra Vets 240 category. As the team ran past it was said that “The haggard aspect of the little old man was wonderfully suited to the place….. but was in keeping with himself nothing that looked older or more worn than he.”
In the same category THE SCROOGES picked up second place
Taking second place in the Mixed Vets 160 category and feeling like they had their pockets picked were the ARTFUL DODGERS. Similarly, MARTIN AND HIS CHUZZLEWITS were second in the Mixed Super Vets 200 category. Finally, THE UNCOMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS took fourth place in the Mixed Open category.
So in total the club took 3 category wins and 3 second places, with 1 win denied. Great running!
