Of course, Boxing Day wouldn’t be Boxing Day without the raft race. Crowds thronged the streets, riverbanks and bridges, little realising they were spectating at the area’s inferior sporting event of the morning. That was taking place a short way down the valley and the spectators there were treated to entertainment is spades, watching some of the finest athletes available that day tackling the infamous Sheep Pasture incline and the lofty heights of Bolehill.
The club’s little nippers did the run up to the top of the incline and back, finishing as follows:
14:08. Oliver Jones
14:15. Nancy Dumphy-Wraith
14:22. Emily Jones
15:43. Henry
16:48. Stanley Flitter
23:35. Xavier
23:36. Autumn Yates
Well done to you all, and thanks for joining us.
The grown-ups went all the way to the top by their preferred route, whatever that might be. Casualties were abundant, most to the swiftness of the Reynolds brothers who ensured their immortality within the club’s archives.
Lizzie Webster managed a spectacular ankle turn at the top end of the descent rendering her unable to finish, although reports of her brother legging her up when it was looking like she would beat him have been greatly exaggerated. Fortunately for her, her boyfriend Tom knew what was good for him and piggy-backed her down to Black Rocks which has elevated him to the status of club mule. Hopefully he can give me a lift back down next year, and maybe up too.
Great to see an old MAC Dan Yates over from Australia. Search back in old records and you’ll see he was one of the finest of the club’s athletes in his day.
Well done to all and lovely to see everyone.
24:38. Caspar Reynolds
24:40. Pascoe Reynolds
24:43. Luke Beresford
26:50. Colin Davenport
27:32. James Briggs
27:42. Karl Webster
28:26. Dan Yates
28:42. Jo-Inge Fjellstad
30:36. Simon Flitter
30:59. Wendy Fjellstad
31:55. Jago Reynolds
34:24. Gary Jones
35:21. Frank Holmes (slowed by stopping to help Lizzie)
35:40. John Webster (slowed by stopping to help little sister)
35:46. Christine Howard (slowed by stopping help daughter)
36:40 Ethan Burch
37:00. Roy Austin
37:06. Lisa Jones
37:19. Louise
37:59. Elsbeth Dumphy-Wraith
39:53. Alaina Bond
40:32. Nicky Dick
40:34. Jay Bird
DNF – Tom “the Mule”Burch
