Ryston Runners enjoy most successful holiday in club's history

There are not enough superlatives available to capture the feeling among members of Ryston Runners AC after the most successful Round Norfolk Relay weekend in the club’s recent history.

Those who ran were quick to acknowledge the massive contribution made by the support crews of drivers, marshalls, cyclists, and the race sweepers, Jeremy Navrady and Mark Doughty, without whom the event would not have been possible.

Indeed, although the RNR is now organised separately from the club which instigated it, it relies on a huge input from Ryston members, including race director Martin Ive, who ran a stage, secure in the backup of his clubmates on the organising committee.

The A team won the event outright, cleaning up the club class section of the event, as well as finishing in the fastest time recorded by a Ryston team in any class over the current course, and being the fastest Norfolk Team, staring down the might of the usually dominant City of Norwich club.

The B team were placed third in the open class, surpassing their estimated finishing time by over an hour.

Additonally, the club had three individual stage award winners.

Dawn Ronbinson was first woman on Stage 14, John Hopgood won Stage 15, and club chairman Rob Simmonds, in his 21st consecutive appearance running the RNR, took his first ever stage win, over Stage 4.

However, he commented, like so many others involved in the club’s effort this year, on the teamwork and camaraderie epitomised by this event.

The Ryston success was also the icing on the cake for club member Malcolm Tuff, representing event sponsors Hughes, who was able to present the winning trophy haul to his own clubmates.

While the bulk of the club’s membership was occupied with the relay, four junior members took part in the Athletics Norfolk Open Meeting at Norwich Sportspark on Friday.

Miles Hovell (U17) took the win in the long jump with 4m 96, and two second places in the hammer and discus, the former with 22m 07 and the latter with 28m 55.

Equally busy, with three events, was Freya Knight, also U17, who won the long jump with 4m 55, was third in the 100m in 13.9 and sixth in the high jump with 1m40.

Olivia Ord, more often seen speeding along the tarmac, ran on the track in the U13 800m and was fourth in 3.00.4.