CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017: Downton Moot
In the tradition of the club the 2017 Sarum club championship event was planned and organised by last year’s Men’s Champion Jeff Butt. Using Downton Moot as a compact but thought provoking map, Jeff used all his coaching experience and innate deviousness to devise a great afternoon for all participants.
Many runners and spectators brought along picnics to enjoy an afternoon in the shade of the Moot’s many trees, making this an enjoyable social occasion as well as a competitive one
Jeff devised a handicap system based on BOF ranking positions. In a series of four rounds runners were paired off and competed against each other. By staggering the pair starts and using a mix of courses Jeff managed to achieve an almost constant flow of runners around the paths of the Moot in each round. The mix in each round meant that paired runners might have vastly different rankings or very close ones, giving each race a different character.
As his laptop failed to fire up Jeff resorted to using his smartphone to calculate the outcome of each round and so determine the pairings of the next. This system was totally beyond the comprehension of the runners who, generally, did what they were told in complete ignorance of how well, or not so well, they were doing. Even going in to the final round runners were unsure as to the identity of the class leaders ostensibly ensuring that everyone kept giving of their best in the heat and sun of the afternoon.
L-R Liz Yeadon, Alan Yeadon. Lucy Wilkinson, Adam Walker, Alice Butt
After the four rounds the class winners were: Ladies’ Champion, Alice Butt; Men’s Champion, Adam Walker; Junior Ladies’ Champion, Lucy Wilkinson; Vet. Ladies’, Liz Yeadon and Men’s Vet. Alan Yeadon.
Joan Hambleton oversaw the MTR4 readout with help from granddaughters Lizzie and Katie. Shane Wilkinson was official photographer as well as running in a close competition with Keith Cutler.
Many thanks to Jeff for devising a really enjoyable format that allowed everyone to get in four runs with, thankfully, breaks in between. At least you don’t have to do the same again next year, Jeff!
Full results will be available shortly.
Shane has compiled photos from this event into a blockbuster video – with sound!.