Page 29 - BBHAC Winter 2015-16 Gazette
P. 29
Athletics Report 27
The Bennett Cup Season 2015/16
The climax to The Bennett Cup After a relatively comfortable The competition attracted a wide
season 2015-6 produced an winning margin enjoyed age range
exciting two horse race after the by Will Slack last year this
characteristic and in many ways year’s finish was a classic On the last day itself Sarah
nostalgic victory for Will Slack. cliff-hanger as Sarah, coming pulled out the stops and
This year the trophy was won second in the closing 5, produced an impressive time
for the first time by a lady club overturned a nine point lead of 34.07, only in fact a few
member, Sarah Belaon, signifying held by Steve Pairman to win seconds slower than Steve
a breakthrough for the fairer the competition by a slender himself but more importantly
sex and yet another significant 2 points. After the lead was took second place and
stronghold captured by the ladies taken up by Nick Corry after overhauled the nine point
in their quest for equality since the two events it rotated amongst deficit to secure a Bennett
first lady members were admitted a large group of leading Cup win which she had been
in 1992. contenders most of whom promising most of the season.
were able to take part in all She was consistently placed in
The new finish by Coney Hall nine events, and passed first the top ten after each match,
field is now established to Ian Taylor, then Chris Pike, and was no doubt encouraged
and then to Steve Pairman when told by a friend that
who held it despite being she was in so lofty a position,
supplanted by Sarah herself moving steadily up to second
in the 10 mile championships by the sixth and tucking in
(the seventh event) after a behind the leader after that.
solid performance which The total of 422 points was
saw her one point ahead made up of a consistent range
of Steve Pairman. Most of of scores ranging from 34
those who were in the mix points to 59, the score she
maintained a close presence attained in the Closing 5 and
behind these two but by that one which secured her one
event a comfortable gap was award in the handicap, that
opening up and in the later second place. Four scores
races it seemed increasingly were over 50.
likely that the cup would go
to one of these two. Steve As to the statistics of the
turned things around in the competition, 110 athletes took
next race, the away match part (89 men and boys and
against Ranelagh Harriers 21 women and girls with 405
being placed 36th out of 104
runners and establishing a 9
point lead over Sarah which
then set up things nicely for a
potentially storming contest
between the top two.
