Hyde Park shows all a Relay good time

After last week’s BUCS Cross-Country in Leeds, the running hype continued with the Hyde Park Relays 2013, a competition held since 1949 and gathering students from all over Europe. Imperial XC members had been up all week to prepare for the event, and were impatient to show the results of their winter training.

On D-day, after only a few hours sleep for many due to last minute preparations, the course was set up in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, our usual training playground. The men’s route was about 5.2km, to be run by six people (unless you’re Milan Misak and want to wear 6 numbers on your vest for a mere 31km jog – hero!), while the women’s team had 4 laps of 3.5km to complete.

The men’s race got underway at 14:00 under pleasant weather for runners, the rain having just stopped. Women followed 5 minutes later, and tourists could admire about 100 runners doing their best to place their team. Women came back first to pass to the next leg, while the next runners were either warming up or cheering compatriots in a friendly atmosphere.

On the men‘s side, despite tentatives by Cambridge and St. Mary’s, the first leg was clearly dominated by Imperial’s Chris Bannon, thanks to a very intelligent acceleration after staying behind in the first windy part. He even had time for the Michu celebration, snatching the fastest time of the day in an impressive 15’42’’. This left time to change vest and start his second leg for Medics’ team, just a bit slower this time!

Sadly the lead was lost a few kilometers later with Chris Thomas unable to fight off the machine-like St. Mary’s team, while Cambridge and Oxford came up to take 2nd and 3rd. Fresher Liam Smith (who later ran two supplementary legs for his hall teams), third year Chris Charles and Jean-Claude Besse followed, taking the next three legs as fast as they possibly could to avoid the return of St. Mary’s 2. Imperial was still in 4th before last leg, the exact position they took in 2010 and 2011. Men’s Captain James Ellis finally crosses the finish line in 5th overall position, but satisfied given the very high level of competition this year. Congratulations to the other IC XC teams who all finished in the top half and particularily to Milan Misak who completed all 6 legs himself!

In the women’s race, Imperial XC had a record 4 teams in a field of nearly 50 teams. It was up to recent american import Melissa Newton-Mora to start off the girls bid: improve on last years 7th position. She did an impressive job to finish inthe main pack along with Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol and St Marys University in a time of 12.39. Imogen Keane then stormed out to try and retain our position followed by Eileen Brandley, it was then up to Sophie Kirk to lead the team home after leaving her marshalling post just 5 minutes prior it was always going to be an interesting race. With a cry of “Im going to get her” (Oxford Brookes was in sight), the Captain set off in hot pursuit. Having caught Brookes at the bridge it was all about the pb and holding off any further teams. Oxford (the real one) were too strong this time but the first team still finished in and incredible 6th position, up one on last year! Other great performances were by Harveen Hayer, Kimberley Mason and Lauren Stanley who are all new to the club!

Once marshalling and course taking down jobs were complete (which included jumping over fences in closed parks, pushing a trolley all around Hyde Park at dusk, and deciding against carrying away a big “Metropolitan Police – wet paint” sign as well), we joined the team in the SCR for (much needed) jacket potatoes and the prize giving ceremony. St. Mary’s took both men and women external first places, while both internal catergories were awarded to Imperial Triathlon. Fastest legs were Chris Bannon (ICXC, 15’42’’) and Sophia Saller (Oxford, 12’04’’) in the Women’s.

After a quick shower, Imperial Cross Country Club ‘ran’ to the Union and later Metric, for yet another night of post race celebration. Competition spirit took over some teams, who are still disputing the victory in a boat race and who actually participated... (it will always be IC in our hearts)! Freshers were also introduced to the Hyde Park Relays Horn (the old boys showed us how it was done), while some had the privilege to take the DJ’s spot in Metric. The job was not quite finished at that point, since people had been assigned to sleep over at the Union to steward foreign runners, or were in charge of having rooms clean on time the next day. But who cares? The music was on, facepaint for all ICXC members, a good night worth remembering (for those who can!).

To be short, compared to BUCS last week, you can replace “painful steps in the mud” by “flying on the road”, hilly by flat, long journey by a run home; whilst keeping the fun and competitive level (of both racing and partying!). And as a triathlete I had images of the Brownlee brothers rushing along the Serpentine during last summer’s Olympics.

And finally, a huge thanks (certainly from all satisfied 500+ runners) to co-organisers Matt Douthwaite and Ming Wang-Koh, hopefully we, the ICXC team, did a good job to help you out, but your organisation made Hyde Park Relays 2013 an awesome event which every runner at any level within Imperial College just had to join!