Masterclass!

The Club’s Masters athletes made history on 31 August at Horspath, Oxford, when not only did the Men’s and Women’s teams both qualify for the Vets League Finals for the first time, but the women’s team clinched victory – by half a point! The Final was the culmination of a brilliant season in which both teams won every match in their League, and an unprecedented  sixty athletes notched up 87 personal bests and 77 season’s bests along the way!

The women’s team pulled off a stunning, nail-biting victory by half a point: 268 points to 267.5 earned by Tonbridge in second place, to be precise; while the men's team fought hard to finish fifth. In the process the Club's women triple-underscored the crucial fundamental lesson that in any team competition in track and field the secret is to cover every event, and every half-point counts!

Below: Team managers Mark White and Anna Garnier with the trophy at the post match celebrations

'Of nearly 100 events across both teams in the final, only one, the pole vault, wasn't covered' says Mark White, co-team manager with Anna Garnier. 'What a final, what a day. The team spirit was brilliant, and whilst the men's team result wasn't too shabby, it was the women's day. Every score update that was announced throughout the match was in our favour, but only just, and though we dared to dream it was incredibly close right until the win was confirmed, by the smallest margin possible. A single point lost anywhere and the result would have been different!'

In pursuit of that blanket coverage of events, coach and decathlete Mark Andrews, in addition to amassing multiple points in his first year as a Vet, joined with coach Dermot Dunne to spend many a wet Sunday introducing athletes to new events on the field. Distance runners worked on their speed to make up relay teams, and jokes Mark, the Club may have to pay for therapy for those still scarred by competing in the Walk for the first time! 

Second Claim Teresa Bowden (W45) collected a string of wins and second places in the W35 jumps and throws to finish as second highest points-scorer across both the men's and women's matches, with Mark Andrews in seventh on the list.

There were individual A string victories in the Women's match from W40 Victoria Johnston in the W35 400m and triple jump; Claire Grima (W45) in the dreaded 2000m Walk, Lisa Thomas (W55) in the W50 400m, Anna Garnier (W70) in the W60 100m and 1500m; and Caroline Helder in the W60 3000m, as well as the 4 x 400m Relay team of Laura Wignall, Lisa Thomas (W55), Emilie Speaight (W40) and Victoria Johnston (W40).

For the B string there were wins for Laura Wignall in the W35 100m and 200m; Emily Speaight (W40) in the W35 400m; and Gina Galbraith (W45) in the W35 800m, 1500m and 3000m.

The list of those who went above and beyond is long, but for Mark, the woman who totally encapsulated the team spirit on the day was Club Vice Chairman and distance runner Alison Purnell (W60), who agreed to race in the 400m, 'even though she thought it might be one of the most embarrassing things she had done in her entire life', says Mark,  'then she only went and won it!'

'The team spirit and cameraderie created throughout the women's team was pure magic', says Anna. 'Everyone just gelled; there were no individuals seeking attention, instead everyone inspired, encouraged, praised and supported each other to have the best fun and produce our very best on the day, and look what we achieved! A big thanks too, to all the officials, volunteers, friends and families who supported us across all the matches. Let's carry this wave forward into an encore in 2025!'