World Silver Medallists

There were four teams toed the line in Lee Lane Horwich at about 5:00 pm on Sunday 22nd June for this, the inaugural World Railway Sleeper Carrying Relay Championship. Each member of the team had to carry the sleeper along the 50 metre course and put it down on the "bale station" to be picked up by the next runner who then ran back up the course with it for the third runner to take it back again before the last man ran the final 50 to the finish. Two teams ran against each other with the winner decided on the overall fastest time. First two teams to go were Dragonfly Landscape Gardeners and Sue's Hayesmen.

The Gardeners were all sturdy lads and must have been sprinters in their day, because as soon as the hooter sounded the "off" it was clear all the rest of us were running for second place. Geoff Holloway went first for Sue's team, and classy runner that he is, he was significantly hampered by the sleeper. The gardener must have taken 15 metres out of him in the 50 metre course. Second to go for Sue was Sue herself, who adopted the slightly strange technique of cradling the sleeper like a baby. Sue handed over to Tony Varley, who tore a calf muscle on his second stride and stopped dead. Then, as if from nowhere, Kev Gaskell leaped the barrier, picked up the sleeper and finished his leg for him. Unfortunately by the time Kev had handed over to Doug (Mr Sue) the fourth gardener was crossing the finishing line.

Next it was the Lostock Losers versus the Anne Fan Club (that's us). Alan (that's him on the left in the dark top) went off first for us against Lostock's John Smith who unfortunately managed to fall over (been having lessons from YJ?). However Alan's run wasn't without problems, in that when he picked the sleeper up, he managed to slide his hand under the baling twine and nearly took off with the bale as well. Alan handed a good lead over to me (white top, silly grin), but I fumbled the pickup slightly and was nearly caught by a muscular youth running Lostock's second leg. I handed over to Dean (Lonsdale top), who was both fast and technically near perfect. Dean ran against Alan Jones, who's even older than me, so it was no contest, and he opened up a good lead. Dean handed over to Robin (big lad on the right) who stormed home, but unfortunately, having played a bit of league, didn't know how to stop. He over-ran the bale station at the finish and had to come back and place the sleeper before he was timed in. Albert trailed in some time after for Lostock.

The results: Sue's Hayesmen were disqualified for using an unregistered runner (Kev). The Lostock Losers lost ~ well they would, wouldn't they? And we placed second, just two seconds behind the Gardeners. Now, if Alan hadn't lost a second getting caught up in the baling twine, and if I hadn't lost a second with the fumble and if Robin hadn't lost a second over-running...

The prediction for next year is that there will be lots more teams and folk will be doing some serious training.

Ed