April has no plans to relinquish her 'trophy'
And the first woman to hold the crown intends to defend her title. The signs are promising after she recorded a slight improvement to her 2006 qualifying time in recent weeks.
The sun will barely have risen on Saturday when the handful of competitors go under starter’s orders in the off-beat Mid Atlantic Athletic Club event that consists of two energy-sapping laps along the beaches and hinterland dunes, with the steep uphill from Horseshoe Beach to South Road cropping up twice during the five-and-a-bit miles race.
Runners will be handicapped according to their best recent times on the course, which is used as a weekly training session. The handicap system is traditionally difficult to gauge because of the highly sporadic appearances of some athletes, summed up nicely by beach running stalwart Stephen DeSilva when he observes: “Many people come to the beach, but very few return.”
But who can blame the “stay at homes” when the Saturday morning training delights include running through strength-sapping, ankle-deep soft sand, scurrying through undulating dune trails and also the dreaded Horseshoe Bay hill — twice!
However, the benefits of the training on the beach cannot be denied. In recent months Miguel Butterfield has joined the Saturday sessions and his improving fitness carried him to a respectable sixth place in last weekend’s Ed Sherlock five mile road race.
Butterfield will be in the running for the crown, as will former May 24 champion Brett Forgesson, who was the second winner of the King of the Dunes.
The man who won the first King of the Dunes event was Simon Turner, but he has been reduced to an organiser and spectator this time because of injury.
Having seen Vesey break the male domination of the event last year, a number of women are seeking to follow in her footsteps, including Lisa Van Wanrooy and Midge Oliver.
Vesey, who like Van Wanrooy competed in December’s Las Vegas marathon, believes she is in good shape to mount a defence of her title.
“If I do the time I did last year I’ll be pleased. But the beach has to be in prime running condition to set a good time,” she said.
Her qualifying time this year is 50:59 compared to 51:07 last year. Runners set off at staggered intervals based on their handicap time — the slower athletes first followed by the quicker qualifiers.
The coveted prize is a home-made trophy consisting of a pair of old running shoes on top of a small plinth. The men may encounter another reason not to get in the way of the women in tomorrow’s race if Vesey has carried out her
[obox] Lamont Marshall set a course record at the Ed Sherlock five mile road race last Sunday, when the annual event organised by the Swan’s Running Club moved from its traditional summer date to a February slot where, it is hoped, it will attract a higher number of race entrants and establish itself as a useful tune-up for those preparing for March’s Lindo-to-Lindo 10K.
Putting in an outstanding effort in second place was Swan’s Otis Robinson who ran an equally lonely race but pushed himself to an impressive time of 30:43, underlining his increasing presence at the sharp-end of race fields.
The race started and finished at Southampton Rangers Club and was held in sunny conditions although athletes faced a headwind on the first half of the course along Middle Road to Barnes Corner.
With Marshall and Robinson running their own races, Vernon Tankard and Kent Richardson formed a chasing pair in the early miles. Tankard eventually pulled almost a minute clear of Richardson to secure the third slot and first Master prize in 31:08.
Top woman Dawn Richardson ran through two miles in 13 minutes and maintained a near perfect 6:30 minutes-a-mile pace to finish fifth in 32:51, with Catherine Howley next woman in ninth (34:14).
A total of 68 runners competed in the race, including super veterans Archibald and Lee Tucker. A further 20 walkers also tackled the course. In the juniors’ race Jonathan Briers and Brighton Swan II clocked the same time of 19:22.
April defends her ‘King’ of the Dunes title
