You are currently viewing Record Numbers at Blean Woods Despite the Weather

Despite very windy conditions, with some rain, there were a record 435 finishers in the Kent Fitness League race at Blean Woods on 6th February. That beat the previous record of 375 set almost 10 years ago on 19th February 2012. The number of Harrier finishers, 36, also matched the record at the club’s home KFL fixture set in February 2014. (The club’s record number of finishers for any KFL race is 49 set at Minnis Bay in January 2020.)

In the race Canterbury Harriers were narrowly beaten into second place in both the women’s and combined team events. In the women’s the club were just two points behind Sevenoaks AC, with Emily Collins coming fifth female. The other female scorers were Claire Pluckrose, Katriona Sharp and Barbara Wenman, with Rebecca Williams finishing second Harrier woman in seventh place but not scoring. For the men, Peter Hogben was second, just seven seconds behind the league leader in the men’s individual standings, Charles George of Paddock Wood. Yiannis Christodoulou, Simon Jones and Henry Cox were also all in the top 20. Andrew Woods made an impressive debut coming 25th but unfortunately did not score as all the scoring slots for senior males had been filled. Alex Horsley, Greg Norman, Jon Blunt and Colin Kent were the club’s other male scorers. Canterbury Harriers finished a total of just 20 points behind Medway and Maidstone AC in the combined.

In the team standings the club are just one point behind Sevenoaks in the women’s team competition and are sixth in the combined.

With this race Barbara Wenman became the first woman in the league to pass 4000 in total scoring runners beaten (SRB) and her total now stands at 4037.

A very big thank you to all the Harriers and their families who assisted in putting the race on, especially in the weather conditions.

There are photos of the event in the Gallery.

36 Canterbury Harriers finished

Ov Pos Lg Pos Runner Age Time Score Rtg #
2 2 Peter Hogben 29 30:13 M1 99.64 18
10 10 Yiannis Christodoulou 38 31:16 M2 96.74 34
15 15 Simon Jones 46 31:37 V40:1 94.93 38
20 20 Henry Cox 24 32:11 M3 93.12 11
25 25 Andrew Woods 30 32:55 NSBLS 91.30 Debut
44 44 Alex Horsley 44 34:18 V40:2 84.42 11
77 73 Matt Slark 33 36:02 NSBLS 73.91 11
82 5 Emily Collins 27 36:15 F1 97.48 3
89 84 Greg Norman 61 36:47 V60 69.93 3
95 7 Rebecca Williams 33 37:36 NSBLS 96.23 5
106 97 Jon Blunt 61 38:08 V50:1 65.22 24
113 10 Claire Pluckrose 53 38:26 V45 94.34 16
119 13 Katriona Sharp 39 38:45 V35 92.45 4
124 109 Colin Kent 56 38:57 V50:2 60.87 61
158 136 Adam Cowper-Smith 63 40:09 NS 51.09 31
171 24 Joanne Norrington 38 40:49 NSBLS 85.53 51
174 150 Andy Phillips 59 40:54 NS 46.01 35
182 27 Barbara Wenman 63 41:17 V55 83.65 95
190 162 Mark Wenman 67 41:33 NS 41.67 92
192 29 Hannah Wilding 28 41:36 NS 82.39 8
199 33 Deb Parris 53 41:48 NS 79.87 23
249 197 Matthew Northover 53 44:45 NS 28.99 23
283 65 Steph Bancroft 54 46:30 NS 59.75 10
288 68 Jean Roffe 54 46:39 NS 57.86 7
289 221 Andy Farrant 65 46:42 NS 20.29 79
298 73 Wendy Smith 63 47:34 NS 54.72 65
301 227 Steve Clark 68 47:58 NS 18.12 124
304 230 Peter Yarlett 69 48:19 NS 17.03 54
325 238 Nathaniel Wells 28 49:08 NS 14.13 2
330 242 Tony Savage 67 49:36 NS 12.68 48
338 92 Tilly Roffe 19 50:15 NS 42.77 5
356 252 Joe Hicks 68 51:49 NS 9.06 67
369 113 Emma Garcia-Solley 31 52:39 NS 29.56 6
374 259 Richard Hudson 65 52:45 NS 6.52 22
408 142 Julie Cox 60 56:51 NS 11.32 3
413 145 Lidia Modzelewska 46 59:43 NS 9.43 14

Full results are on the KFL site.

Robin Bell has produced a YouTube video of the race: