Two teams from Norfolk ventured South to take part in the Stragglers Relays held at Essex University on Sunday 12th July. NORty Nicholls (the Nicholls family) and eNORmouse (Phil Brown, Mick Liston, Ella Gilbert and Jonathan Gilbert) were attempting to win the trophy last won by NOR in 2012. Given that 2 members of eNORmouse were part of the winning team in 2012, hopes were high of a repeat.
The Stragglers Relays are an interesting format. Teams comprise 4 runners, and between them they have to run 2 x Light Green, 3 x Orange and 4 x Yellow courses. Each team only has one map of each course, so only 3 runners can be out at any one time. Strategy is key to make sure that each map is being used as much as possible.
There was great excitement at the finish, as Ella and Harold Wyber (CHIG) were neck and neck coming to the final controls. Harold overtook Ella with 2 to go, but after a mistake from Harold, Ella regained the lead coming in to the penultimate control. However, CHIG were not to be beaten and eventually won by 4 seconds. No disgrace to Ella, as we later found out that Harold ran the fastest time on every course, winning the Light Green by almost 4 minutes.
So close, but yet so far (and soon to be further), as both our teams were disqualified. NORty Nicholls suffered an injury, so did not run the last Orange leg; and eNORmouse mis-punch’d.
Full results can be found here.
Thanks to SOS for organising a really fun event. It would be good to get even more NOR teams next year.