The good was that once again the Mike Groves Run was blessed with excellent weather (on the following Friday there was a 5 mi1e run at Worstead and that was very wet) and that we had an increased entry of 155 from last year’s 136. How soon can we reach an entry of 200 which I have always considered to be a maximum that the course and the car parking can take?

The bad was that, though we raised a large amount of money, it was less than last year. This year we have so far sent £937.79 to the Children’s Hospice at Quidenham raised from the profit on the run itself (entry fees less expenses leaves £3.20 for each entrant, so an increased entry means more money) and including £171.21 in donations from Ann Youngman, Marjorie Chapman, Miss Blake, David Giblett, Mike Chipperfield, Michael Blackmore, Jackie Elvin, Jenny Dickens, Bob Grapes, Claire the post, Marilyn and Doreen Snelling, and the businesses of Shades, Top of the Crop and Sizzling Sue. Plus a total of £274 was obtained by sponsorships from Paul Groves, Ashley Holland, Iris Snelling, Heather Askew, Marion Costello, Elvie Coleman, Lindsay Little, Carol Hardy and Allison Copley.

Before the start I was asked by a couple of lads from the Norfolk Gazelles running club if they could wear fancy dress, I agreed thinking they probably meant the wearing of a tutu or something similar. However, at the start it was noticed that there were a couple of gorillas in the long grass of the Guide’s field causing amusement to many, but trepidation to Penny the greyhound and

to young Emma Queripel. Said gorillas carried bananas which they distributed as they ran round. It was a very warm evening yet they both finished still in their costumes and must have been a lot lighter than when they started. A grand couple of lads but I think that they must qualify as being ugly.

My thanks to all who entered, to all who donated and to all who sponsored others and to my course marshals Jackie, Robert and Jenny, Colin and Joyce, John and June, Dougie (who came all the way from Aylmerton), Michael B and to Steve who helped the timekeepers. And to Ann Y and Jeremy who at times were overrun at the water hole. Without you all this event could not have happened. See you all next year?

Alan, June, Paul & Berenice

Results of the Mike Groves Run 2003

Darren Fowlie of the Norfolk Gazelles was the fastest with a course record of 18 min 53 sec. The fastest lady was Nicola Culican in 22 min 59 sec and our own Susan Percy was second fastest in 24 min 26 sec. Other ‘locals’ were:

And the walkers: Melvyn, Cynthia, Claire, Bethany, Lindsay, Dawn, Christine. Robert,
Robert A, Pamela, Elvie, Dennis, William, Bridget, Iris, Ruby, David, Audrey, Joan, Dick, Beverly, Gill, Maureen, Sarah and the dogs Rollo, Hamish, Penny and Billie.