Fen Ditton Dash 2008
By James Kelly
With the unseasonably mild January temperatures and persistently wet start to 2008 combining with the customary blustery conditions of Cambridge, it would take a brave soul to contemplate beginning the Lent Term with a cross-country run. But fortunately the Hare & Hounds is full of such hardy figures and so the Fen Ditton Dash, 8km for men and 5.7km for women, saw full and competitive fields.
Given the unique combination of marshy conditions and paved surfaces found along the course, no advantage could be gained from footwear. Rather, mental toughness and good core stability were paramount as the racers battled each other and the conditions.
The men were first to set off, and reigning Blues Owain Bristow (Queens') and Matt Armstrong (Trinity Hall) got off to the best start, with Armstrong just pipping Bristow to King of the Bridge acclaim. As the pair turned back towards the start/finish line on lap one their lead slowly grew. David Yu (Trinity) and Tim Pattison (Downing) maintained a strong pace behind, fighting through the headwind to maintain contact with the leaders.
The second lap proved to be punishing; the course was churned up and the wind seemed that much stronger. Ultimately it was Bristow (28:26) who finished well to claim the victory, with the hard-charging Armstrong (28:29) running a close second. Yu (28:58) and Pattison (29:09) maintained their positions to finish third and fourth and stake their claim for a spot in the A Team for the upcoming BUSA Championships. An impressive run by Jamie Brunning (Jesus, 29:56) won fifth place while Captain Andy Duncan (Girton, 30:41) had a remarkable return from long-term injury to finish in seventh position.
Paced by Brunning, Jesus displayed its great depth to claim victory in the team race, maintaining its perfect record this season. Girton and Queens' rounded out the top three in Division I. Armstrong's run led Trinity Hall to victory in Division II, but Downing remain on top of the current division standings.
The women set out shortly after the men to tackle their course. With the going equally tough and the puddles equally deep, the race proved to be difficult even for the strong field assembled. Spectators were treated to an excellent display of running from Anna Anderson (Girton), who led from the start and seemed to float across the mud to win in 22:37. She was followed home by Polly Keen (New Hall, 24:11) and Victoria Mason (24:14), who were only split by three seconds over the course.
Trinity used good packing inside the top 10 positions to win maximum team points ahead of Newnham and Darwin. The standings remain incredibly close, with just the Coe Fen Relays and the Selwyn Relays remaining to separate the trio of colleges, Trinity, Newnham and Girton, currently tied atop the league.
In addition to building a sense of camaraderie within the club, the Fen Ditton Dash highlighted the strength of the teams that the Hare & Hounds will be sending to Swansea. Both the men and women look to have the sort of quality about them that will prove to be very competitive with the UK Universities' best.
Special thanks are reserved for League Organisers Chris Morris and Aidan Brown, who arranged the seamless operation of the event. Such was their dedication to the cause that Aidan even fell in a ditch while collecting the course markings! Thanks are also due to the marshals and supporters along the course who lifted the flagging spirits of the exhausted competitors.