17.
Coniston RelayResults
British
Long Distance Swimming Association
BLDSA
Coniston Relay 2011
For
whatever the reason, entry numbers were very low this year. Nevertheless,
the swim went ahead as planned with only 5 teams taking part. As it happened
this worked out quite well as it was my first time organising an event
and also, earlier this year Rigg Wood had been sold to a private owner.
Whoever this was decided that they did not want people accessing their
land and so gated and padlocked Rigg Wood car park.
This was a major blow as it was the designated parking area for legs 3 and
5 of the swim. Dodgson Wood car park was used as the alternative but this meant
that there was considerably less space for parking.
The teams assembled all present and correct on a wet and dismal Saturday morning.
This didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits though. The swim began
just a few minutes behind schedule. Pennine swimmers took the lead with The
3 Degrees hot on their heels. As it turned out the results at the end of the
race mirrored the order of finish for most of the individual legs throughout
the day. Pennine Swimmers came in first each time and were at least 5 minutes
ahead of The 3 Degrees who gave good chase. Then there was a 20 minute interval
before the next 3 teams came in to view. It was a close race for 3rd 4th and
5th place. At one point there was only 22 seconds between Last Minute Hero’s
and The Pink Ladies.
However, as the day progressed the battle for 3rd place was between Last Minute
Hero’s and The Jelly Babies. Last Minute Hero’s were just in front
for legs 1 and 2 but The Jelly Babies pulled back on leg 3 by finishing 3 Minutes
ahead. What would the final results be after the times for each leg were tallied
up?
Pennine Swimmers
The 3 Degrees
Last Minute Hero’s
The Jelly babies
The Pink Ladies (1st Breaststroke team)
The
presentation took place under the shelter of a large tree because the
rain had decided to turn into a torrential downpour. BLDSA President,
and Pink Lady, Beverly Thomas awarded the teams with soggy certificates
and prizes. Not one person moaned about the rain – everyone seemed
to be enjoying themselves and as a result created an enjoyable atmosphere
throughout the day. Huge thanks to all that helped out on the day and
an extra special thanks to my Committee Chris Green and Gill Stables.
The
feedback that I have since received indicated that the overall impression
of the swim was one of enjoyment and success despite the weather. Don’t
forget to put the Coniston Relay Championship on your list of events
for 2012.
Vicki
Thompson
Coniston Relay Championsip Secretary
