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BATTALION ATHLETICS TEAM
– RAF HONINGTON 10K INTER-SERVICES ROAD RACE:
Wednesday 3rd September 2008
By WO1 (Regimental Sergeant Major A Johnson)
On the 3rd September 2008 (358th anniversary of the
Battle of Dunbar) the Coldstream Guards Athletics Team
took part in the Inter-Services 10k Road-Race at RAF
Honington near Bury St Edmunds. The money raised on the
day from entry fees went to the Help For Heroes
Campaign. The Commanding Officer paid the entry fees
from his Public Fund to allow a team of 25 to take part.
The Team consisted of the following:
2 Lt Wills
Regimental Sergeant Major A Johnson
WO2 (DSgt) Jones
WO2 (CSM) Morrell
Sgt Pal
Sgt Fairbrother
Sgt Baines
LSgt Binnersley
LSgt Backhouse
LCpl Hicks
LCpl Ensor
LCpl Harris
Gdsm Pearson
Gdsm Wales
Gdsm Mudiman
Gdsm Perkins
Gdsm McCabe
Gdsm Blythe
Gdsm Ngwira
Gdsm Deer
Gdsm Majkut
Gdsm James
Gdsm Naylor
Dmr McPherson
Dmr Keenan
The team arrived dressed to thrill in suits and blue red
blue ties, much to the bemusement of the masses of
tracksuit clad RAF personnel who assumed that the mafia
had arrived in force. After booking in and getting
changed the team was ready for the off. As this was an
Inter-Services event, there were international standard
runners from the RAF, Navy and Army teams which soon
became apparent when the start signal was given.
  
The whole Coldstream team (uniformally well turned out
of course) put in an excellent performance, although
there was no way our runners could compete with top
class athletes finishing in 31 minutes! That said, Gdsm
Naylor was the first Coldstreamer over the line in an
impressive 36 minutes, closely followed by Mr Wills and
the other racing snakes such as LCpl Ensor, Sgt
Fairbrother, Dmr McPherson, Gdsm Perkins and Gdsm
Pearson.
The Regimental Sergeant Major was the last Coldstreamer
over the line at 48 minutes, which meant that the entire
Coldstream team finished in the first half of the field,
an outstanding achievement for its first event. The
psychological impact on the whole tri-services athletics
community cannot be underestimated and the event was a
great starting point for the newly re-constituted team.
The new athletics strip has now arrived after a slight
production hiccup and the team is set for another run
out at the end of the month at the RAF Benson 7 miler on
the 25th September. All volunteers for this race are to
give their names to DSgt Jones. There are two endurance
cross country events coming up in October and November
which the team also hopes to enter, dependant on
commitments.
An athletics update and newsletter will be posted in the
gym after Warcop.
ONE TEAM – ONE FIGHT
WO1 (RSM) A Johnson
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