CORNWALL ROAD RUNNING AND RACING GROUP
Minutes of the meeting held 19th
January 2004
THOSE PRESENT: Doug
Alsop
(FRR and Chairman), Neil Tweedie (Minutes), Mike Hanson (C.A.C. and County
Chairman), Alan Rowling, Angela Burrows (C.A.C.), Lesley Dobson, Graham Dobson,
Paul Bullock, Dawn Roberts and Kevin Burnett (N.R.R), Colin Bunting, Bill Phillips (T.T.), Barrie Cardew, Phil Bowles
(Carn).Chris Rouncefield, Craig Tonkin (HRR). Jim Baker, Doug Smith (LRR).
Hilary Clatworthy (ECH).
APOLOGIES: Ruth and David Hatch (Moorhaven R.C.). Pete and Jan
Sargent (NRR). Sylvia Muller (County Association Treasurer). Dave Gordon
(Kernow). Viv Matthews (CAC). Mike Erith (ECH) and Sean Webb.
Nothing heard from Truro Running Club.
MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING (3rd November 2003):
Read and agreed, with a few minor comments made. No actions required.
DA reported that there was a total entry of 230, with a high-unattached
entry of 42. Considering that it is a predominately club v club event this is
quite unusual, although very welcome. From the unattached entry ‘Hayle’
reported they picked up 4 or 5 new members, with Falmouth getting 2 or 3.
A number of runners from Newquay, mostly the slower less experienced
members had been disappointed that there was no memento/medal for finishers.
This year’s Mob Match did see many more clubs getting recognition for
their efforts at the prize presentations.
DA and Falmouth are looking at a new venue for the prize giving next
year, particularly with the anticipated increase in GP qualifiers.
ChristmasTurkey Trot: - An enjoyable race and well organised. As the
TT has a fairly low entry fee with good prizes/goodies, some discussion on the
highs and lows of entry fees took place, with most concluding that the races in
Cornwall always produce good value for money.
BC asked about the possibility of spreading the prizes (cream) among
the slower runners in the race. AR and AB will look at ways for next year to
accommodate this possibility.
The Brown Willy: - The mud and high winds were enjoyed by most. Approx
200 taking part. £315 donated for St John Ambulance.
BP mentioned the lack of memento (certificate available). NT explained
that the”perpetual dated, sew-on badge” idea had proven too expensive to
continue, especially as the run generated no income, with all costs being met
by TRC.
Blaythorne 10: - The first GP race, seeing a healthy increase in
entries from 156 in 2003 to 200+ this year.
A good enjoyable race - Some comments about toilet facilities, lack of
proper race sweeping and no supervision at the finish for water duties and
memento distribution. Anyone not receiving a mug/glass should contact BC.
BC said that due to the good weather many runners were hanging around
at the finish which only exacerbated the situation.
GRAND PRIX MATTERS:
·
Two date changes to the calendar – The Cornish Marathon is now on the
21st November. The Mob Match is now 28th November 2004.
·
AR said the Duchy Marathon this year would include a 20-mile event. AB
asked if clubs could help in the supply of marshals for The Duchy on the 21st
March.
·
DS had produced a draft letter for sending to GP race organisers,
explaining the introduction of the 50p per entrant. The meeting agreed that the
letter should be sent at the earliest opportunity.
·
DR explained difficulties with the GP tables at the end of the 2003 GP
season, whereby some runners were complaining about their position/points
allocation for events that had happened many months before. The meeting agreed
that NO corrections could be made to points/positions if more than two GPs had
transpired between the possible error and the time of the contact. DR to be
allowed discretion on this matter, with her decision being final.
NT said that DNFs in GP
races should be included in the information supplied to Dawn for inclusion in
the GP tables. Unfortunately this extra task will fall initially on Jan S. Jan
can only supply this info manually, and then only if race organisers give her
the info in the first place.
·
DA read out an e-mail from Sylvia Muller. Sylvia wondered if only
members of Cornish clubs should pay
the 50p charge for GP races, as all others were excluded from the series and
received no benefit. After some discussion it was agreed the logistics of
catering for such a scheme would be a nightmare for race organisers and should
not be applied, although the 50p situation should be kept under constant
review.
·
GD and PB having being told by Martin Davis (NRR) that he felt there
was an anomaly in 2003 regarding GP club team winners. From the start of 2003
there had been uncertainty about whether The Sweatshop GP final would actually
take place. At any rate Cornwall went through the motions with the winning club
teams coming from the six best scoring races out of eleven. After 11 races CAC
and NRR male teams had exactly the same points score, the eventual winner being
CAC based on head to head racing. The Sweatshop GP was a competition within a
competition and stopped after the first 11 races. The overall Duchy Hospital GP
with 14 races in 2003 still created an equal scoring situation. Members from
NRR now felt that as CAC had only managed a male team in 10 of the 14 races,
against NRR’s 14, this created an unfairness. NRR also said that this 2003
situation should now be minuted, so that in the unlikely event of the same set
of circumstances being repeated in 2004 the RR Group could debate the pros and
cons and provide a ruling.
NT had trouble understanding why this previously agreed
situation had been
raised as a new revelation (via Martin Davis), as NT thought
that the existing ruling
was done and dusted. NT in turn resorted to his not
unfamiliar frustration with his
usual histrionics.
COUNTY MATTERS
The position of Permit/Road Race Secretary still requires a volunteer.
DA reported on The Cornwall Development Evening at Bodmin on 1st
December 2003. He was generally disappointed in the evening with few
conclusions or solutions being made. HC concurred as the only other RR attendee
to attend the evening.
Apparently few copies of the minutes/report had been circulated. Many
of those who had read it felt it had lots of questions with no answers, also it
was difficult to recognise the points made and how/where it relates to
Cornwall.
Although the evening was poorly attended, GD pointed out the vast
majority came from RR.
DA put the question at the evening “From the road runners perspective
we don’t know what the County does?” GD asked at the RR meeting what the County
spends its/our money on? NT said to
anyone with questions to attend the County meetings where answers would be
available.
The point was made and agreed by the meeting for a second time in two
meetings that any amalgamation with the County meetings or any other meetings
should be resisted. The meeting also felt, although slightly selfish that RR
was very strong in the County and getting stronger and that was priority.
FINANCIAL MATTERS
Not unexpectedly it was agreed that Jan Sargent should be Treasurer for
the RR group. With relatively large sums of money starting to come into the
group it was agreed a bank/building society account be opened with a cheque
facility. It was strongly advised that the account should not be in Jan’s name
as this may create problems with her own personal taxation. In the absence of
suggestions for a shorter account name it would appear “Cornwall Road Running
and Racing Group” (CRRRG) is the outcome.
It was further proposed and agreed that Jan as treasurer and the
chairman (Doug Alsop) should be a joint signatories. MH advised caution saying
the group should be more formalised with a proper constitution etc. CB said he
had access to a sample constitution, which he would pass onto the chairman. The
Question of whether the Duchy Hospital would sponsor the GP in 2004, and if so,
should it remain the ”Duchy Hospital Grand Prix Series” came up. The meeting
agreed the name should remain. NT reported that although he had verbal
agreement on continued sponsorship, the amount to be given had not yet been
finalised.
Sylvia Muller as County Treasurer had received monies from SEAA
relating to unattached RR race levies and wondered should not Road Racing get
the money. NT explained that all County Associations receive these monies from
RR in their respective counties. The County also receives money from other
disciplines. Generally County Associations will help finance anything that
promotes athletics and are pretty well duty bound to do so. Ultimately the
clubs, which form the County can determine how monies are spent by attending
meetings and making proposals.
COACHING MATTERS
Little to report with the absence of Viv Mathews. MH told the meeting
that Tony Lett co-coordinated coaching in Cornwall. GD felt few Road Runners
new Tony. NT said if they turned up at County Association meetings, they would
meet Tony who is a regular attender giving reports to the Association on
Cornwall’s coaching issues.
UPDATING OF CONTACT LISTS
In the interests of better communication DA requested that Club
Secretaries address details should be listed, with a further list with all
details of Running Clubs, their aims and what they offer, contacts, club
training nights and times etc
MH handed out a Club Directory Brochure produced by England Athletics
and UK Athletics. Although the brochure is a little out of date and relates to
the “clubs:future” programme, it was thought to be very useful.
AOB
There were few questions. It was agreed that in future meeting nights
should start at 7pm sharp. Congratulations to the Chairman for an early finish.
NEXT MEETING 26TH APRIL 2004 – Starting 7pm