Teddy Hall Relays 2023
It was March 8th 2023. It was minus 3 degrees and flirting dangerously with an amber weather warning in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Would Hilary term’s crowning event go ahead? Was John Hible’s 6:30am jog from St Hugh’s to Iffley Road going to be for naught?
Fears were rising, but so was Thomas Renshaw. As the sleet and snow continued to attack the tow path, the all-clear was, provisionally, issued by the OUCCC Club Captain, once he’d got out of bed. The race was to go ahead. For now.
Marshalls arrived mid-morning for an initial briefing, wearing as much clothing as was physically possible. Partners and significant others of OUCCC members were also roped in, much to their dismay and Matt Harris’ joy. Marshals dispersed, walkie talkies in gloved hands, and the race was set to go. What to wear? Naph remained unsure, running the first of his two legs in shorts, and his anchor leg in tights. Most opted for long sleeves and shorts. Copious amounts of deep heat provided the vital element which most runners would be lacking during their 7k efforts.
Despite the elements, a total of 532 legs were completed, spanning across 133 different teams: 56 mixed teams, 56 male teams and 21 female teams. The horrendous sleet failed to extinguish Persian Fire A (Jeremy Fowler, Ghasem Sharifi, Behnam Gholami, Ali Esfahani). Notable team name mentions also go to Quads of Fury (Ellie Hall, Riya Gosrani, Hannah Cavanaugh Gouvea, Deya Deb) and Hertford College’s “Simp for Simpkin” team in the mixed category. (Simpkin is Hertford College’s resident cat. Proof that cat people are better at running). The fire, quads and cat-lovers, as well as members of teams with boring names, followed the route around the track towards Donnington Bridge, inevitably doing a 200m rep to begin the race. Josh Pearson was to regret this 2k in, but, for now, the atmosphere was electric as well as cold, and the adrenaline was pumping through the quads of the runners, furious or otherwise.
Having survived the Thames Cycle path, many would have been tempted to hitch a ride in the canal boats to catch a break from the persistent rain. However, relentless as the weather was, our competitors were made of yet sterner stuff, and turned into Christ Church meadow on tired but determined legs. For many, this resolve was broken and the race turned into a game of avoiding the numerous puddles. For others, the only way was through, splashing competitors but gaining valuable seconds for their relay teams, the water sloshing in their shoes on the turn back along the road to Iffley. The baton close to its transfer point back on the track, the next relay legs were waiting patiently to begin their 4.35 mile legs. Some batons did not see a change of hands, as in Matthew Kunov’s case. Not recommended, but certainly a spectacle for the shivering marshals to enjoy out on the course.
An oasis from the cold, the cricket schools boasted heaps of pre-prepared sandwiches (thanks to the social secs, Catherine and Charlie, as well as incoming social sec Anika, for managing this!). Hot drinks and cakes also beckoned those who had finished their legs and weren’t marshalling. Braving the weather, however, lots of OUCCC committee members stayed outside until the race was truly finished. Coach of OUCCC, Matt Seddon stood guard on Jackdaw Lane, one of the most exposed spots on the course, in a brilliant display of commitment to the darker shade of blue. Another Matt who was superb on this day was of course Matt Harris, the other excellent Cuppers and Teddy Hall relay rep.
Matt and John, after their long day of determined organisation, were finally able to give out their especially purchased THR trophies. Meanwhile, Dan Bundred and Rhiannon Paton were ably nursed back from suspected hypothermia by the ever-useful Maddy Williams, the Iffley Sports centre staff, and OUCCC medics, Lucy Thompson and Mared Owen. Fastest individual legs went to Naphthali Moulton (22:07, part of OUCCC men’s A) and Rhiannon Paton (24:34, part of Coleg Yr Iesu A). The more important results were the team ones though. Naph’s team (Naphthali Moulton x2, Ethan McColgan, Thomas Renshaw) were convincing winners on the mens’ side, with Oxford City AC worthy runners-up (Maxwell Robinson, George Roberts, Matthieu Marshall, Duncan Lawrence). On the womens’ side, OUCCC swept the first two spots, with the quartet of Alexandra Brown, Charlotte Buckley, Olivia Kelly and Lucy Thompson clear of the others by over 10 minutes. In second was another OUCCC quartet, Molly, Anouska, Catherine and Alex A. In 3rd, and not far behind, were the RAF womens’ quartet: Gemma Holloway, Rachel David, Phillipa Baxter and Katie Coulson.
One last question remained. Which Oxford Colleges would emerge on top? St Anne’s seemed the favourite but lacked the commitment to pull off a result in line with their cuppers domination. Despite a competitive build-up, the Corpus Christi quartet of Matt and Ben Fuller, Maddy Williams and Catherine Gallagher smoked Jesus College by a whopping 8 minutes, meaning that Jesus’ Body was in fact faster than Jesus on this occasion. In the mens’ colleges, Matt’s solo representation of St Catherine’s College gained the brutalist building a trophy won in equally brutal weather conditions. New College Femists (Jenny Milne, Hannah Curwen, Ines Rayment-Gomez, Maud Tregear) clinched the womens’ college competition.
Questions answered, our incredible THR reps packed up the remaining signs, chased after walkie talkies which had travelled far and wide across Oxford, and got themselves ready for annual dinner, safe in the knowledge that their event had been a successful rendition. The baton was thus passed from their (freezing) hands to those of the 2024 THR reps, Joe Morrow and Esther Jones.
