Ladies of the Night Set Blazingsmoke Alight!

RACE FOUR: BASINGSTOKE - 20TH JUNE 2012

On Wednesday evening 17 members of Team Tonia donned their pink t-shirts and arrived in Basingstoke - our one and only mid-week evening event. We then began a very long walk from the make shift car park (a field) to the event start, which seemed 5km away....

Dad had left Kate with the big responsibility of erecting the banner as he was going to be late. However, very soon after beginning the task, Kate was told off by event staff for not "aligning" the banner with the other stands....(Dad should have given me the job.....!)

The Basingstoke Beauties (from L to R): Tamsin White, Joyce Cook, Judith Sotes, Lynne King, Kate Bone, Sue Dobbins, Jane Lowe, Emma Powley, Jo White, Katy Ross, Sheila Oldacre, Annette Hender, Sarah King, Jadine Catt, Gemma Richmond, Bryony Mitchell, Emma Dowinton

As 7.30pm drew closer we all began to worry that Bryony "I ran 13 miles yesterday/I have a hangover" Mitchell would not arrive in time. She had told us just a few days before that she had a meeting in London at 5.30pm but was confident she would get to Basingstoke in time. With the assistance of facebook we were kept up to date with Bryony's journey and her undressing antics on the train! I'm sure she provided amusement to many commuters as she wiggled her running kit on underneath her work clothes!! However, just in the nick of time she came running across the field in time to join us all for a Team Tonia photograph.

Our elite runner Katy, was joined by her mum Jo and sister Tamsin; both hoping they also had the "nearly winning" White gene!
Our sponsor, Fostering Solutions was represented by Judith and Joyce who brought along their supporters ready with bottles of water for the end of the race.

Kate and I were delighted to be joined by one of mum's closest friends and her daughter (even though Lynne ignored my merry shouts at her half way around the course!). Sheila continued her race attendance accompanied by the loyal and very excitable Keswick (possibly the only man in the race!)

One of our runners Sue, began competing in the Race for Life events in Basingstoke in 2004 and has run every year since. She has assured me that I will manage to run 5km in under 30 minutes by the last event!

Jane storming to the finish line

Team Tonia Champion Katy

Following the race Jane, (pictured above) was heard saying "I've just remembered how much I hate running!" Hats off to you Jane for agreeing to enter!!

Jadine and Annette both romped around the course, both looking glamourous as ever and like they had just gone for a stroll when they returned to base camp, and the equally glamourous Gemma (who I had in my sights all the way around the course!) chatted and smiled when we eventually caught up with her, cool as a cucumber!

I was tickled pink to be running the route with one of my oldest friends Emma. Emma and I have been friends since we were babies; our mums were friends, having been in hospital together having Kate, and Emma's brother Paul on the same day. It felt all the more poignant to be accompanied by Emma for this race as her mum Polly lost her fight with cancer just last year. As we ran the route we spoke about when they met and how they lost touch for a year before meeting up again after the births of their second babies - both called Emma and born just days apart!
We felt that our lovely mums were looking down on us, ensuring the weather stayed fine for us all, as well as laughing at our continuous gossiping around the route!!

The 'Emma-Gemma-Emma' running combo cross the finish line

It seems that Katy may have some competition.....as Kate is taking after Dad with her ability to "run Forrest run!" as she stormed around the route in a cracking time of 23.43 mins......!!  Dad was delighted to be able to inform Kate that she is almost as fast as him now - now in his sixties and having just had an operation on his knee!

Well done ladies, we all had a fantastic evening with lots of giggles and just a little bit of sweat!!

Emma x
21st June 2012