50 NAVY NEWS, JULY 2007
Vince and Brian
at the double
TWO world records have
“In the latter part of the
fallen to Royal Navy
challenge, it developed into
sportsmen – and both
infl ammation and discomfort
in my right leg. But it was only
demanded great feats pain...
(and feet) of endurance.
“I am convinced this type of
Cdr Brian Meakin has entered
endurance event is as much a
the Guinness Book of Records by
mental challenge as it is a physical
running ten marathons on ten
challenge. There were days when
consecutive days.
is was really diffi cult to motivate
Each morning at 10am
myself, but once you put your
(appropriately) he set off on the
running shoes on and get out
course of Brathray Windermere
on the road life becomes quite
● Cdr Brian Meakin rests his
marathon in the Lake District,
weary legs in a Cumbrian lake
simple.”
a solitary fi gure pounding the
during his marathon world
Beyond entering the record
Cumbrian roads, until day ten
record attempt
books, Brian, who lives in Kendal,
when he was joined by 1,500 other
raised more than £2,000 for
runners for the race proper.
As for the ten-day challenge...
the Brathay Trust which helps
Brian averaged 3h 55m around
“After the initial shock of the fi rst
disadvantaged young people.
the course; he posted his fastest
couple of runs, ‘groundhog day’
The second world record fell
time on day ten, 3h 36m.
set in,” Brian explained.
to Mne ‘Vince’ Brunning of 6
And as he crossed the finishing
“This would comprise of
Assault Squadron RM in HMS
line he nudged out the previous
breakfast, a stretching session and
Albion.
record, set by world-famous
pre-run massage; run the marathon
He set a time of 6h 53m 37.8
explorer and adventurer Sir
and then into the river to cool off
in the 100km (62m) indoor row
Ranulph Fiennes who ran seven
the legs; after another massage and
as the assault ship continued her
marathons in seven days.
stretch it would be time to carbo-
Baltic deployment.
Running a marathon is
load and fi nally another stretching
In doing so, the green beret
challenging enough. Running ten
session before an 8pm bedtime.”
shaved 1m 18.2 seconds off the
marathons – 262 miles or 421
Despite his daily exertions, the
existing record in the 20-29 age
kilometres, the distance roughly
offi cer found it diffi cult to eat
group/lightweight category.
from Plymouth to Nottingham or sleep – by day his blood was Barely had the Royal recovered
or Pompey to York – is a huge diverted to his legs, leaving little from his exertions, than he
challenge, especially as the Brathray to aid digestion, by night his body promptly set the benchmark time
Windermere is recognised as one was repairing itself which caused over the same distance in the
of the toughest races in the UK. considerable aches and pains. heavyweight category: 6h 49m
“I would normally expect to run “A pattern developed: the fi rst 54.3s.
a marathon in about 3h 15m, so half of the run shook out all the There were no existing British
slowing this pace by half an hour aches and pains of the previous records in either category for this
or so seemed a sensible approach,” day and the second half of the age group – and no world record
said Brian who works on the run became quite enjoyable as the for the heavyweight category.
Future Carrier IPT team. endorphins – or it could have been ‘Vince’ wasn’t the only member
“I ran in the London marathon the painkillers – kicked in,” Brian of Albion’s crew found on the
in April as part of my training and added. rowing machines; 177 sailors and
only managed to beat four hours “I did however make the classic Royals rowed the distance between
by a couple of minutes. schoolboy error of starting off in Port Stanley and Plymouth in
“I was absolutely shattered after shoes that were not properly run aid of the Dame Hannah Rogers
fi nishing but still managed to go in. This caused a rather large and Trust for young people with
out the next day and run 23 miles, painful blister on one heel for the special needs, while Albion’s air
which was a great psychological fi rst few days and ever so slightly department decided they would
boost.” altered my running style. row continuously for 24 hours.
● Keep on Brunning... Shipmates and RM comrades spur Mne ‘Vince’ Brunning on to a world record in
the 100km indoor row Picture: LA(Phot) Dan Hooper, HMS Albion
Riders hold their heads high
Kart for kart’s sake
THRUXTON Kart Circuit in Hampshire hosted the third round of
the Southern Endurance Kart, writes PO Dutchy Holland, HMS
THE RN show jumping team
Excellent.
made an excellent start to this
There was a large turn-out – 25 teams in all, including the Royal
year’s military season with victory
Navy Automobile Club, represented by Teamworks under the
in the senior team competition
direction of RNAS Yeovilton’s Lt Kevin Westbrook (pictured below
over 1.05m fences at the Aldershot
racing around the circuit).
Show, writes Cdr Mark Leaning.
After practice and qualifying, the six-hour race commenced
Captained by Lt Cdr Kate Welch
with each driver taking the kart for approximately 90 minutes,
on It’s Himself, with Lt Cdr Rachel
before the compulsory driver changes and refuelling.
Firth on Cromarty, and MID Rose
Having made a promising start to the season, lying third in the
Neave on Sweet William, the RN
championship ahead of Thruxton, this was a weekend the team
A Team beat the Army Medical
wanted to forget.
Service A Team into second place
The race began with the team’s No.48 kart starting from
to take a well-deserved win.
fourteenth on the grid.
This was the fi rst team outing
The team were really struggling in the heat during the fi rst two
of the year and proved to be
and a half hours.
excellent preparation for their
They did, however, make steady progress through the fi eld
most important single event of the until a coming together (good euphemism – Ed) with another kart
season: the Royal Windsor Horse destroyed all hopes of achieving a top-ten fi nish.
Show, held a week later. The kart was taken to the paddock and stripped down, revealing
The RN fi elded a squad of a bent front stub axle and slightly twisted chassis.
nine riders in a total entry of 90 Having acquired a scaffold pole to straighten the axle and
competitors to take part in the chassis, it was ‘all hands in’ to assemble the kart – which took
1.05m Land Rover Services Team the sailors out of the race for a crucial hour.
Jumping. With the vehicle fi xed, Lt Westbrook returned to track and
The fi rst round of the competition quickly started to pick his way back through the fi eld, proving the
started at 7.15am – well before team had the pace to run near the front before the fi nish.
the crowds had arrived. By 10am After this result, round three will now become a ‘dropped points
the main arena grandstands were round’ as the season progresses.
fi lling in anticipation of the fi rst
professional class of the day and
the gathering crowd witnessed the
conclusion of the fi rst round of the
Service competition with the RN
● The horse of Windsor... With their distinctive Senior Service saddles, the RN A Team (l-r) Lt Cdr Kate
B team fi fth on four faults and the
Welch, Mid Rose Neave and Lt Cdr Rachel Firth at the Royal Windsor Horse Show
RN A team sixth with six faults.
The participating riders then the A Team in the lead with fi ve B Team who, with a fi nal score of Cavalry MR A.
had to wait until late afternoon riders left to jump. seven faults, fell behind RN A. From the RN perspective, the
before forming up in column by Next up was Lt Beth Leckey on All eyes were then on the fi nal A Team fi nished second in the
teams to parade around the main Tiger’s Eye; she was riding with Lt three riders whose teams had each Queen’s Plate and fourth overall,
arena in front of the Queen. Cdr Alasdair Peppe on George and fi nished the fi rst round with no while the B Team fi nished third
On completion, and before a Lt Cdr Suzanne Clark on Rabbit. faults. in the Queen’s Plate and seventh
capacity crowd of several thousand, Pushing hard for a good time It was a close-run thing as all overall.
one nominated rider from each of she had one fence down and the three went clear and it was left Although not a victory, this
the top 12 teams then took part in team fi nished with a score of eight to the clock to decide the fi nal was a strong result on the back of
the second-round jump off. faults, dropping them to seventh outcome: 1 – Kings Troop RHA victory at the Aldershot Show for
Riding for RN A team, Mid position. A, 2 – Army Medical Services A a team that practises largely in its
Neave completed an impeccable The next team rider in was (fi rst in the Queen’s Plate for un- own time and provides all its own
clear round in a good time to leave from the Defence Animal Centre mounted units), 3 – Household equipment.
0048-052_NN_Jul.indd 348-052_NN_Jul.indd 3 119/6/07 16:54:249/6/07 16:54:24
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