The Liverpool Cross Challenge wasn’t the only muddy event taking place in the UK this week
The main focus of the weekend was the Liverpool Cross Challenge at Sefton Park, you can follow our coverage of that match herewhere winners included Kate Axford, Tomer Tarragano, Innes Fitzgerald and Henry Dover.
Elsewhere, several events took place in the UK, although Hurricane Bert made conditions difficult for organisers.
SOUTH OF THAMES CROSSCRANE ASSOCIATION 5 Mile Team Race, West Horsley, Surrey, 23 November
The men’s race was dominated by Belgrave Harriers with their Mc Downe leading the club in a one-two-three as former multiple champion Phil Weeks finished second and Georgie Bruinwells recorded her sixth women’s victory in Association events.
Hosts Guildford & Godalming have found a new course for home fitters just 10 minutes down the A25 from their once regular Farthing Corner site here at West Horsley Place.
The Grade I listed medieval Manor House has provided a suitable backdrop for competing clubs since their association dates back to 1888 with the opening of two events on the south side of the Thames.
Clubs north of the Thames tried to join but were refused and so formed their own association, but their league is unlikely to be played this year as no club is currently willing to host the event.
This five mile is now listed as a “Team Race” and was originally called a “Junior” race and had barriers for better runners who were disqualified if they or their team passed certain criteria in other championship events since 2004 is for runners from all clubs headquartered south of the River Thames.
Heavy rain and gale-force winds from Hurricane Bert promised runners, and the course proved to be more slippery than muddy.
Bruinwells has now won four individual titles in this 5-mile “team race” and two in the 7.5-mile premiership he won last year.
It is 10 years since the Aldershot W35 won its first title in this event, with further wins in 2017 and 2022.
Here the gold medal was again relatively easily won by just over a minute over Belgrave’s Emily Bradley, and it was they who added the women’s team title to their men’s team, with Kent AC second.
Mac Downey leads Belgrave to victory (Mike Boucher)
Belgrave led Kent, last year’s team winners, in the men’s race with Downie, a former junior triathlete who moved from the Guildford club to Belgrave, home first against multiple former winner Phil Weeks.
The three Belgrave men ran together for most of the race until Downey made his break 300 meters from the line.
Now in the M40 and after overcoming serious knee problems, Weeks won this title in 2018 and made it five South of Thames titles in 2007. His last major success at national level was when he finished third in 2012 in intercity tournaments.
Here Weeks just edged out teammate Findlay Dyer in the race to the line.Kent AC took both sets of minor team medals and just topped Belgrave in the eight vs.
In a nod to the event’s previous ‘junior’ credentials, a medal was awarded to the first under-20s home and that was Aldershot’s Dylan Clarke.
Dylan Clark (Mike Boucher)
In general. 1 M Downie (Belgium) 26:33; 2 P Wicks (Belg, M40) 26:36; 3 F Dyer (Belgium) 26:37; 4 O Hind (Kent) 26:47; 5 C Dockerill (Kent) 26:57; 6 F Delgago (Kent) 27:28; 7 S Somerville (Belgium) 27:36; 8 B Babaker (Camb H) 27:48; 9 T Foster (G&G) 27:54; 10M Sprint (Kent) 28:12
M45: 1 A Harris (Kent) 29:38
M50: 1 N Terle (G&G) 31:52
M55: 1 T Booth (G&G) 29:51
M60: 1 I Acreman (G&G) 32:06; 2 M Tennyson (G&G) 32;27
M65: 1 S Bean (E&E) 35:19; 2 S Smythe (Dulw R) 38;38
M70: 1 H Balfour (Dulw R) 40:22; 2 A Catton (Ilf, gst) 41;15
M75: 1 M Mann (Dulw R) 42:38; 2 G Newton (B’mth) 44;10
U20: 1 D Clarke (AFD) 29:01
TEAM (to score 4 goals): 1 Belgrave 13; 2 Kent 25; 3 Kent B 65; 4 Belgrave B 80; 5 Guildford & Godalming 90; 6 Cambridge H 93
TEAM (8 goals). 1 Kent 90; 2 Belgrave 93; 3 Guildford & G 322
Women. 1 G Bruinvels (AFD, W35) 30:21; 2 E Bradley (Belgium) 31:25; 2 E Robbins (Belgium) 32:02; 4 Aherne (Kent) 32:27; 5 H Preedy (AFD) 32:47; 6 E Harrison & G&G) 32:59
W40: 1 W Cartwright (Kent) 34:03
W45: 1 M James (S Lawn) 33:35
W55: 1 S McDonald (S Lon) 35:10; 2 R Hutton (S Lon) 37:13
W60: 1 S Harrison (G&G) 38:03; 2 A Norris (Dulw R) 39:10
W65: 1 P Iannella (S Lon) 40:23
W70: 1 M Statham-Berry (Ling) 42;30
TEAM (to score 4 goals): 1 Belgrave 23; 2 Kent 43; 3 G&G 73; 4 S London 80; 5 Dulwich R 107; 6 Dorking & Mole V 123
KENTY LEAGUE, Swanley, 23 November
The senior men skipped the event this time, so the focus was on the women and younger athletes, although the over-70 vets got a chance to race and John Tolhurst took them home.
Chloe Sharp took a comfortable win in the women’s race, coming home by 50 seconds for Blackheath and Bromley team-mate Millie Smith, the third win for a Blackheath and Bromley runner in the Kent League this autumn.
M70 But. 1 J Tolhurst (Padd W) 26:34; 2 A Newman (Ton) 27:30; 3 S Briggs (Orp) 28:47
U20 Men. 1 H Kelk (Inv EK, U17) 27:07; 2 O Buck (Camb H, U17) 17:13; 3 F Shepherd (M&M) 5:17 p.m
U17: 3 V Batchelor (holiday) 17:30
U20 TEAM. 1 Blackheath and Bromley 6 p.m
U17 TEAM. 1 Tonbridge 12:00 p.m
U15: 1 Jay Shaw (B&B) 14:48; 2 C Warren (Ton) 14:50; 3 D Horgan (B&B) 14:57
TEAM: 1 Blackheath and Bromley 8
U13: 1 G Bowers (Padd W) 11:09; 2 E Aldridge &B&B) 11:12; 3 J Dinage (Weld Tree) 11:02
TEAM: 1 Tonbridge 25:00
Women (about 5 million). 1 C Sharp (B&B) 30:56; 2 M Smith (B&B) 31;46; 3 E Nash (Tun W) 32:49; 4 A Seager (Inv EK) 32:57; 5 A Karlson (Tun W) 33:08
W45: 1 J Butler (B&B) 34:04
W55: 1 T Taylor (Tun W) 37:28
TEAM: 1 Blackheath and Bromley 9
W65 (about 4M). 1 J Lenton (Orp) 26:31; 2 M Bradshaw (Toon W) 26:49
U20: 1 H Diprose (S’oaks, U17) 20:28; 2 E Tynan (Camb H, U17) 20:41; 3 N Mossi (B&B, U17) 20:58
TEAM: 1 Blackheath and Bromley 5 p.m
U17 TEAM. 1 Blackheath and Bromley 5 p.m
U15: 1 S Richmond (Weald Tree) 15:48; 2 A McDonough (B&B) 16:34; 3 S Mossi (B&B) 16:41
TEAM: 1 Blackheath and Bromley 9
U13: 1 C Foster (Camb H) 11:53; 2 T Thomas (Dart) 12:07; 3 I Jenkins (B&B) 12:42
TEAM: 1 Cambridge H 13:00
START FITNESS NORTH EAST HARRIER LEAGUE, Eltringham Farm, November 23
The event was postponed due to concerns about athletes traveling to the site of Hurricane Bert, but an attempt will be made to reschedule the event in the new year.
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