Hants XC, Ashe Meadow
THE Hampshire Cross Country League campaign headed for Ashe Meadow in Overton for the third race of the winter series.
Conditions were much drier than last year making the three-lap course, with obligatory hills, excellent. The weather was bright with a cold wind. Unfortunately, the weather turned for the worse just after the men’s race and everyone got thoroughly soaked.
Mike Bell said: “Tim Crumpton had kindly brought along a gerry can of warm water for us to wash off the mud, but fortunately there wasn’t any, although the box of chocolate Heroes he also had went down a treat!”
It was the ladies who had a field day in Overton, with Penny Forse leading home the five-strong Stubbington contingent in 32nd place, closely followed by Susie MacGregor in 35th. Margie Pritchard was the third and final scorer in 57th spot, with Lucy May hard on her heels in 59th and Heather Bowers coming home in 78th position.
For the men, Ray Gunner was the highest placed Stubby in 44th, cross country captain Tim Crumpton came 118th and Malcolm Lavery took 140th spot just ahead of Mike Bell in 141st, and with John Gueran just a few yards behind in 146th. Stubbies packed well with Gordon Westley 149th, Steve Martin 150th and the photogenic Phil May in 157th.
As a reminder, the deadline for entering the Hampshire Cross Country Championships falls later this week. The event takes place at Dibden Inclosure in the New Forest on January 5th.
If you would like to enter, please do so right now as the deadline for postal entries is December 8th. Entry forms can be found by clicking this link: http://www.athletics.hampshire.org.uk/events/xcc08.html ).
Otherwise please contact Tim Crumpton timothy.crumpton@ntlworld.com and he will enter for you. The cost is £4.
Tim would also like to know if any Stubbies would be interested in running the Southern Counties Cross Country Championships at Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath, North London on January 26th. Chip timing will be used for the first time.
If you are interested in running, then please contact Tim.