The Southerns XC - 27 January 2007
HOLKHAM Hall, just up the road from Wells-next-the-Sea, in north Norfolk, was the brand new venue for the 2007 Saucony Cross-Country Championships. It was a long, 218-mile journey for Stubbington Green Runners & AC, but the superb setting, challenging course, and excellent weather certainly made the trip worthwhile.
Stubbington's Chris Vernon worked extremely hard and pulled out all the stops to ensure that the course was worthy of its championship status, and that it provided runners with a challenging test. And, after walking the course a number of times in the lead up to the event, he somehow managed to drag himself round it another three times during the race!
The course included a mixture of flat terrain that took the field out around a large lake and back, plus a number of long climbs and descents on the huge grassy area in front of the imposing Holkham Hall. Conditions underfoot were pretty good, although the hard, uneven ground did result in sore feet and blisters for many of the 1,538 competitors who competed in the 10 male and female age-group races.
The senior mens' race, run over 15km, was a close fought battle between the 2005 Southern Cross-Country Champion, Huw Lobb, of Bedford & County AC, and P Wicks of Belgrave Harriers. Wicks just managed to get the better of Lobb in the final 400 metre downhill sprint to the finish, crossing the line in an impressive time of 45 minutes 55 seconds, with Lobb recording 46.11. D Bannister of Shaftsbury Barnet Harriers took third place in 46.46. There were 553 finishers.
In the six-man team event, Bedford & County AC ran away with the title (68 points), ahead of Newham & Essex Beagles AC (92 points) and Shaftsbury Barnet Harriers (134 points). From a local perspective, Southampton Running Club finished in 16th place (1129 points) and Stubbington finished 25th (1525 points).
Louise Damen was the winner of the 8km senior ladies' race. The Poole Runners' athlete put her disappointment at being disqualified at the Hampshire Cross-Country Championships, at the beginning of January, firmly behind her, and followed up her victory at the Stubbington 10k, by winning the Southern Cross-Country title. She was a comfortable winner in a time of 28 minutes 19 seconds, with S Bush of Aldershot, Farnham & District, finishing in second (28.53), and V Webster, of Shaftsbury Barnet Harriers placing third (29.04). There were 203 finishers.
Winchester & District AC won the senior ladies title (68 points), Blackheath & Bromley Harriers were second (129 points), and Ranleagh Harriers were third (140 points).
Becki Gough, a former Stubbington Green Runners & AC junior member, had an excellent run in the under-17 womens' race, finishing in third place for Team Southampton, in a time of 18 minutes 2 seconds. Aldershot, Farnham & District's Charlotte Purdue was first (17.13) and Alexander High, also Aldershot, was second (17.51). There were 85 finishers. AFD were clear winners (31 points), Reading AC finished 2nd (164) and Nene Valley Harriers were 3rd (173 points).
Make sure you don't miss the March issue of The Green Runner for the full story (plus results) of the 13 intrepid runners from Stubbington who headed north to run in the southerns.