Hampshire Cross Country Championships
SUPER Penny Forse captured the Veteran’s 55 age group title at the Hampshire Cross Country Championships.
The showpiece event to the county cross country season returned to Dibden Inclosure on the New Forest after a three-year absence.
About 690 athletes entered the championships which took place on a day that saw some showers but started and ended in sunshine.
Penny has been running consistently well over the cross country this winter. She pulled out another fine performance in the women’s race staged over an 8km course by finishing 29th in a time of 34min 30sec, and so claiming the Vet55 prize.
She was also Stubbington’s first scorer as the club’s ladies team finished 11th behind soaraway winners Winchester & District AC who achieved a one-two-three. British international Louise Damen won the race in a time of 27min 44sec.
Stubbington’s Susie MacGregor was 39th in 36.20 for fifth in the Vet35 category, followed by young Lucy May who enjoyed a fine run with 46th spot in 37.36. Margie Pritchard placed 51st (38.37) and was the fourth scorer from a field of 80 runners.
One of Penny’s former charges, and ex-Stubbington runner, Becky Gough, came third in the women’s under-20s race. Now running for Winchester & District AC, Becky finished behind winner Emma Pallant from Aldershot, Farnham & District over the 6.1km course.
In the men’s race, staged over an 11.7km course, Guernsey’s Lee Merrien came out on top ahead of Winchester & District AC’s John Beattie, winning by just 13 seconds. In a field of 164 runners, Tor Duffin was the first Stubby to finish in 49th place with 42min 56sec, just 10 seconds ahead of 50th placed Andy Simpson.
Ray Gunner was not far adrift of the duo in 60th spot in 44.18, followed by three Stubbies who crossed the line in close order. Gordon Westley was 113th (51.06), just ahead of Daniel Gueran in 114th (51.09) with dad John Gueran 115th in 51.19. John was the sixth and final Stubby to count in the team, as the club finished 13th behind winners Winchester. Stubbington’s veterans’ team of Ray, John, Phil and Tim were 10th in a category won by Aldershot, Farnham & District.
The middle order was congested with Greens because within 100 metres of them Chris Munro crossed in 118th (51.36) two seconds ahead of Phil May in 119th.
Cross country captain, Tim Crumpton, still struggling with the winter lurgy, coughed his way round in 130th (53.15), Nick Crane 143rd (55.08) and Stubbington’s Spanish ambassador John Tussler placed 153rd (57.42).