The 5th and final round of the Manx Gas Cross Challenge series was held last Sunday afternoon in wet and windy conditions at Douglas Golf Club, Pulrose. As is usually the case, numbers were down for the final round of the series, many competitors having already completed the required number of races to count for the series. Nevertheless, 59 hardy souls faced the starter, and there was no shortage of close and exciting racing in this Manx Harriers organised event.
First away were the Under 9s over 1 lap of the lower field, and this race was an absolute cracker. The first 3 boys and the first girl all entered the finishing straight together, and after a fantastic sprint finish Northern AC’s Jamie Garrett clinched his fourth win in a row just 1 second ahead of Conor Davies, with Patrick Cox a further 1 second behind in 3rd. Aimee Cringle took a great win in the girls race, finishing 8 seconds clear of Ruth Nathan. Series winner Danielle Barton had to settle for 3rd place this time.
The Under 11s raced over 2 laps of the lower field, and the absence of champion Will Morris gave Terence George the chance to take victory with a strong run. For the third time in a row Harvey Neale was 2nd and Owen Dudley 3rd. But ahead of all the boys was Katie Astin who just gets better and better with every race. She won the U11 Girls race by 43 seconds from Sosanna Cox, who in turn had an advantage of almost a minute over Josie McGarrigle.
Perhaps the most significant race of the day was the U13 Boys, where any one of 3 competitors still had a chance of clinching the league title. The absence of Jak Morris reduced this to a 2-way battle between Adam Young and Shaun Moore, and from the off Western AC’s Moore made his intentions clear by setting a hot pace. Unfortunately he made a slight navigational error mid-race which cost him a few seconds, but he was quickly back ahead of his Manx Harriers rival. In the closing stages the pace began to tell and it was Young who finished the stronger, coming home with 6 seconds to spare to confirm the league title ahead of Moore. Alex Price had a great run to take 3rd place and to share the bronze medal for the series with the absent Jack Garrett.
Numbers were down in most of the junior races as many competitors had taken part in the Merseyside Schools Cross Country championships on the Wirral the previous day – although several did compete in both events. Among these was Sarah Astin, who followed her gold medal at Arrowe Park on Saturday with another superb run in the U15 Girls. She finished almost 2 minutes ahead of Maxine Smalley who also ran well on Saturday. Sarah had a race-long battle with Nathan Pierce from the U15 Boys class, who just managed to outsprint her in the dash to the line. Pierce’s win over Alex McQuarrie in the U15 Boys race clinched victory in the series, and reversed their finishing positions on Merseyside the previous day.
Following her Merseyside silver medal, Gemma Astin elected to compete in the Short Course race over 2 full laps to test herself against competitors from different categories. She spent most of the race in close company with Jordan Cain before upping the pace and pulling away from the U17 Men’s class winner in the closing stages.
Other winners in the junior age group categories were Alexandra Ross (U13 Girls) and Bronwen Kaneen (U17 Ladies).
The absence of many regulars actually helped to turn the 4-lap Senior/Veteran Men’s race into a classic. Nigel Armstrong, Gianni Epifani and Ed Gumbley were never more than a couple of strides apart on the first two laps, but in the early stages of lap 3 Epifani dropped off the pace a little, turning the contest into a two-horse race.
Gumbley had prepared for the race with a 16-mile training session the previous day whilst Armstrong had spent most of the previous 10 days lying on a Caribbean beach. Both approaches seemed to have been equally effective as they launched into a furious sprint finish at the end of the 4th and final lap. At the line, Gumbley had the edge by no more than half a stride, both athletes being given the same time.
Epifani took 3rd place 46 seconds in arrears, whilst some way behind him the top 6 were completed by Christian Varley (making his first appearance of the season), top race walker Peter Kaneen and the consistent James Broughton. There were some very praiseworthy efforts further down the field, none more so than that of Robbie Lambden. He has performed with great determination all winter, and here produced his best run of the season over 4 testing laps of the course.
Sarah Nelson was the convincing winner of the Ladies race, finishing almost 4 minutes clear of Janette Gledhill who has been a most welcome newcomer to cross country this winter. Ann Cain took 3rd place, which also confirmed a 3rd place finish for her in the series.
Grateful thanks are due to all the officials and helpers for their efforts on a most unpleasant wet, windy and cold day. Thanks also go to Douglas Corporation, Pulrose Football Club and Douglas Golf Club for the use of the course and facilities.
This is the end of domestic cross country for this season, and it has been another successful and well-supported series despite ongoing administrative problems. The date and venue for the Prize Presentation for both the Manx Gas Cross Challenge and the IOM Cross Country Championships will be confirmed shortly.
Thursday 7 February 2008
Tuesday 5 February 2008
Mersey Marvels!
We really have just had a big weekend for local cross country runners. The final round of the Manx Gas Cross Challenge took place at Pulrose on Sunday, but the previous day a party of 19 athletes travelled to Arrowe Park on the Wirral to take part in the Merseyside Schools Cross Country championships.
A summary of individual performances is as follows:
Year 7 Girls (38 competitors)
5th - Alice Ashe
Year 8 & 9 Girls (43 competitors)
1st - Sarah Astin
3rd - Hannah Scarlett
19th - Maxine Smalley
Year 10 & 11 Girls (25 competitors)
2nd - Gemma Astin
9th - Rachael Franklin
11th - Rachael Johnstone
23rd - Leanne Garrett
(Team finished 4th)
Year 8 & 9 Boys (35 competitors)
8th - Nicholas Colburn
10th - Alex McQuarrie
13th - Nathan Pierce
15th - Anand Patel
26th - Jack Garrett
(Team finished 2nd)
Year 10 & 11 Boys (41 competitors)
13th - Michael Cherry
15th - Andrew Crennell
18th - Tom Kelly
33rd - Jamie Heaney
(team finished 5th)
Year 11 & 12 Boys (14 competitors)
4th - Louis Morris
5th - Sam Brand
There were obviously some terrific performances from the Isle of Man Schools runners, with yet another gold medal for Sarah Astin and a silver for Gemma Astin. However from looking through the results, my choice as the performance of the day would be Hannah Scarlett's brilliant 3rd place out of 43 in the Year 8 & 9 Girls race. Hannah has improved hugely this winter and I was most impressed with the way she ran in last month's Lancashire Championships. This was undoubtedly her best performance yet, and it will be interesting to see how she goes in the middle distance events on the track this summer. The course on Saturday was very short for the age group with a winning time of under 8 minutes, so this would suggest that Hannah has a lot of potential as a 1500m runner.
Excellent performances too from Louis Morris and Sam Brand in the Senior boys race. It would be good to see more of them both on the local athletics scene - they are rarely seen at local events these days.
No doubt several of the team will be receiving invitations to represent Merseyside Schools in the English Schools Championships on 8th March. This year's event is at Sefton Park in Liverpool, so it's within easy reach for the Isle of Man athletes. Let's hope plenty of them are selected!
A summary of individual performances is as follows:
Year 7 Girls (38 competitors)
5th - Alice Ashe
Year 8 & 9 Girls (43 competitors)
1st - Sarah Astin
3rd - Hannah Scarlett
19th - Maxine Smalley
Year 10 & 11 Girls (25 competitors)
2nd - Gemma Astin
9th - Rachael Franklin
11th - Rachael Johnstone
23rd - Leanne Garrett
(Team finished 4th)
Year 8 & 9 Boys (35 competitors)
8th - Nicholas Colburn
10th - Alex McQuarrie
13th - Nathan Pierce
15th - Anand Patel
26th - Jack Garrett
(Team finished 2nd)
Year 10 & 11 Boys (41 competitors)
13th - Michael Cherry
15th - Andrew Crennell
18th - Tom Kelly
33rd - Jamie Heaney
(team finished 5th)
Year 11 & 12 Boys (14 competitors)
4th - Louis Morris
5th - Sam Brand
There were obviously some terrific performances from the Isle of Man Schools runners, with yet another gold medal for Sarah Astin and a silver for Gemma Astin. However from looking through the results, my choice as the performance of the day would be Hannah Scarlett's brilliant 3rd place out of 43 in the Year 8 & 9 Girls race. Hannah has improved hugely this winter and I was most impressed with the way she ran in last month's Lancashire Championships. This was undoubtedly her best performance yet, and it will be interesting to see how she goes in the middle distance events on the track this summer. The course on Saturday was very short for the age group with a winning time of under 8 minutes, so this would suggest that Hannah has a lot of potential as a 1500m runner.
Excellent performances too from Louis Morris and Sam Brand in the Senior boys race. It would be good to see more of them both on the local athletics scene - they are rarely seen at local events these days.
No doubt several of the team will be receiving invitations to represent Merseyside Schools in the English Schools Championships on 8th March. This year's event is at Sefton Park in Liverpool, so it's within easy reach for the Isle of Man athletes. Let's hope plenty of them are selected!
Sunday 27 January 2008
Champions!!
The recent Cross Country Championship event at Crossags was also Round 4 of the Manx Gas Cross Challenge series. The double points awarded for this round has helped to decide many of the Cross Challenge league titles for the season. I have asked Graham to post the full league tables on http://www.iomathletics.co.uk/ in the next couple of days (I can't format them here or on the Manx Athletics forum). But a summary of the medals already clinched is as follows:
Senior/Vet Men (does not yet include Vet age group splits)
Gold - John Halligan
Silver - Kevin Loundes
Senior/Vet Ladies (does not yet include Vet age group splits)
Gold - Gail Griffiths
Silver - Sarah Nelson
Junior Men
Gold - Ryan Fairclough
Under 17 Men
Gold - Tom Richmond
Under 17 Ladies
Gold - Gemma Astin
Silver - Rachael Franklin
Under 15 Girls
Gold - Sarah Astin
Silver - Hannah Scarlett
Under 13 Girls
Gold - Alice Ashe
Silver - Alexandra Ross
Under 11 Boys
Gold - Will Morris
Silver - Harvey Neale
Under 11 Girls
Gold - Katie Astin
Silver - Rebecca Nathan
Under 9 Boys
Gold - Jamie Garrett
Silver - Patrick Cox
Bronze - Conor Davies
Under 9 Girls
Gold - Danielle Barton
Silver - Aimee Cringle
Short Course
Gold - Conor Delanbanque
Silver - Michael Haslett
The most exciting race of the final round is sure to be the Under 13 Boys, with Adam Young, Shaun Moore and Jak Morris all still in with a chance of winning the title. Should be good!!
Senior/Vet Men (does not yet include Vet age group splits)
Gold - John Halligan
Silver - Kevin Loundes
Senior/Vet Ladies (does not yet include Vet age group splits)
Gold - Gail Griffiths
Silver - Sarah Nelson
Junior Men
Gold - Ryan Fairclough
Under 17 Men
Gold - Tom Richmond
Under 17 Ladies
Gold - Gemma Astin
Silver - Rachael Franklin
Under 15 Girls
Gold - Sarah Astin
Silver - Hannah Scarlett
Under 13 Girls
Gold - Alice Ashe
Silver - Alexandra Ross
Under 11 Boys
Gold - Will Morris
Silver - Harvey Neale
Under 11 Girls
Gold - Katie Astin
Silver - Rebecca Nathan
Under 9 Boys
Gold - Jamie Garrett
Silver - Patrick Cox
Bronze - Conor Davies
Under 9 Girls
Gold - Danielle Barton
Silver - Aimee Cringle
Short Course
Gold - Conor Delanbanque
Silver - Michael Haslett
The most exciting race of the final round is sure to be the Under 13 Boys, with Adam Young, Shaun Moore and Jak Morris all still in with a chance of winning the title. Should be good!!
Thursday 24 January 2008
Report from X-C Championships at Crossags
The Isle of Man Cross Country Championships were held at Crossags Farm in Ramsey last Sunday afternoon in the most testing conditions that many of the competitors had ever encountered. The persistent heavy rain of the previous week had turned much of the course into a swamp, with the steep downhill sections through the upper fields being especially slippy and treacherous. There were lots of high-speed slides and several muddy tumbles during an afternoon that was much more fun for spectators than it was for competitors!
Despite the atrocious conditions, a very healthy total of 105 competitors took part in the event which also formed Round 4 of the Manx Gas Cross Challenge series. Several were no doubt enticed by the incentive of the double points on offer for this round of the league.
First race away was the event for U9s over 2 laps of the bottom field. Jamie Garrett out-sprinted Patrick Cox to take a narrow win in the boys’ race, with Conor Davies taking 3rd. Danielle Barton produced another fine run to take the win in the girls race by 7 seconds from Aimee Cringle, who in turn had a 9-second advantage over Ruth Nathan.
In the U11 race over 3 laps of the bottom field, Will Morris was in a class of his own. The highly promising Western AC athlete ran superbly to win the boys’ race by 35 seconds from Harvey Neale who finished 6 seconds ahead of Owen Dudley. In the girls’ race, victory went to Katie Astin who judged the pace perfectly. She started steadily, and then upped the pace to overhaul her Manx Harriers team-mates Sosanna Cox and Rebecca Nathan who completed the medal positions.
The U13 races covered one full lap of the main circuit, and the boys’ race was a cracker. Jak Morris and Shaun Moore had an epic tussle all the way round the lap and were neck and neck with the finish in sight, but Morris showed great finishing speed to cross the line a few metres in front. The ever-consistent Moore has been 3rd twice and 2nd twice so far this season but his day will surely come. Alex Price continued his excellent form this season to take 3rd just 6 seconds further back.
Alice Ashe was the convincing winner of the U13G race, with a 34-second advantage over talented all-rounder Alexandra Ross. Newcomer Phoebe Cross made a most impressive debut to finish 3rd.
The U15B, U15G and U17L classes all competed together over the same distance, and this led to some superb racing. In the U15B race, Nathan Pierce and Tom Kelly showed what promising athletes they are with very classy runs. Western AC’s Pierce just beat his Manx Harriers rival to the line in a sprint finish, with Alex McQuarrie also running very well to take 3rd.
But not far behind Pierce and Kelly, one of the highlights of the day was a fascinating duel between the Astin sisters Gemma and Sarah. It is unusual for the U17L and U15G classes to race over the same distance, and this allowed them a rare opportunity for a head-to-head contest. Gemma initially led by 20 metres or so, but Sarah soon closed up onto her elder sister’s shoulder where she stayed throughout the race. The newly crowned Lancashire U15G champion tried everything to get ahead on the sprint to the line, but Gemma just managed to hang on. Rachael Franklin produced probably her best performance of the season to finish 2nd in the U17L race, almost 2 minutes ahead of Bronwen Kaneen in 3rd. Hannah Scarlett and Maxine Smalley took 2nd and 3rd in the U15G race, both running extremely well.
All other categories started together in the showpiece event of the day. There was some confusion ahead of the men’s race over the decision to add an extra lap to the Senior race whilst retaining the usual 3-lap distance for the Vets aged 40 and over.
Darren Gray and Gianni Epifani were the early leaders of the Senior Men’s race whilst John Halligan, champion for the past 2 seasons, was keeping a characteristic watching brief in around 6th place. But by lap 2 it was Kevin Loundes and Halligan who emerged some 10 seconds clear of the pack as they slithered their way around the fields. The two Island Games team-mates were still together going into the 3rd lap, but it was on the steeply uphill section on this lap that Halligan made his move and opened up a 10-second advantage that had grown to over 15 seconds by the end of the lap. As Halligan eased the pace slightly on the 4th and final lap, Loundes attacked again with a most impressive finish but it was not enough to prevent Halligan wrapping up his third successive title by a margin of 12 seconds. Nigel Armstrong ran brilliantly to take 3rd just 15 seconds further back, all the more impressive after covering a huge amount of mileage in training during the previous week. Gianni Epifani, Ed Gumbley and Darren Gray all found the going extremely tough but stuck to their task admirably to complete the top 6.
Andy Fox was a convincing winner of the 3-lap veteran’s race, his cause made a little more comfortable by the retirement of Russell Collister on lap 1 with an ankle injury. Peter Kaneen and Phil Cain completed the top 3, with other age group wins going to James Bishop and Peter Cooper.
Cal Partington made a most welcome return to cross country after a 2 year absence, and was a comfortable winner of the ladies’ title. She established a 20-second lead over Gail Griffiths on the first of 2 laps, who in turn was a further 20 seconds ahead of regular rival Sarah Nelson. On the early part of lap 2, Partington continued to extend her advantage, before a typically determined finish by Griffiths saw her narrow the gap slightly in the closing stages, the final margin being 33 seconds. Sarah Nelson took the bronze medal a further 52 seconds back, whilst in 4th place there was an encouraging cross country debut by newcomer Victoria Jacobsen.
Ryan Fairclough showed excellent endurance to win the Junior Men’s title, and was well up amongst some of the leading Senior Men throughout his 3 laps. This was a particularly good effort after playing 90 minutes football for Ramsey’s Combination team in heavy conditions the previous day, and will stand him in good stead for his debut in the English National Cross Country Championships next month.
Sam Brand marked his first cross country appearance of the season with a fine win in the U17M race over 2 laps. He initially led the entire field including the Senior Men, before settling into a more sensible rhythm. He finished just over a minute clear of Tom Richmond, with Jordan Cain taking 3rd place a further 30 seconds behind.
The Short Course race was not part of the Island Championships although as usual it did form part of the Cross Challenge series. Conor Delanbanque won by 15 seconds from his fellow track specialist Michael Haslett, with Eric Lee completing the top 3 some way in arrears.
Many thanks go to all involved with Northern AC and Crossags Farm for hosting their second event of the season, and to all officials and helpers. The 5th and final round of the Manx Gas Cross Challenge series takes place on Sunday 3rd February and will be hosted by Manx Harriers at Pulrose Golf Course. Sign on from 1pm for a 2pm start. All are welcome.
Despite the atrocious conditions, a very healthy total of 105 competitors took part in the event which also formed Round 4 of the Manx Gas Cross Challenge series. Several were no doubt enticed by the incentive of the double points on offer for this round of the league.
First race away was the event for U9s over 2 laps of the bottom field. Jamie Garrett out-sprinted Patrick Cox to take a narrow win in the boys’ race, with Conor Davies taking 3rd. Danielle Barton produced another fine run to take the win in the girls race by 7 seconds from Aimee Cringle, who in turn had a 9-second advantage over Ruth Nathan.
In the U11 race over 3 laps of the bottom field, Will Morris was in a class of his own. The highly promising Western AC athlete ran superbly to win the boys’ race by 35 seconds from Harvey Neale who finished 6 seconds ahead of Owen Dudley. In the girls’ race, victory went to Katie Astin who judged the pace perfectly. She started steadily, and then upped the pace to overhaul her Manx Harriers team-mates Sosanna Cox and Rebecca Nathan who completed the medal positions.
The U13 races covered one full lap of the main circuit, and the boys’ race was a cracker. Jak Morris and Shaun Moore had an epic tussle all the way round the lap and were neck and neck with the finish in sight, but Morris showed great finishing speed to cross the line a few metres in front. The ever-consistent Moore has been 3rd twice and 2nd twice so far this season but his day will surely come. Alex Price continued his excellent form this season to take 3rd just 6 seconds further back.
Alice Ashe was the convincing winner of the U13G race, with a 34-second advantage over talented all-rounder Alexandra Ross. Newcomer Phoebe Cross made a most impressive debut to finish 3rd.
The U15B, U15G and U17L classes all competed together over the same distance, and this led to some superb racing. In the U15B race, Nathan Pierce and Tom Kelly showed what promising athletes they are with very classy runs. Western AC’s Pierce just beat his Manx Harriers rival to the line in a sprint finish, with Alex McQuarrie also running very well to take 3rd.
But not far behind Pierce and Kelly, one of the highlights of the day was a fascinating duel between the Astin sisters Gemma and Sarah. It is unusual for the U17L and U15G classes to race over the same distance, and this allowed them a rare opportunity for a head-to-head contest. Gemma initially led by 20 metres or so, but Sarah soon closed up onto her elder sister’s shoulder where she stayed throughout the race. The newly crowned Lancashire U15G champion tried everything to get ahead on the sprint to the line, but Gemma just managed to hang on. Rachael Franklin produced probably her best performance of the season to finish 2nd in the U17L race, almost 2 minutes ahead of Bronwen Kaneen in 3rd. Hannah Scarlett and Maxine Smalley took 2nd and 3rd in the U15G race, both running extremely well.
All other categories started together in the showpiece event of the day. There was some confusion ahead of the men’s race over the decision to add an extra lap to the Senior race whilst retaining the usual 3-lap distance for the Vets aged 40 and over.
Darren Gray and Gianni Epifani were the early leaders of the Senior Men’s race whilst John Halligan, champion for the past 2 seasons, was keeping a characteristic watching brief in around 6th place. But by lap 2 it was Kevin Loundes and Halligan who emerged some 10 seconds clear of the pack as they slithered their way around the fields. The two Island Games team-mates were still together going into the 3rd lap, but it was on the steeply uphill section on this lap that Halligan made his move and opened up a 10-second advantage that had grown to over 15 seconds by the end of the lap. As Halligan eased the pace slightly on the 4th and final lap, Loundes attacked again with a most impressive finish but it was not enough to prevent Halligan wrapping up his third successive title by a margin of 12 seconds. Nigel Armstrong ran brilliantly to take 3rd just 15 seconds further back, all the more impressive after covering a huge amount of mileage in training during the previous week. Gianni Epifani, Ed Gumbley and Darren Gray all found the going extremely tough but stuck to their task admirably to complete the top 6.
Andy Fox was a convincing winner of the 3-lap veteran’s race, his cause made a little more comfortable by the retirement of Russell Collister on lap 1 with an ankle injury. Peter Kaneen and Phil Cain completed the top 3, with other age group wins going to James Bishop and Peter Cooper.
Cal Partington made a most welcome return to cross country after a 2 year absence, and was a comfortable winner of the ladies’ title. She established a 20-second lead over Gail Griffiths on the first of 2 laps, who in turn was a further 20 seconds ahead of regular rival Sarah Nelson. On the early part of lap 2, Partington continued to extend her advantage, before a typically determined finish by Griffiths saw her narrow the gap slightly in the closing stages, the final margin being 33 seconds. Sarah Nelson took the bronze medal a further 52 seconds back, whilst in 4th place there was an encouraging cross country debut by newcomer Victoria Jacobsen.
Ryan Fairclough showed excellent endurance to win the Junior Men’s title, and was well up amongst some of the leading Senior Men throughout his 3 laps. This was a particularly good effort after playing 90 minutes football for Ramsey’s Combination team in heavy conditions the previous day, and will stand him in good stead for his debut in the English National Cross Country Championships next month.
Sam Brand marked his first cross country appearance of the season with a fine win in the U17M race over 2 laps. He initially led the entire field including the Senior Men, before settling into a more sensible rhythm. He finished just over a minute clear of Tom Richmond, with Jordan Cain taking 3rd place a further 30 seconds behind.
The Short Course race was not part of the Island Championships although as usual it did form part of the Cross Challenge series. Conor Delanbanque won by 15 seconds from his fellow track specialist Michael Haslett, with Eric Lee completing the top 3 some way in arrears.
Many thanks go to all involved with Northern AC and Crossags Farm for hosting their second event of the season, and to all officials and helpers. The 5th and final round of the Manx Gas Cross Challenge series takes place on Sunday 3rd February and will be hosted by Manx Harriers at Pulrose Golf Course. Sign on from 1pm for a 2pm start. All are welcome.
Tuesday 22 January 2008
Cross Challenge - league situation with 1 round left
The double points awarded for results in last Sunday's 4th round of the league have had a dramatic effect on the league situation going into the 5th and final round on Sunday 3rd February at Pulrose Golf Course. Detailed league tables will be posted in the next few days, but I can confirm a few things now.
The following competitors have now completed enough rounds to qualify for the league (but in many cases could improve their final league position with a good result in the last round):
John Halligan SM
Kevin Loundes SM
Ed Gumbley SM
Darren Gray SM
Paul Lewthwaite SM
Robbie Lambden SM
Nigel Armstrong V35
Gianni Epifani V35
James Broughton V35
Lewis Veale V35
Barry Moore V35
Andy Fox V45
Peter Kaneen V45
Phil Cain V50
Dave Newton V50
Peter Cooper V55
Ian Callister V50
Les Brown V55
Garry Ross V45
Alan Pilling V55
Doug Corkill V55
Gail Griffiths VL40
Sarah Nelson SL
Ann Cain VL45
Ryan Fairclough JM
Tom Richmond U17M
Jordan Cain U17M
Jack Leece U17M
Gemma Astin U17L
Rachael Franklin U17L
Leanne Garrett U17L
Sarah Astin U15G
Hannah Scarlett U15G
Maxine Smalley U15G
Polly Rogerson U15G
Penny Crookshank U15G
Adam Young U13B
Shaun Moore U13B
Jack Garrett U13B
Alex Price U13B
Fraser Veale U13B
Jason Moore U13B
Richard Radcliffe U13B
Luke Smith U13B
Jake Nathan U13B
Jordan Lee U13B
Fergus Veale U13B
Alice Ashe U13G
Alexandra Ross U13G
Sinead Kaneen U13G
Clara Nathan U13G
Hannah Kelly U13G
Holly McGarrigle U13G
Will Morris U11B
Harvey Neale U11B
Owen Dudley U11B
Conor Caley U11B
Tom Kennaugh U11B
Grant Thomson U11B
Katie Astin U11G
Rebecca Nathan U11G
Josie McGarrigle U11G
Alicia Oates U11G
Daisy McGarrigle U11G
Jamie Garrett U9B
Patrick Cox U9B
Conor Davies U9B
Jacob Brand U9B
Lewis Kelly U9B
Danielle Barton U9G
Aimee Cringle U9G
Ruth Nathan U9G
Amy Smith U9G
Conor Delanbanque SC
Michael Haslett SC
Eric Lee SC
June Collister SC
Lucy Veale SC
The following competitors must complete the final round at Pulrose in order to qualify for the league:
Mike Garrett V35
Russell Collister V40
James Bishop V40
Mike Gellion V50
Bridget Kaneen VL40
Bronwen Kaneen U17L
Nathan Pierce U15B
Alex McQuarrie U15B
Jak Morris U13B
Stephen Garrett U13B
Nick Corlett U13B
Brandon Atchison U9B
Gary Smith SC
Those who do not appear on either of the lists above cannot now qualify for the series, but are more than welcome to compete in the final round on a course likely to be faster and much less muddy than Crossags was!!
Quite a few league titles were clinched on Sunday, but I will leave you in suspense for a few more days before revealing these! But one race that will be really exciting at Pulrose will be the Under 13 Boys, with Jak Morris, Adam Young and Shaun Moore all still in with a chance of winning the title.
The following competitors have now completed enough rounds to qualify for the league (but in many cases could improve their final league position with a good result in the last round):
John Halligan SM
Kevin Loundes SM
Ed Gumbley SM
Darren Gray SM
Paul Lewthwaite SM
Robbie Lambden SM
Nigel Armstrong V35
Gianni Epifani V35
James Broughton V35
Lewis Veale V35
Barry Moore V35
Andy Fox V45
Peter Kaneen V45
Phil Cain V50
Dave Newton V50
Peter Cooper V55
Ian Callister V50
Les Brown V55
Garry Ross V45
Alan Pilling V55
Doug Corkill V55
Gail Griffiths VL40
Sarah Nelson SL
Ann Cain VL45
Ryan Fairclough JM
Tom Richmond U17M
Jordan Cain U17M
Jack Leece U17M
Gemma Astin U17L
Rachael Franklin U17L
Leanne Garrett U17L
Sarah Astin U15G
Hannah Scarlett U15G
Maxine Smalley U15G
Polly Rogerson U15G
Penny Crookshank U15G
Adam Young U13B
Shaun Moore U13B
Jack Garrett U13B
Alex Price U13B
Fraser Veale U13B
Jason Moore U13B
Richard Radcliffe U13B
Luke Smith U13B
Jake Nathan U13B
Jordan Lee U13B
Fergus Veale U13B
Alice Ashe U13G
Alexandra Ross U13G
Sinead Kaneen U13G
Clara Nathan U13G
Hannah Kelly U13G
Holly McGarrigle U13G
Will Morris U11B
Harvey Neale U11B
Owen Dudley U11B
Conor Caley U11B
Tom Kennaugh U11B
Grant Thomson U11B
Katie Astin U11G
Rebecca Nathan U11G
Josie McGarrigle U11G
Alicia Oates U11G
Daisy McGarrigle U11G
Jamie Garrett U9B
Patrick Cox U9B
Conor Davies U9B
Jacob Brand U9B
Lewis Kelly U9B
Danielle Barton U9G
Aimee Cringle U9G
Ruth Nathan U9G
Amy Smith U9G
Conor Delanbanque SC
Michael Haslett SC
Eric Lee SC
June Collister SC
Lucy Veale SC
The following competitors must complete the final round at Pulrose in order to qualify for the league:
Mike Garrett V35
Russell Collister V40
James Bishop V40
Mike Gellion V50
Bridget Kaneen VL40
Bronwen Kaneen U17L
Nathan Pierce U15B
Alex McQuarrie U15B
Jak Morris U13B
Stephen Garrett U13B
Nick Corlett U13B
Brandon Atchison U9B
Gary Smith SC
Those who do not appear on either of the lists above cannot now qualify for the series, but are more than welcome to compete in the final round on a course likely to be faster and much less muddy than Crossags was!!
Quite a few league titles were clinched on Sunday, but I will leave you in suspense for a few more days before revealing these! But one race that will be really exciting at Pulrose will be the Under 13 Boys, with Jak Morris, Adam Young and Shaun Moore all still in with a chance of winning the title.
Saturday 12 January 2008
The next Paula Radcliffe?
Actually, I hate those sort of headlines with a passion! How many times over the years have we read about 'the next George Best' or 'the next Ian Botham'? Generally, such tags serve only to put unnecessary pressure on talented young sportsmen and women as well as often insulting the people they are alleged to be following into stardom.
But as the great Paula Radcliffe approaches what we hope will be the crowning glory of her career in Beijing later this year, there are several brilliant young talents emerging in British athletics, especially among the female ranks. Perhaps the most outstanding of them all is an 18 year old by the name of Stephanie Twell. Her name will already be familiar to those who follow the athletics scene closely after producing a string of superb performances at European and World level as a junior, both on the track and over the country. However, it's probably fair to say that she is not yet well known to the public at large. After today, that is surely about to change.
This afternoon she took part in the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross Country event which was televised live on the BBC. Although still plenty young enough to compete in the Junior Ladies race she elected to run in the Senior race, and finished 4th behind an Ethiopian and 2 Kenyans who are all among the best track and cross country runners in the world. She only just missed out on 3rd, losing out by inches in a sprint finish to Vivian Cheruiyot, the Kenyan who won the silver medal at the World Championships 5000 metres in Osaka last year. For an 18 year old this was a phenomenal performance, and she comprehensively beat all the established British seniors including Liz Yelling and Hayley Yelling.
She has talent and determination by the bucketful and can look forward to the World Cross Country Championships in March (also in Edinburgh) and the Olympics later in the year with great optimism. At the moment her specialist track event is the 1500m but I suspect it won't be too long before she becomes a world-class 5000m runner.
The future of women's athletics especially looks very healthy in Great Britain at the moment. Is there any particular reason why the women's side of the sport is presently so strong, and why so many talented youngsters have come onto the scene in recent years? In my opinion the reason is very obvious and can be summed up in 2 words: Paula Radcliffe! Paula is likely to remain the undisputed Number 1 for a little while yet, but if you don't know the name now let me remind you again of a name that you will be hearing a lot more of in the next few years - Stephanie Twell.
But as the great Paula Radcliffe approaches what we hope will be the crowning glory of her career in Beijing later this year, there are several brilliant young talents emerging in British athletics, especially among the female ranks. Perhaps the most outstanding of them all is an 18 year old by the name of Stephanie Twell. Her name will already be familiar to those who follow the athletics scene closely after producing a string of superb performances at European and World level as a junior, both on the track and over the country. However, it's probably fair to say that she is not yet well known to the public at large. After today, that is surely about to change.
This afternoon she took part in the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross Country event which was televised live on the BBC. Although still plenty young enough to compete in the Junior Ladies race she elected to run in the Senior race, and finished 4th behind an Ethiopian and 2 Kenyans who are all among the best track and cross country runners in the world. She only just missed out on 3rd, losing out by inches in a sprint finish to Vivian Cheruiyot, the Kenyan who won the silver medal at the World Championships 5000 metres in Osaka last year. For an 18 year old this was a phenomenal performance, and she comprehensively beat all the established British seniors including Liz Yelling and Hayley Yelling.
She has talent and determination by the bucketful and can look forward to the World Cross Country Championships in March (also in Edinburgh) and the Olympics later in the year with great optimism. At the moment her specialist track event is the 1500m but I suspect it won't be too long before she becomes a world-class 5000m runner.
The future of women's athletics especially looks very healthy in Great Britain at the moment. Is there any particular reason why the women's side of the sport is presently so strong, and why so many talented youngsters have come onto the scene in recent years? In my opinion the reason is very obvious and can be summed up in 2 words: Paula Radcliffe! Paula is likely to remain the undisputed Number 1 for a little while yet, but if you don't know the name now let me remind you again of a name that you will be hearing a lot more of in the next few years - Stephanie Twell.
Wednesday 9 January 2008
More from Blackburn
A few further thoughts on Manx Harriers’ trip to Blackburn for last Saturday’s Lancashire Cross Country Championship:
The weather and ground conditions were as good as could reasonably be expected at this time of year (even if Les Brown didn’t agree!). Although sticky in places, it was certainly a whole lot better than last year’s mudbath in which several runners lost shoes during their races, including Andrew Newton and Bronwen Kaneen. I don’t think any of the Manx Harriers runners had any such problems this time.
As always the Manx party was made extremely welcome by everyone at Witton Park, and many members of the squad were personally thanked by the officials for supporting the event. Our athletes certainly impressed many of the spectators round the course. The question I was asked most often during the day was who our Under 15 girl was who completely destroyed the opposition! The second most popular question was what time did we have to get up that morning to travel across.
The web coverage of this year’s event has probably been the most comprehensive ever. With Murray Lambden not running this time he was able to give his full attention to his cameras and video equipment, capturing hundreds of photos and lots of video for http://www.manxathletics.com/. Ian Astin also took many quality photos which can be accessed via the site, and I had my camcorder on the go throughout the day. I have put some of my film onto DVD and am hoping to get some of the highlights uploaded onto the website shortly.
The club’s website http://www.manxharriers.com/ has in-depth features on every Lancs Cross Country Championship since 2005 and is well worth having a look at. John Watterson tells me that the Manx Independent will be giving the event plenty of space in this week’s edition, and if you also throw in last weekend's Manx Radio coverage and the blogs written by Andy Fox and myself, the Lancs has surely had more coverage this year than ever before. Let’s hope this raises awareness of this great event and encourages even more people to go next year. Wouldn't it be great if we could push the medal tally into double figures!
Andy generally books around 30 places on the trip, but judging from the number of empty seats on the plane I think we could probably take at least 35 if the interest was there. We need more youngsters next year, especially in the boys races. Jack Garrett was the only Under 13 Boy this year and there were no Under 15 Boys. They must be out there somewhere!
Attention now turns to the Isle of Man Cross Country Championships at Crossags Farm, Ramsey on Sunday 20th January. Stay tuned to the blog over the next few days for a look ahead to this event, updated league tables from the Cross Challenge after 3 rounds, and plenty more.
The weather and ground conditions were as good as could reasonably be expected at this time of year (even if Les Brown didn’t agree!). Although sticky in places, it was certainly a whole lot better than last year’s mudbath in which several runners lost shoes during their races, including Andrew Newton and Bronwen Kaneen. I don’t think any of the Manx Harriers runners had any such problems this time.
As always the Manx party was made extremely welcome by everyone at Witton Park, and many members of the squad were personally thanked by the officials for supporting the event. Our athletes certainly impressed many of the spectators round the course. The question I was asked most often during the day was who our Under 15 girl was who completely destroyed the opposition! The second most popular question was what time did we have to get up that morning to travel across.
The web coverage of this year’s event has probably been the most comprehensive ever. With Murray Lambden not running this time he was able to give his full attention to his cameras and video equipment, capturing hundreds of photos and lots of video for http://www.manxathletics.com/. Ian Astin also took many quality photos which can be accessed via the site, and I had my camcorder on the go throughout the day. I have put some of my film onto DVD and am hoping to get some of the highlights uploaded onto the website shortly.
The club’s website http://www.manxharriers.com/ has in-depth features on every Lancs Cross Country Championship since 2005 and is well worth having a look at. John Watterson tells me that the Manx Independent will be giving the event plenty of space in this week’s edition, and if you also throw in last weekend's Manx Radio coverage and the blogs written by Andy Fox and myself, the Lancs has surely had more coverage this year than ever before. Let’s hope this raises awareness of this great event and encourages even more people to go next year. Wouldn't it be great if we could push the medal tally into double figures!
Andy generally books around 30 places on the trip, but judging from the number of empty seats on the plane I think we could probably take at least 35 if the interest was there. We need more youngsters next year, especially in the boys races. Jack Garrett was the only Under 13 Boy this year and there were no Under 15 Boys. They must be out there somewhere!
Attention now turns to the Isle of Man Cross Country Championships at Crossags Farm, Ramsey on Sunday 20th January. Stay tuned to the blog over the next few days for a look ahead to this event, updated league tables from the Cross Challenge after 3 rounds, and plenty more.
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