Women
Despite the best efforts of British Rail, Cardiff parking, pathogenic viruses, and sundry injuries to derail the women’s efforts to regain Gwent League team title, enough Nippy Ladies made it to the start line to ensure that they are still on course to win. There was a huge field of 396 starters and 100 teams. The A team were first with 1873 points, to Park Bryn Bach’s 1870 followed by Le Croupier with 1866 and Swansea 1857. So, a bit tight. Overall, the team move up to third place just 13 points behind Park Bryn Bach
Chelsea Creak marked her return to the Gwent Leage by moving steadily through the field to finish in third position (22.14) and lead the A team home. We all know Chelsea is in good shape from her performance in the 6 stage relays, but even if the mud quotient yesterday was lower than year ago, a time almost two minutes faster than last year is something to write home about.
Super-veteran Jessie Sanzo produced another remarkable performance again starting conservatively and moving through the field to finish in sixteenth place (33.54). Miri King was next with an astonishing performance finishing just a second behind Jessie in seventeenth position (23.55), with a time just shy of 3 minutes faster than last year. Miri has been speed training more consistently recently and is now reaping the reward of her efforts. One happy coach!
Maeva Couchard was suffering from a knee pain before the race but decided to run. Maeva was running with Jessie & Miri through much of the race but found it tough over the latter half of the second lap. Nevertheless, she finished in 19th place (24.19) only half a minute behind Miri. That left Emma Clarke, to fill the critical fifth place in the team. Happily, Emma is going from strength to strength now and seemingly improving each race. Here, Emma finished four minutes faster than last year and almost a hundred places higher in fifty third place (25.56).
The B team finished third in the Reserve Division behind Les Croupier & Swansea. Katie Strange and Francesca Knapper ran close to each other throughout the race with Katie in the lead but Francesca producing a fast finish. Katie built on her good run in National Cross-Country championships to finish in seventieth place (27.51) with Francesca in seventy third (27.53) just two seconds behind Katie.
Tanya Chowdhury was another nursing injuries, this time knees and a blistered heel. Tanya did very well in the circumstances to finish a hundred and tenth and 13th W45 (27.51). Emma Gardner completed the B team. This was Emma’s first cross-country run of the season, and she was, not surprisingly, apprehensive of the outcome. With a time of 28.56, four minutes faster than last year, and in one hundred and fifty fifth place a hundred places higher than last year, the result proved to be a very satisfactory outcome.
Men turn up trumps.
The team results speak for themselves. Bristol & West A team first with 2968 points, Bristol & West B team second with 2870 points, Bristol & West C team ninth and first C team with 2730 points, Bristol & West D team sixteenth and first D team with 2529 points, Bristol & West E team thirty fifth second E team with 2066 points and Bristol & West F team seventy second and third F team with 1148 points. The M35 A team of Owain Jones, Robbie Stewart, Maciej Bialogonski, Rob Pope & Nick Roberts finished first, the M35 B team of Steve Honight, Andy Grigg, Alex Hobley, Andy Drake & Jon Bennett finished fifth. The M45 team finished 16th. There was a massive field of 601 men and 149 teams.
Jack Millar continued his good form running in a tight group including mostly men running the British cross-country challenge. Jack looked strong throughout and finished second in the Gwent League race (28.07) just 5 seconds behind Dafydd Jones (Swansea). Behind Jack, Kurt Taylor and Flynn Jennings were having a tussle for the next two Bristol & West places.
Mike (Down) suggested to Flynn that with the shorter Challenge race a Liverpool in mind he set off fast and then try to hang on. He did just that and in doing so joined the club’s pantheon of greats. On the first lap he was close to Jack but in front of Kurt a position maintained until into the third lap. However, Kurt was not far behind, and his strength told in the end. Kurt was fifth in 28.44 while Flynn finished sixth in 28.51. Felix McGrath produced an excellent run to finish eight in 29.20.
Looking at the race Felix ran quite often on his own with a twenty second gap both in front and behind him. That left Luke Burgess to complete this incredible team. Luke, a former winner of the Gwent League, finished eleventh in 30.01.
Evergreen Welsh International Owain Jones led the B team home. Owain too seemed to be on his own for the latter stages of the race. He ran his usual canny race coming fourteenth, one place higher than last year, and 1st M40 in 30.31. Behind Owain there was the glorious sight of a posse of Bristol & West vests vying for the remaining four places in the B team.
Dylan Rigby really pulled something out of the bag to finish twenty first (31.02). Dylan confessed to me that he has not warmed to cross-country running. Hopefully, he will feel better about the discipline after his run yesterday.
Alex Stewart was only three seconds behind Dylan finishing twenty second (31.04). Alex has just returned from a conference in the States and could therefore by well pleased with his run. Robbie Stewart, Alistair Matheson & Lee Gawler ran together and finished together in thirty sixth, thirty seventh and thirty eighth positions. Robbie who was second M40 is having a renaissance and really enjoying it. He was the person who finished strongest with a time 31.50. Alistair’s time was 31.52 and Lee’s 31.55. So, it was Alistair who completed the B team.
However, Lee had another tremendous run building on that at Pembrey park to lead the C team home. He has moved up a class! It is a remarkably strong C team when you have someone of Maciej Bialogonski’s class filling second place. This was a better run than at Pembrey park with Maciej finishing in forty seventh place (and seventh M45) in 32.19.
Aled Anderson has been hindered by injury over the last few weeks and was pleased to get round the course without aggravating them. Aled finished in fifty seventh position in 32.51. There was another remarkable run by Rob Pope who finished in sixty fourth place overall and second M45 in 33.01. Aaron Bruce had another solid run and completed the team in sixty sixth place (33.05).
M35 Nick Roberts led the D team home finishing seventy fourth in 33.17. Nick was followed by M40 Steve Honight who finished eight third in 33.33. David Lewin made a welcome return to racing after injury and should be well pleased with how he ran finishing ninety third in 33.44. Andy Grigg (M35), taking time off from child minding duties, was a hundred and first, forty places higher than last year in 33.35. That left Matt Brydon to complete the team. Matt is having a busy time now and finding training difficult to fit in. Matt finished one hundred and twenty fifth in 34.30.
For the E team Alex Hobley (M35) is someone who seems to thrive on the country and he duly performed finishing one hundred and forty first in 35.01. Andy Drake (M40), our star consistent marathon runner uses cross country running to build stamina for marathons. Yesterday he finished one hundred and fifty second in 35.10. Sam Johnson continues to improve and was one hundred and ninety fourth in 36.09. Jon Bennett (M40) is another league stalwart who always delivers the goods. Jon was 212th in 36.33. That left Josh Habgoode-Coote to complete the team. Josh found the going tough and finished 238th in 37.08.
Finally, to the F team. Club talisman Tariq Kurd (M50) led the team home in 262nd place, fifty places higher than last year, in 37.46. Darren Stringer (M40) ran strongly to finish 268th in 37.52. M55 Dan Thornton, building up stamina for the track season was 423rd in 42.00. Simon Jones (M40), decided to give it a go feeling sufficiently recovered from a niggling injury, was 446th in 42.59 and M45 Matt Brown completed the team in 458th place in 43.20.
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