Selections made were based on results from the National at Sunderland and the Inter Counties at Birmingham.
A number of athletes made themselves not available for selection declaring their Cross Country season was over.
Congratulations to all those selected and the Team Managers are sure that England will do well.
Jenny Walsh - Spenborough & Dist. AC
Vera Duerdin
It is with great sadness that the English Cross Country Association (ECCA) has been informed of the death of the Association’s National Cross Country Relays Championship Secretary and Past President Vera Duerdin.
Vera's funeral will be at Bury Parish Church on Friday 15th February at 2.00 pm.
Vera Duerdin played a significant role in the organisation of Women's Athletics in England for many a decade and was a member of Bury & Radcliffe AC now Bury AC since she joined the Club in the early 1950’s as an athlete. Club wise Vera became Ladies Section Secretary, a post she held for a long time and was involved in the Club’s activities through to recent times.
Along with her husband, Lawson who died in 2006, Vera became involved in organising athletics at a high level and was Secretary of the Women’s Cross Country & Road Running Association until its amalgamation with the English Cross Country Union in 1992 when the ECCA was formed.
She was involved in organising many Women’s National Championships for both Cross Country and Road Running. At the same time, Vera was Team Manager for the England Teams that went to the World Cross Country Championships and was held in high regard around the World, especially in Japan where Vera Team Managed England and Great Britain Teams at the Ekiden Relays. Vera continued to be Team Manager of the Great Britain Senior Women’s Cross Country Team until the late 90’s and helped many a newcomer to the Women’s Team find their feet.
Domestically Vera was on the Committee of Lancashire WAA which later became Greater Manchester WAAA and then as it is now Greater Manchester AA. Similarly she was involved with the North of England through to its current status of Northern Athletics. Although an organiser of all forms of athletics, Cross Country was high on her list of interests in our sport and that was recognised when Vera became ECCA President in 1994 the first of four women to have been President since 1992.
Over the past 6 months Vera bravely contended with deteriorating health and was still in post as Relay Championship Secretary when she died.
Vera Duerdin was a stalwart of Athletics who devoted countless hours to the sport and she will be missed greatly.
16 12 2012
VENTA DE BANOS 16 DECEMBER 2012 - RACE REPORT
Selection
The selection for this event was the European Cross Country trial in Liverpool on 24th November: -
Rebecca Weston (South of England) 8th at the trial
Grace Baker (South of England) 12th at the trial
Chloe Richardson (Midlands) 13th at the trial
Rebecca Murray (South of England) 11th at the trial
Travel and Accommodation
These were arranged by Centresport. This was the first time England had sent a team to this fixture this was because the usual Brussels fixture would mean travelling back on Christmas Eve. The only problem with the travel arrangements was the long coach ride and late arrival at the team hotel at Venta de Banos.
Race Day
We visited the course on the Saturday. This was an opportunity for the teams to see the course and think of what footwear to use. On race day we had an early start as the juniors were the first race at 10.00am. We anticipated that passports would be required when the athletes reported this was the same as Burgos and all went well.
The race was a two lap course with a few natural obstacles’ and in an open landscape. It was relatively flat course with a few dips but the race was made a true test as the ground was sticky mud.
My team raced to form Rebecca was the first reserve for the European Champs that were held the previous weekend. At the beginning of the second lap Rebecca Weston started to dictate the pace with Grace Baker (the youngest of the team) trying to hold on.
All athletes thought that they had gained valuable experience and guidance on their form.
Rebecca Weston 13.22
Grace Baker 13.30
Chloe Richardson 13.36
Rebecca Murray 13.55
Barbara Cutting
Junior Women’s Team Manager
02 01 2013
Venta De Banos 2012 - Race Report
Just over 5 hours after Easyjet flight EZ3225 took the sky the team arrived in the sleepy town of Venta de Banos, Central Spain. The town had once been a major train junction enjoying the same sort of iconic status as other great railway junctions of the world, such as Crewe in England. The village has a lot of new development which includes the high speed train link to Madrid thus opening up an interesting alternative to coach travel to this event.
After a day to recover the team rose early and headed to the course for a 10.20am start.
The race started on a cinder track under grey and threatening skies. The first 200m of the three lap course sore the athletes’ circumnavigate the running track before mounting a ramp which took them out of the track area. The course then consisted of a large lap of a series of heavily muddied fields with two small ramps strategically placed to act as barriers to break up the rhythm of the field.
As the field re-entered the track area to begin the second of the three laps Ben was leading with Jonathan and Tom in close attendance. A short way behind but still clear of the chasing pack was Calum.
The next lap sore a straight tussle between Jonathan and Calum. Ben and Tom had slipped back but they still held 3rd and 4th. The final lap of the fields sore Jonathan make a decisive and move clear. As he entered the track for the final lap to the finish line he held a comfortable lead from fellow team mate Calum.
Calum had chased hard and ran himself into the ground, collapsing just after passing the finish line in second place. I'm pleased to report that he recovered quickly to take his place on the podium. The final podium place went to Bed who won his personal battle with Tom with them finishing 3rd and 4th respectively.
A clean sweep sounds good but I must say the standard of the opposition was not as strong as we would have liked. Having said that I do feel all the lads gained a great deal from the whole experience. It was pleasing to see that Jonathan had learned from his Burgos experience and had worked out how to win.
1st Jonathan Davies – 22.03
2nd Calum Johnson – 22.15
3rd Ben edict Westhenry – 22.21
4th Tom Cox – 22.44
Keith Holt
Junior Men
02 01 2013
Cross Country Race Report Senior Men- Venta de Banos 2012
This is the first time England has travelled to Venta de Banos in Spain for the annual International Cross Country. The senior men's team (Adam Hickey, Patrick Martin, Luke Cragg and Jon Beattie) appeared strong with very little between the 4 athletes who had finished 8th, 11th, 15th and 17th respectively in the European Trial 3 weeks earlier.
The course was 5 laps (10.4k) and was an interesting mix of old cinder track for the start, with a wooden ramp to jump and take you onto the thin green matting that helped the runners along and across the road for about 300m linking it into the field. The field was a combination of good surface running and good old traditional ploughed mud which got heavy due to the rain both the night before and during the day of racing.
The England team got away well as unit and all were in a large group for lap 1. On lap 2 Hickey moved into in 3rd and Martin in 5th and the other two also well up in the top 12. As lap 2 progressed this tended to stay as the order and it was looking obvious after 2 laps (just over 4k) that the England lads were in with a chance of a top 3 finish as all were still hovering between 3rd and 10th with Hickey still to the fore in 3rd closely followed by Martin 4th and Cragg 7th with Beattie 10th. No real break happened on lap 2 and the places pretty much stayed the same with Hickey and Martin doing battle for 3rd place. Lap 3 showed that Chepkok of Kenya meant business and he started to move away and by now a few gaps appeared with Hickey and Martin now battling for 4th place but clear of the chasing runners behind them. Further back Cragg was still running strong in 7th with Beattie now looking settled not too far behind him in 10th.
During lap 4 on the plough Martin started to make his challenge and was now just ahead of Hickey in 4th place with a 3 metres gap both were looking strong and it was going to be a battle all the way to the line. Further back Cragg was still in 7th but gritting his teeth and determined to ensure he was not losing any more ground or places to the finish. Beattie was now also looking strong only one place behind and looking as though he was going give it one final effort to beat Cragg who was not only a team mate on this trip but a working colleague at Loughborough University.
The final lap started and Martin was now solid in 4th with Hickey 5 metres behind but now in 6th place separated by Santacruz of Spain. Cragg and Beattie looked solid in 7th and 10th respectively. A great effort on the last lap allowed Martin to dig deep and hold off Hickey but unfortunately he lost 4th place to Santacruz on the final 300m on the cinder track. Hickey held onto 6th some 6 seconds behind Martin with Cragg a further 15 seconds behind Hickey in 7th and Beattie picking up 11th after getting overtaken very late on the track.
A great run by the 4 lads and it proved quite a battle between Martin and Hickey and Cragg and Beattie. The general consensus was that the guys all felt their runs were ‘good’ so no major disappointments. The guys generally coped really well with the differing terrain and didn't really say a negative word about it which to me showed a very positive approach and ownership of their own performance.
Moving forward Martin and Hickey move on to the Edinburgh International Cross Country in 3 weeks’ time, Cragg travels to the US for 3 weeks and Beattie is off to Kenya training throughout January.
Results were:
1 Vincent Chepkok Kenya 35m20
2 Kenneth Kipkemoi Kenya 35m33
3 Antonio Pentinel Spain 35m48
4 Daniel Spain 36m02
5 Patrick Martin 36m 06
6 Adam Hickey 36m 12
7 Luke Cragg 36m 27
8 Philip Kiptoo Kenya 36m 30
9 Chema Martinez Spain 36m35
10 Francisco Espana Spain 36m35
11 John Beattie 36m 36
Race photos below
12 11 2012
Burgos Report Senior Men
The England team made its second consecutive visit to the city of Burgos in Northern Spain. Having deemed the 2011 trip a great success with 7 out of the 16 athletes making the GB team in the UK Trials 2 weeks later.
The men were always going to be up against very strong opposition with numerous African athletes including 2011 winner Imane Merga and the best of Spain competing for their European places and many Portuguese also included.
The course was fairly flat consisting of 5 laps with numerous twists and turns making positioning early on in the race quite difficult there were a small set of jumps every lap. The weather was cold with rain prior to the men’s start making it seemingly the coldest part of the day. Underfoot conditions were firm making the going generally fast and probably ideal preparation for Liverpool in 2 weeks’ time.
The England men got away well and Jon Taylor was particularly to the fore inside the top 10 with the leaders and closely followed by Peter Huck and Dan Studley with Adam Hickey at the rear of the England runners.
A seemingly steady pace ensued with Taylor looking very comfortable in this class of competition and still holding a top ten spot after 1 lap of the 5 lap course. The pace continued and Studley had now got himself ahead of Huck in about 20th with Huck just behind but dropping after a tenacious start and Hickey now further back but looking settled on the pace. By lap 2 Taylor was holding his own and was battling amongst 4 athletes vying for 10th place with the leading 9 some 50 metres ahead. Studley was running solid on his debut in about 23rd place with Huck dropping into the 40's with Hickey now breathing down his neck a few places behind. The pace at the front was increasing a and Merger never looked anything but in control. By the end of lap 4 Taylor was still battling for 10th amongst 4 but was now some 150m behind the leaders but still having a great run and looking like he will be close to making the GB team for the Europeans if he runs with this commitment..
Behind that Studley was battling with all he had in about 37th place with Hickey now in 41st place and looking likely to pass him during the next lap. A very unfortunate Huck was really paying for a slightly over zealous start and was now further back in 60th place. As the last lap began the pace at the front picked up and the battle was still any permutation of 1 from 8 athletes. The England team was showing few changes although Taylor was showing some great qualities to dig in and do battle still in with a chance of 10th. Studley was now looking highly likely to hold off Hickey as the gap had grown again between them both. Huck was now well down the field and just battling for survival when of those runs we all know about but wish they were over quick so we can move on.
At the finish Merga retained his title from 2011 and Taylor had battled well to a real solid 12th following him home in 38th place was Dan Studley the 20 year old debutant who runs for Bristol and is currently studying at Oxford. Then it was Hickey 43nd with Peter Huck continuing to go through the motions in 75th . Overall a solid run from Taylor who is growing in experience and more important belief with every England race. Studley ran very well for a debutant and the minor breakthrough and is very encouraging for him with the opportunity to make the GB U23 team his drive in 2 weeks’ time.
Results Senior Men
|
|
|
|
| Average/Km |
|---|
| 1 | 1 | IMANE MERGA | ABSOLUTA M | 0:28:07 | 2,52 |
| 2 | 179 | VINCENT CHEPKOK | ABSOLUTA M | 0:28:07 | 2,52 |
| 3 | 13 | EMMANUEL BET | ABSOLUTA M | 0:28:09 | 2,52 |
| 4 | 3 | TEKLEMARIAM MEDHIN | ABSOLUTA M | 0:28:10 | 2,52 |
| 5 | 133 | JOHN KIPKOECH | ABSOLUTA M | 0:28:23 | 2,54 |
| 6 | 129 | MOSES KIBET M 6 | NIKE RUNNING | 0:28:24 | 2,54 |
| 7 | 142 | AMANUEAL MESEL | ABSOLUTA M | 0:28:28 | 2,54 |
| 8 | 4 | AYAD LAMDASSEM M 8 | BIKILA ATLETISMO | 0:28:35 | 2,55 |
| 9 | 2 | KIDANE TADESE | ABSOLUTA M | 0:28:42 | 2,56 |
| 10 | 6 | JUAN CARLOS HIGUERO | MATE M | 0:28:51 | 2,57 |
| 11 | 12 | DANIELE MEUCCI | ABSOLUTA M | 0:28:53 | 2,57 |
| 12 | 106 | JONATHAN TAYLOR | ABSOLUTA M 12 | 0:29:07 | 2,58 |
| 13 | 41 | ANTONIO JIMÉNEZ PENTINEL | OTSU COLIBRÍ GUADALA | 0:29:10 | 2,58 |
| 14 | 16 | JAVIER GUERRA POLO | ABSOLUTA M BIKILA ATLETISMO | 0:29:11 | 2,59 |
| 38 | 105 | DAN STUDLEY | ABSOLUTA M | 0:30:00 | 3,04 |
| 43 | 104 | ADAM HICKEY | ABSOLUTA M | 0:30:06 | 3,04 |
| 75 | 103 | PETER HUCK | ABSOLUTA M | 0:31:01 | 3,10 |
-- Eamonn Martin
18 10 2012
CC Relays more popular than ever
A total of 2869 athletes completed their leg in the Saucony Cross Country Relays at Berry Hill Park, Mansfield this year as the event continues to grow.
This record total which any Cross Country meeting would be pleased with leave alone a Relay was notched up as the event was staged for the 25th time at Mansfield and the 27th overall. The first two were held in the grounds of Crystal Palace - the first in 1985.
The date now for the event, early in the Cross Country calendar means that athletes can have a good test over a comparatively short course compared with a normal length one and at Berry Hill Park they get a cleverly built, well prepared course which gives the athlete of all standards a good test.
Record size fields were achieved this year in five of the ten races that took place with a mammoth 189 teams taking part in the Senior Men's 4 x 5K event (just 9 teams down on last years record). In the Senior Women's event 120 teams started just 2 off the record.
It is the younger age groups where growth continues; both the under 13 Girls and under 13 Boys showed improved numbers with 100 and 96 teams starting respectively. These numbers do cause problems at the first take-overs as over a 2K leg the runners are not spread out enough to allow a clear hand over. The officials are continually giving thought to improving things here but occasionally things go wrong for the odd runner or two which is regrettable.
The under 15 girls race also had a record field with 114 starting and though some clubs can't field full teams, especially where B & C teams are involved in this race 96 completed the 3 legs. The under 17 Women’s race was up with 72 teams starting and 60 completing, while on the male side the Junior Men also had 72 starting with a record 58 finishing full teams.
Other races with numbers just a few off their record were Junior Women - 44 starting and 26 teams finishing 3 legs, under 15 Boys - 105 starting 81 finishing, and under 17 Men - 89 starting 70 finishing.
So a highly successful event with top quality racing which athletes want to attend.
18 10 2012
The ECCA has heard of the sad news that Frank Sando former National and International cross-country champion, died on the 12th October. Frank had been ill for sometime and eventually died of a brain tumour.
Frank was a great runner and won the National in 1957 at Parliament Hill he was also a much loved and respected guy and did make it to the National at Parliament Hill as a guest this year.
The Funeral will be on Thursday 25th October at 14:45 at Vintners Crematorium, Maidstone please no flowers but donations my be made to the Heart of Kent Hospice, Maidstone.
16 07 2012
THOUSANDS OF THE COUNTRY'S FINEST RUNNERS are expected to line up at Herrington Country Park next February for the National Cross Country Championships.
Sunderland City Council and the English Cross Country Association (ECCA) are working together to stage the 2013 English Cross Country Championships at the park on Saturday 23 February 2013.
The event was last hosted in Sunderland in 2007, and organisers hope to build on that success and that of this year's championships held at Parliament Hill Fields in London, which attracted more than 4000 competitors and an equal number of spectators.
The 350 acre site at Herrington Country Park will host a ten race programme, with male and female races for five age groups from the Under 13s through to Seniors.
The climax of the day will be the potentially 1,500 strong Senior Men's race with its spectacular start from a 100 metre wide starting area.
Sunderland City Council Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Wellness and Culture, Councillor John Kelly said: "We are all delighted that the English Cross Country Association has decided to return to the city to host the 2013 national championships.
"Their decision not only shows their confidence in Sunderland's proven ability to stage high profile sporting and cultural events, but also in the strength and enthusiasm of the local athletic and sporting community to support the event”.
" We all look forward to welcoming competitors, spectators and visitors from across the country to take part, and the chance to show everyone again on the national stage what a fantastic venue Sunderland provides."
John Temperton, Chairman of the English Cross Country Association added: "The support provided by Sunderland City Council backed up by the volunteer workforce from Sunderland Harriers and other local clubs, assisted the delivery of an outstandingly successful championship in 2007 and we look forward to working with the same teams in 2013.
" There seems to be a mistaken belief in the running community in the south of England that it's further from London to Sunderland than it is from Sunderland to London and we will work with the City Council to persuade a greater proportion to travel north on this occasion."
29 05 2012
Marie Garrett
We are sorry to report the death of Marie Garrett, a well respected and popular figure in the world of cross country in the North East. Marie, alongside her husband Bill, was involved in the sport over several decades notably as an organiser of the Northern Women’s Cross Country Championships. At National level Marie was a member of the Women’s Cross Country and Road Running Association before it amalgamated with the English Cross Country Union to become the English Cross Country Association (ECCA) and as a result was made a Life Member of the ECCA.
28 04 2012
Harry Hicks
The ECCA is sorry to be informed that Harry Hicks has passed away from pancreatic cancer. Harry was able to make the National Cross Country Championships back in February as a guest and though he had suffered during the past year from various medical problems was able to enjoy the event so his death comes after a short but devastating illness. Harry who was 86 at the time of his passing achieved a great deal as both an Athlete and Administrator. He had a great career as a Cross Country runner and Harry ran for England twice in the International CC Championships once in 1949 in Ireland where he finished 15th and then again in 1950 where he finished 22nd in Belgium, both times he was in England’s scoring 6.
He then turned his attention to Marathon running and having won the 1956 AAA Marathon Championship held at Port Sunlight, which he won in 2 hrs 26 mins to earn a place in the Olympic Marathon team, Harry made the long journey to compete for Great Britain in the Melbourne Olympics finishing 15th.
After retiring from running he became involved in Administration, being Southern Cross Country Association Secretary for many years and sat on all the English Cross Country Union Committees until he retired from those duties in the late 80s. He was ECCA President in 1993 and was seen regularly at Championships when they were held at Parliament Hill, Harry having been a Hampstead Harrier knew the place and course well around Hampstead Heath.
21 03 2012
English Cross Country Association Annual Open Meeting
The 5th Annual Open meeting will be held on Saturday 19th May at the Smart Aston Ct Hotel, Midland Rd, Derby DE1 2SL (near Derby Railway Stn). All Clubs affiliated to England Athletics for cross country running are eligible to attend and vote. The meeting will start at 12 noon
The Annual Open meeting is empowered to:
- To elect Officers
- To elect up to 6 members of the General Committee, note although the General Committee consists of up to 18 members, 1/3 of the Committee is up for election each year.
- To receive the current financial statement
- To appoint auditors
- To consider any proposed changes to the Constitution
- To consider any other matters of which due notice has been given
The Officers will be elected for a three year term of office with one Officer retiring each year. The current Officers are:
- Honorary Secretary Ian Byett
- Honorary Treasurer Richard Inchley
- Chairman John Temperton
The Honorary Secretary will stand down this year and offer himself for re-election.
Nominations for places on the General Committee and/or the Honorary Secretary will be accepted in writing or by personal e-mail and any other Proposals for business to be conducted must be received by the Hon Sec by Saturday 21st April 2011. Each affiliated organisation to England Athletics is entitled to one vote at the Annual Open meeting, no postal votes or proxies are permitted with the terms of the constitution. Details of the Agenda will be available by the 27th Apri.
19 03 2012
England Teams travelled to Rouken Glen Park near Glasgow for the Home Countries international. The event this year was the finale to the Cross Country season and on sunny day the competition was keen. England scored Teams wins in three of the four races but lost out to Scotland in the Senior Men’s race which really cheered the hosts.
The first race saw the Junior Women in action, with
Grace Nicholls (Tonbridge AC) taking 2nd place in 18m 54s,
Gemma Kersey(Basildon AC) placed 5th in 19m 05s,
Nicole Roberts (Birchfield H) 6th in 19m 13s and
Jess Chen (C of Portsmouth AC) 8th in 19m 40s. With this scoring England won the team race but only on count back.
The Junior Men however dominated their event with
Charlie Maclean (Bristol & West AC) taking victory in 22m 31s while team mates
Thomas Frith (Southend AC) came home 3rd, 13 seconds down and
Daniel Woodgate (Luton AC) 4th another 5 seconds back.
Jason Prickett (Invicta East Kent AC) completed the quartet with 7th in 23m 01s with England clear winners in the Team event.
The Senior Women were also dominant in their race,
Lauren Deadman (Havering mayesbrookAC) the clear winner in 25m 24s. Third home was
Rebekah Randell (Bristol & West AC) with a time of 25m 50s while
Stacy Johnson (Cannock & Staffs AC) placed 4th in 25m 54s, again England were Team winners scoring 8 points.
Unfortunately the Men couldn't make it 4 out of 4 as Scotland beat them in the Team event 18 points to 22 with
Derek Hawkins winning the individual race in 27m 28s. England’s
Andy Nixon (Stockport H) came home 5th in 28m04s while
Peter Huck (Barrow & Furness AC) was right behind in 28m 17s. Late replacement
Paul Whittaker (Chelmsford AC) took 11th in 28m 48s while
Dean Lacey had an off day coming home 19th in 29m 27s.
Scottish Athletics put on a good and next year the event will be in Wales. Full results can be found at
http://www.scottishathletics.org.uk...12 03 2012
England have chosen a mixture of established runners who have already been awarded a vest this season plus some newcomers for the Home Countries International in Glasgow next Sunday.
The event now having been re-established, goes into a new four year cycle with Wales hosting next year followed by England in 2014 and Northern Ireland in 2015.
The England TMs have selected the following:
Junior Women
Jess Chen C o Portsmouth AC
Gemma Kersey Basildon AC
Grace Nicholls Tonbridge AC
Nicole Roberts Birchfield H
Junior Men
Thomas Firth Southend AC
Charlie MacLean Bristol & West AC
Jason Prickett Invica East Kent AC
Daniel Woodgate Luton AC
Senior Women
Lauren Deadman Havering Mayesbrook AC
Stacey Johnson Cannock & Stafford AC
Rebekah Randell Bristol & West AC
Hannah Walker Birchfield Harriers
Senior Men
Adam Hickey Southend AC
Peter Huck Barrow & Furness AC
Dean Lacy Cambridge H
Andy Nixon Stockport H & AC
07 02 2012
For the last of their trips away from Great Britain this season, England sends teams to Halshout for a Belgium Cross Cup event, next Sunday.
It is again a mixture of youth and experience that travels to Belgium.
Teams selected by the ECCA Team Managers and Travelling are:
Junior Women – Georgia Taylor-Brown (East Cheshire H), Chloe Richardson (Birchfield H), Rebecca Straw (Cannock & Staffs AC), Calli Thackery (Hallamshire H).
Junior Men – Harvey Dixon, Josh Grace, Ian Bailey all (Aldershot Farnham & Dist. AC), Edward Sheperd (Herts Phoenix AC)
Senior Women – Jessica Coulson (Stockport H), Hattie Dean (Hallamshire H), Hannah Doran (Charnwood AC), Ceri Mitchell (Southampton AC).
Senior Men – Jon Pepper (Enfield & Haringey AC), Adam Hickey (Southend AC), Jonathan Taylor (Morpeth H), Patrick Martin (Stockport H)
30 01 2012
England Athletes faced strong opposition when they travelled to Northern Spain for the Juan Muguerza Cross in Elgoibar. The English Cross Country Association, Team Management always consider this event as the top event they go to each Winter for several reason, one being the quality opposition they face, two a well organised event and three the welcome they always receive from their Spanish hosts. Again some of the Team were having their first taste of International competition and number performed exceptionally well.
The most successful quartet was the junior women's team, with Rebecca Straw finishing 2nd, Phillippa Woolven 3rd, Poppy Blake 6th and Cali Thackery 7th. The junior men’s results were not far behind the women with Jack Goodwin 4th, Jonathan Davis 5th, Kieran Clements 7th and Elliott Giles 14th. The senior women had some very experienced members in their squad and Jessica Sparke continued her return after a long spell of injury with an 8th place, up and coming Naomi Tashimowitz took 11th and Natalie Harvey 16th. Both the men's and women's races had some classy Kenyans and Ethiopians competing in them and the men faced a number of these, finding the competition tough. Jonathan Taylor came though as best placed English runner in 9th, in the race won by Paul Tanui of Kenya. Next was Jon Pepper 15th, then Andy Greenleaf 27th and Phil Berntsen 28th. All gained good further experience of this type of competition setting them up for the domestic championships to come this winter.
Ian Byett
10 01 2012
The ECCA decided back at their team managers' meeting in October to support the Cardiff McCains UK Cross Challenge.
The Association recognised the need for this type of competition although ECCA’s policy is to give athletes the opportunity to compete in Europe outside of Championships.
For the Cardiff event the England Team Managers have chosen strong teams, and the athletes selected are:
Junior Women
Jess Chen – City of Portsmouth AC, Abbie Herrington – Carlisle Aspatria AC, Hannah Tarver – Wirral AC, Jennifer Walsh – Spenborough AC
Junior Men
Josh Grace – Aldershot, Farnham & Dist AC, Luca Russo – Tonbridge AC, Gordon Benson – Leeds City AC, TBA
Senior Women
Katrina Wooton – Bedford & County AC, Emily Pidgeon – Stroud & Dist AC, Lauren Howarth – Leigh H, Juliet Doyle – Charnwood H
Senior Men
Adam Hickey – Southend AC, Ashley Harrell – City of Norwich AC, Neilson Hall – Bedford & County AC, Frank Tickner – Wells City H
12 12 2011
The England Teams selected for the Lotto Cross Cup event in Brussels on the 18th December are as follows:
Senior Men
Jonathan Taylor – Morpeth H
Benedict Whitby – Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC
Steve Vernon – Stockport H
Ashley Harrell – City of Norwich AC
Senior Women
Natalie Harvey – South London H
Jessica Sparke – Woodford Green with Essex Ladies AC
Stevie Stockton – Vale Royal AC
Katrina Wooton - Bedford & County AC
Junior Men
Jason Prickett – Invicta East Kent AC
Robbie Farnham-Rose – Tonbridge AC
Charlie Grice – Phoenix AC
Paul Thompson – BRAT Club
Junior Women
Iona Lake – City of Norwich AC
Poppy Blake – Chelmsford AC
Phillipa Woolven – Wycombe Phoenix
Jess Chen – City of Portsmouth AC
England won all four team titles at the Home Countries International Cross Country event held at Dinefwr Park, Landeillo, Carmarthenshire. On a bitterly cold but fortunately snowless day there was a series of competitive races with England Scotland and Wales all having performances to cheer for, the Midlands, North and South also fielded Teams in this annual event.
In the Junior Women’s race held earlier in the afternoon over 5400m a close battle developed between England's Jenny Walsh and Scotland’s Rhona Auckland and they remained locked together until the last 600m when Auckland moved away to win 19 mins 10 secs.
The final race of the afternoon the Senior Men’s event proved to be the closest as Meles Okbazghi out sprinted England's James Walsh to win in 32 mins 52 secs. The Eritrean based in Sheffield and running for the North had stayed on Walsh's shoulder until late on to score the win however Walsh had the satisfaction of leading England to the Team victory