Chingford League CC: Loughton, 23 Nov

Our runners were out in force at Saturday’s Chingford League fixture in the Roding Valley. The junior races were combined with the NW London Cross Country League which made for larger fields, better competition and larger than usual support clustered round the finishing area. The senior race also provided much-needed race practice with a field of just over 200 completing the course.

Results: Young Athletes individual

Photos (mainly senior - courtesy of Helen Bell)

Our young athletes showed that they are finding their winter legs and, once the two leagues and age groups had been split out, we recorded wins for Chris Sear (U17M) and Perry Rowan (U15B) with a second place for Ryan Dunne (U17M) and third places for Alicia McArdell (U13G), Amelia Barrett (U15G) and Holly Bedeau (U17W). Chris Sear, in his first cross country race for over a year, narrowly missed out on the overall win in a long sprint for the finishing funnel, whilst Amelia claimed 4^th place overall in the combined U15/17W event where the U15s looked stronger than their older counterparts as Orion’s Georgia Tuckfield again prevailed. Isobel Moss (U15G) claimed 4^th spot (5^th overall), only 49 seconds behind Amelia. Following up not far behind were Stephanie Smith (7^th U15G) and Lauren Freeman (4^th U17W).

The U15/U17 races did a lap and half around the park area before heading over the Roding footbridge and out on a single lap of the meadows between the river and the M11. With conditions still pretty sound after the overnight rain, the course was manageable in spikes or flats. Sam Benge overcooked it slightly and struggled over the rougher terrain for 7^th U17M whilst Sean Kenny looks like he is beginning to translate his track speed into useful endurance for 4^th U17M, 15 seconds down on 2^nd placed Ryan Dunne.

The U13 runners, however, were confined the park and were able to benefit from the flat, closely mown surface, just having to negotiate the short, sharp slope onto the mound by the tennis courts. We had six in the girls’ race with Alicia McArdell (3^rd) and Sky Mulvey (6^th) near the front of proceedings, but closely followed by Jodie Ratcliff (8^th), Rosie Poole (12^th) and Abbie Dell (15^th), all six of whom packed within a minute of each other. A little adrift but finishing gamely were Saffron Earl (18^th) and, with a sprint, Niamh Bartlett (20^th). James Wakefield was our sole representative in the U13B race, claiming 14^th place. The good young athlete turnout then provided some welcome support for the seniors in the race that followed.

This race was bolstered by several U17s keen for some decent competition and extra distance (although the race this year was shorter than last year’s and comprised an extra lap of the park but only two laps of the meadows). Our U17s gave the seniors a run for their money but M40 Matt Molloy was first Woodie home in 4^th place (27:23), the race being won by Enfield’s Ben Nagy in 25:54. Harold Wyber (13^th in 28:44) was sandwiched between James Stockings (9^th in 28:06) and Liam Blaikie (15^th in 28:50), Liam making a welcome return to competition after a summer lost to injury. Johnny Wallis (19^th) followed 22 seconds behind Liam, with Steve Dawkins (40^th in 30:38) and Ronnie O’Sullivan (42^nd in 30:44) both across the line before the first woman home.

U17W Lauren McGregor claimed the honour of being the first woman to finish (31:04 and 46^th overall of the 204 runners). The rest of our Vet contingent then followed with four of our new senior women in their midst. Dave Barrett claimed 58^th place (31:59) with Alistair Holford (70^th in 32:40) edging out Paul Stockings (15 seconds back in 72^nd) for the coaches’ bragging rights. The brace of Steve’s (Murray and Lambert) followed (72^nd in 32:59 and 101^st in 34:45 respectively) before U20W Becky Hewitt (11^th in the women’s race, 110^th overall in 35:05), Canadian Maggie Robins (14^th and 110^st in 35:36) and M60 Roger Green (111^th in 35:41) came home. Next in was Tom Spanyol (114^th in35:55) with the U20W pair of Kate Stockings and Claudia Conway close behind. This was their first experience of mixed senior racing and their first reactions after were not favourable but Kate (17^th and 122st in 36:24) was spurred on during the last lap by the ever closing figure of Claudia (19^th and 126^th in 36:33), who never quite caught up. Claudia persuaded her brother Alexander to turn out and duly did the decent thing and beat him home by over two minutes (145^th in 38:47). Vic Wilson was our final runner home (160^th in 40:01). Next week, the league will be racing again in Tuesday’s road race on the Hog Hill cycle circuit.