CC Champs: Seniors

Our athletes performed well across the country in the various county chapionshps. Sara Bird retained her Suffolk title. Pete Matthews finished 3rd in the Lancashire Champs. Ed Shepherd was 2nd in a good-quality Hertfordshire Champs. In the Merseyside Championships, Jordan Donnelly and Hywel Care were 5th and 8th respectively. And Bertie Powell was 13th in the Middlesex Champs.

The Essex Champs were held at Hilly Fields in Colchester. The weather had been severe so it was with some surprise and delight that this manager saw firstly the vast new woodford tent had been brought, and secondly that the course seemed mainly fairly firm, probably one of the last green patches in the country to be this way!

Our first man in was Kevin Murphy in 14th. Kevin was coming off a Christmas illness but ran a well judged race, leaving it until lap three to surge through the field and display the quality that shows why he is a past winner of this event. Our second man in was Gareth Cavell whose son Harry had claimed a bronze team medal earlier in the day. Gareth did everything he could to keep up the family winning streak, running a well judged race and coming in as our second man in 29th. Third in was Jim Roche. Jim has been up and down in form in recent times, but he had turned in a good run before Christmas in the Essex Vets Championship and had said he looked to go well. Go well he did as he closed the gap on Gareth and if his progress continues it should not be long before these two are neck and neck again.

In fourth was Harold Wyber in 35th. Harold had been looking to medal last year and would have been hoping to again this year, but injury over Christmas meant that his very participation was in doubt, although you never would have known this through Harold, not a word had he breathed to this manager of his difficulty! Harold mentally is as tough as anyone and you get the impression if he can stand he will run, but I hope this race caused no extra problems for him. In next was Tom Beedell in 40th. Tom has been carrying a knee injury for some time, which has made training to any level impossible. It is testament to him that he is willing to come and race when not fully fit, and shows why with such a mindset, that when he is fully fit he is such an integral part of our team. Our sixth man was Joe Everitt in 48th. The ever improving man, Joe had to do the logistical task equal to moving an army through Russia, of getting his children ready and to family so he could come and do the race, but he seemed not to have been phased and ran strongly throughout.

Starting our second team was Robbie Cox in 53rd, who stuck with Joe for the first lap and a half before Joe pulled away. To be just over a minute back on Joe after 12km shows that Robbie is already improving after his season opener at the last Met, and although cross country is not Robbie's favourite running surface he must be hoping to close on Joe even further at the next Met. In next was CJ Shepherd, whose sudden urge to do DIY over the holiday period had meant he was a doubt for this race, but CJ is never one to shirk a challenge and having not run much and a marathon on the horizon, he decided to blow the cobwebs away, the old school way, in a 12k muddy race, putting in a respectable performance for 69th place. Our third man in was Julian Russell in 83rd. The man just in front of Julian, Neil Crisp of Ilford, had taken 2 min 45s out of Julian in his season opener at the Chingford League in Loughton over 8k, so it shows how Julian's hard work is paying off.

Fourth in was Steve Lambert in 86th, who is having to get used to having muscles that will do serious damage if not treated right, but he is coming back well from his shoulder problem, and must be eyeing up the national this year for his best ever position. In next was Richard Hogg in 133rd who, after helping with the juniors and watching his son in the U15 race, must have been looking forward to the 12k race! He beat in team mate and fellow junior team manager Alistair Holford who finished in 141st, but I hope Alistair felt the run was a return to form after a couple of out of sort performances.

Mention must go to Tony Russell who started the race but had to pull out due to hamstring trouble, willingness to drive up and bring others, even though doubtful to run, was very much appreciated. Our second claim runner Donatas Tumaitis pipped Kevin Murphy and finished 13th for another well run race. And mention must go to U20 James Stockings who got silver behind a very classy Basildon runner whose 1min 21secs paper victory was actually worth substantially less since he mistakenly cut a corner which added to his lead. It was also good to see Sam Benge start the U20 race and look like the training had had a good effect, until stomach troubles forced him to pull out.

Chelmsford closed 6 in 11 which is a very fine performance to win the title. Our top 6 missed out on the medals, but once again our athletes had had to dig deep and nothing more could have been asked.

Many thanks again to Roy and Barry Ewell for bringing the tent and setting up and taking it down, it is greatly appreciated by all. And for all the supporters who turned up to cheer on the team, such off-field support means that once things click into place I hope we will have some very fine results.