As last week was very quiet you get yourselves a double header this week, there were only a couple of performances to note previously, but they were good ones, before we move into the cross country cut and thrust with the young guns firing at Warley Woods at the weekend.
We’ll start on the other side of the Atlantic where Luke Maskew took part in the New York Marathon crossing the line in an incredible time of 2.37.55 to take an impressive 333rd place. One of our new additions, Lindsay McCallum, took part in the Flying Fox 10, a lumpy and bumpy 10 miler in darkest Staffordshire, taking the 4th female spot, less than 30 seconds behind 3rd place, in 40th overall position in a time of 1.05.11.
Seb Palmer had a run out in the Cardiff Cross Challenge coming home in 12th place in a very strong field in a time of 9.57 before he, and the club’s young athletes travelled to Warley Woods on Sunday for race two of the West Midlands Young Athletes Cross Country League. Where Zoleka Mzuku brought the club home in the U17 women’s race in 9th place in a time of 17.27, our sole representative in that age group. In the U11 boys race there was a 24th place for Samuel Worrall in 7.21, Bertie Dixon placed 33rd in 7.24, with Edison Bowden a place and a single second behind in 334th in 7.25. Joeseph Blunt placed 48th in 7.33, Isaac Heike was 67th in 7.51, Ezriel Enwerem was 86th in 8.04, Harry Mackay 95th in 8.11, with the team placing 6th in the age group.
In the U17 men’s race there was a 47th place for Lucas Fullwood in 20.04, Samuel Southall placed 49th in 20.12, Aryan Pal was 62nd in 21.44, placing the club 14th in the age group. There was a win for Alba Jones in the U11 girls race, crossing the line in 6.38, almost 30 seconds clear of the runner up, Abigail Evans was 5th in 7.19, Pixie Palmer placed 8th in 7.32, Clara Edwards 20th in 8.01, Isla Gaunt 26th in 8.09, Holly Doody 34th in 8.17, Isabelle Davies 47th in 8.39, Isabelle Bowden 69th in 9.07, Elise Tarnawskyj 84th in 9.55 with Adeline Aston just a place behind in 85th in 10.02, the U11 girls coming 2nd in their age group.
In the U15 boys race there was an 18th place finish for Jonathan Yang in 12.39, Harry Monkton was 27th in 12.49, chased home by Nahum Worrall in 28th in 12.50, the club placing 9th in the U15s. In the U13 girls race Chloe Cashmore-Jones finished in 11.07 to take 14th place, Biba Guest was 25th in 11.26, Martha Harris placed 69th in 12.53, Anaiya Patel was 73rd in 13.14, Isla Birch 75th in 13.17, coming 6th in their age group. Seb Palmer showed that back-to-back races work for him claiming victory in the U13 boys race in 9.30, Finley Anslow was 63rd in 11.43 and Elijah Enwerem placed 67th in 12.08. To place them 12th in their age group.
Kiki Guest was 27th in 15.04 in the U15 girls race, Maya Rosa Jelic Ramesh was 46th in 15.50, Phoebe Bridgen 47th in 15.51, Clara Butler-Montero 50th in 15.59, Erin-Mia Nash 53rd in 16.04, Alice Cattell 62nd in 16.56, Amiyah Pal 63rd in 17.00 and Charlotte Rogers 76th in 18.49, good enough for an 8th place finish in the age group. Overall, the club placed 5thon the day and are 5th overall after two races.
There was another win for Dan Maskew in the Mad Jack’s 5 at Attingham Park, those that know the course will appreciate how tough this is finishing through Mad Jack’s Pond where competitors run through still water that is approximately 0.5 metres deep. Dan crossed the line 30 seconds clear of 2nd place in an impressive 29.10 setting him up nicely for the first race of the cross-country season.
Our marathon duo went back in time to record a couple of impressive times in the Athens Marathon, advertised as The Authentic, as if others are just poor copies. Dave Joynson came home in 3.34.37 in 1513th place, with Gill Mitchell finishing on the right side of 17000 runners in 5.58.22.
And finally, more news from across the pond where Louise Hackett came 11th in the season finale at the NIRCA, the National Intercollegiate Running Club Association, national cross-country championships in Hershey, Philadelphia. Although not on top form she was able to help her team to a 3rd place finish by being the 2nd counter, and it was well worth the effort with the team prize being a giant Hershey chocolate bar.
Dave Norman
