The year may have changed but the situation is still the same, no “New Year, New Me” for athletes from Wolves & Bilston. The first muddy fields of the year were at Betley Farm for those from Staffordshire and in Shrewsbury for our Shropshire residents for the county cross country championships.
Although almost in Cheshire rather than Staffordshire, and a long way up the M6, a small group travelled north and brought home some medals, nice chunky medals to commemorate 100 years of Staffordshire AAAs. Alice Cattell was 15th in 16.54 in the U13 girls race, Rocco Hawley claimed a silver medal in 12.29 in the U13 boys event. Jack Stockton bagged another silver medal for the club in the U15s in 15.38, with Will Hughes placing 5th in 16.25. Megan White grabbed a bronze in the U17 girls race crossing the line in 28.22. And in the Senior men’s race there was an 8th place finish for Louie Lambeth in 34.26, Ben Foster was 23rd in 36.20, Garry Palmer was 46th in 38.56, Joe Flatley placed 72nd in 43.08, Dave Norman was a place behind in 73rd in 43.21 and Stu Whitehouse finished in 50.46 to take 85th place. There was enough for a full team of 6, just, and this was good enough to place them 6th overall.
There was more success for the club in the Shropshire County Championships where Beth Rawlinson led the field home to win the ladies title finishing in a time of 24.41.
And there was more marathon action, this time in the Winter Enigma Marathon in Milton Keynes where runners had to complete multiple laps of Caldecotte Lake, it’s a big lap but even so… Dave Joynson was 2nd in 3.30.57 and Gill Mitchell finished in 20th stopping the clock in 6.06.41.
Dave Norman
