Monday 15 April saw the return of the club Cross Country, and also the return of high winds, hail and wintry showers. For the seniors, our timing could not have been worse! One day after Manchester Marathon and the Incline Race; a day before the inter-club Derby Runner League; and a week before London Marathon. The field of runners was diminished, but congratulations to Dan Haworth taking the win, with John Thorpe first Vet 40 and Dennis Holmes first Vet 60.
But the evening was really all about our junior runners, and it was great to see so many tackling the wet, muddy and hilly course – for many their first Cross Country and even their first ever race. And despite the threatening weather throughout much of the day, we were treated to a couple of dry hours and MAC-blue skies for the race.
At the younger end of the club, our under 12 racers ran a single lap with a brilliant win for Nancy Dumphy-Wraith in the girls’ race, followed by Emily Jones and Rezi Mettam. In the boys’ race Toby Bussell bagged the win, just seconds ahead of Oliver Jones with Henry Birkett in third.
In the under 16 category, Beth Galletly scampered around two laps to take the girls win; for the young chaps Will Croft took the win with Pascoe Reynolds in second and Jacob Jones bagging the third place.
Our 16+ runners tackled the full three lap course with brilliant wins for Caspar Reynolds and Amelia Gerrelli in the male and female categories.
The Cross Country was the first race in our 24-25 Junior Grand Prix, and with a mixture of distances and terrains ahead, there are some tight battles on the cards in forthcoming months.
We finished the evening with some rehydration and carb loading at the Three Stags, during which prizes were awarded to the winners from last year’s Grand Prix. Congratulations to those that competed last year:
Under 12 girls winner: Emily Jones
Under 12 boys winner: Ronnie Wood (2nd Oliver Jones, 3rd Toby Bussell)
Under 17 boys winner: Stephen Addleton (2nd Jacob Jones, 3rd Daniel Addleton)
