Saturday 8th December 2018

Peter Shaw

In the first race of the day JACK SPARK gave us a great start taking his 3rd county cross-country title in winning the U13 boy’s race and with OSCAR SCHOFIELD (4th) and FREDDIE MEREDITH (5th) we retained the team title by a comfortable margin. JASMINE REED had a great run to finish in the bronze medal position in the U13 girl’s race and with twins SARA & AVA CLOUGH won the county team title. We also won the B and C team categories due to fine runs from CARMEN SAFRANAUSKAS, HOLLY NEWTON, IZZY APPLEBY, ELLA GILLESPIE, IRIS Mc CARRON and SHONA WILKINSON.

KATIE STRINGER was a clear winner of the U15 girl’s race to add to the County Schools Title she won earlier this year. OLIVIA BROWN had her best ever cross-country race to finish 4th and with IZZY BURKE as 3rd counter we finished runners-up in the team race. We finished 1st in the B and C categories due to fine runs by AKIRA EDGSON, AVA TAYLOR, OLIVIA NOLAN, JASMINE STOCKTON, LIBBY HILL and LUCY ARMITAGE.

In the U15 boy’s race BOBBY RIGBY had his best ever race to finish 1st counter and led the team to bronze medals with ALEX JAMES and WILL PARKER our other counters. In the U20 race AINE CUNNINGHAM was individual champion in her first cross-country race this winter.

The senior women were also champions thanks to DANIELLE FEGAN, ELLEN DOWNS and JULIET DOWNS with Danielle the individual champion and Ellen the bronze medallist. The Gold medal senior men were NATHAN HARRISON (3rd), GAZ RAVEN, KEN HUNT, SAM ASPINWALL. Including the senior men and women’s races, Sale Harriers won four team titles and four individual titles.

Nathan Harrison won Bronze and Gaz Raven in 4th, was 1st Vet. also a great run from Ken Hunt in 6th and Sam Aspinwall in 11th. Well done to Senior Men Bronze in third place for the B Team. Alex Bradford, David Rich, Chris Donnelly and Richard Edwards. A great comprehensive win for Aine Cunningham in the Under 20 Women, with Chiara Young battling through to 5th after missing 2 weeks, it could have been 2nd on normal form.

Shaun Gee ran to a strong 4th in the Men's Under 20's race and our 2018 National Women's Champions carried on for another convincing win with a really strong individual win from Danny Fegan, with Ellen Downs not too far behind taking the Bronze, and young sister Juliet in 7th place. The B team of Jane Thomas, Lydia Briggs and Helen Armitage, just missed matching the men for Bronze Medal Team, by 2 points and 23 seconds. More photos can be seen at Darkstar Photos care of Dave Greenwood.

Saturday 1st December 2018

Peter Shaw

After the 3rd fixture of the MACCL at Woodbank Park many of our young athletes are in medal winning positions. JACK SPARK remains unbeaten in the U13 boy’s age group. We also remain unbeaten in the team race and look certain to win the team title. Our team consisted of JACK SPARK, OSCAR SCHOFIELD and FREDDIE MEREDITH whilst JOSH COLQUHOUN-LYNN, MATTHEW GARNER and JACK BATTEN won the B team category.

Out U13 girls’ team remain unbeaten and again look certain to retain the team title we have held for four years. Our team consisted of SARA & AVA CLOUGH and JASMINE REED whilst ELLIE GILDART, ANNABELLE BYGRAVE and IZZY KERRISON were 1st B team. Out U15 girls’ team also remain unbeaten and again look certain to win the team title. Our winning team consisted of NIAMH BOYD, JASMINE STOCKTON and OLIVIA BROWN whilst LIBBY HILL, OLIVIA NOLAN and LOUISE HOBSON won the B team category.

Our U15 boys’ team look likely to finish 3rd in the overall team championship. In this match our team of ALEX JAMES, WILL PARKER and WILL STANWAY finished 3rd whilst LUKE CHINOY, JAMES KNOCKTON and ZAC GAILLEMIN finished 2nd B team. In the U17 women’s team LAURA HOLE, MIA GIBBONS and NINA WILLIAMS finished 3rd team and could still win the team title.

Our U11 girls’ team of EVA KARALIUS, CHARLOTTE BISCOF and BETH TITTENSOR were beaten by one point by WESPA FIRE from the Wirral and are joint overall leaders with Stockport. We’re also comfortable winners in B and C team categories. Well done to ISOBEL HALL, AVA BYGRAVE, IMOGEN HILL, MADDY HOLT, MEGAN JOHNSON and MADELEINE CHINOY. A clash with the Primary schools League with Crossford Bridge weakened our U11 boys’ team although BEN KEELEY, FRASER SINCLAIR and LIAM O’BRIEN ran well to finish 4th out of 15 teams whilst out B team of JAMES O’BRIEN , MATTY CULLEN-BROWN and TONY HUNTLEY won their category. At full strength, we can still medal in this age-group with silver medals being the possibility.

The next match is at Heaton Park on January 12th when girls’ team manager LISA FLETCHER will be hoping for teams to take a step closer to a historic clean sweep of all the girl’s league titles. 

Saturday 10th November 2018

Young Athletes

Peter Shaw

JACK SPARK was the club’s star with his 2nd win in the U13 boy’s event and, with JOSH COLQUHOUN-LYNN and OSCAR SCHOFIELD, again won the team race. We also won the B team competition with GEORGE NOBLE, MATTHEW GARDNER & JACK BATTEN.

SARA CLOUGH had a fantastic run to finish 2nd in the U13 girl’s race. JASMINE REED can be well pleased with 5th after a lengthy lay-off due to injury and with AVA CLOUGH having a great run in 6th place, we had a comfortable team win, beating Northern Relay Champions Stockport Harriers. We also won the B team competition. Well done to CARMEN SAFRANAUSKAS, ANNABELLE BYGRAVE, HOLLY NEWTON and IZZY APPLEBY.

Out U15 girl’s team had a great day. Led home by LAURE KIDIKULE in 4th place, we finished in both 1st and 2nd team placings. Well done to AVA TAYLOR, OLIVIA NOLAN, JASMINE STOCKTON, AKIRA EDGSON and LIBBY HILL. In the U15 boy’s race, we finished 3rd team and 2nd in both B and C competitions. Well done to WILL STANWAY, JOTHAM BENABENI, LUKE CHINOY, ROBBIE RIGBY, WILL PARKER, BEN DARGAN, ARCHIE Mc CARRON and HARRY EDMUNDSON.

It was particularly encouraging that 20 members of the Primary section represented the club in the U11 races. In the girl’s race, EVA KARALIUS had a great race to finish 3rd and, with CHARLOTTE BISCHOF and IMOGEN HILL, finished 2nd team only one point behind Stockport Harriers. We did have the satisfaction of winning both the B and C team categories. Well done to LILY OLDALE, BETH TITTENSOR, LIZ SINCLAIR, ISOBEL HALL, AVA BYGRAVE, STEFFI BERNDT de La O, LALI BROWN, EMILIA SOUTHWARD and ANNABELLE AYGYROPOULUS.

In the U11 boy’s race, we showed tremendous strength in depth to finish six runners in the first fifteen in a field of 77 runners representing seventeen clubs. We finished third A team and first in both B and C team competitions. Well done to BEN KEELEY, TOM HOBSON, FINLAY GOODARD, LIAM O’BRIEN, JAMES O’BRIEN, JOE SPARK, GEORGE DAVIS, MATTY CULLEN-BROWN and NOAH GRANDAGE

In the U17 age group well done to GEORGE SAFRANAUSKAS, ALEX ARMSTRONG-BOND and LAURA HOLE.

Seniors

Dave Rodgers

Senior Men wins for A, B & C teams B team 7th Overall.

Women 3rd again but with wins for B & C teams in 6th & 12th of all 74 teams.

Both Men and Women's "A" teams move to 2nd in the league table.

Veteran Men beaten in to 2nd for A, B & C teams by Salford, and are now 3rd in the league table.

Veteran Women won A, B & C teams again and were 5th & 15th overall for B & C.

Chiara Young was 3rd U20 woman with a Senior win for Aimee Pratt, 3rd L35 for Harriet Hamilton, 3rd & 4th L40 for Helen Armitage and Clare McCarron, Anne Chinoy 2nd L45 & Jackie Cordingley 2nd L55. Shaun Gee 4th U20 man. & Euan Gilchrist 4th Senior with Matt Barnes being 1st Vet.

Saturday 3rd November 2018

Dave Rodgers

At the ECCA National CC relays in Mansfield, there were some great runs.

The Senior Women were 4th in 2015, ust missing the medals, with Jenna, Katie and Sonia. Last year as young first year Seniors Emma and Ellen along with Megan Davies, were 11th. Again this year they were just short of the medals with 5th place and closing in on the medals to the line, with Emma TilleyEllen Downs and Sonia Samuels.Next year we can win it. There was strong competitive racing in the B team from Lydia Briggs, Julia Reynolds and Sarah Goulden.

The Junior Women were on course to win medals again as in 2017. As Juliet Downsand Aine Cunningham, took the team to 4th place,but with no 3rd runner after losing some a few days before, which couldn't get replaced, the opportunity was lost.

The Under 17 women took Bronze medal. Lara Crawford on first leg put them in a very good position which was our fastest time but against quality opposition, handing over in fourth. Jessica Spilsbury improved our position to second place with a very good run. Stephanie Moss brought us home in Bronze position for a fine team Bronze in a competitive age group.

Under 20 men's team also evaporated in the few days before the race, but Pat Magner ran first leg, just behind the leaders, whilst battling Alex Sutton, 2nd Claim member and also part of the Wythenshawe training group, to the line.

Disappointingly the Men's team were decimated a few days before hand also. Euan Gilchrist had a good run on the first leg catching ex Sale runner Jack Crabtree, on the line. Phil Robertson and James Wignall maintained position with solid runs, leaving Rob Fairbanks to step up from the B team into a new world for him, losing a few places in the initial rush, Rob then more than held his own with a good run.

Glenn Savage

Saturday 27/10/2018, Long Eaton

West Park Leisure Centre, Long Eaton was again the venue for the British Masters Cross Country Relays, with a flat and fast 3k circuit for the runners to whizz round.

The recent unseasonal mild temperatures gave way to a bitingly cold wind as winter announced its arrival, but the races were as hot as ever.

First up were the ladies races.  Our W35 team got off to a fine start, with Harriet Hamilton coming home in 3rd place with an excellent 11:53 leg (7th fastest V35 of the day).  It was never going to be easy to remain in medal contention against the cream of the country’s veterans despite the fine efforts of Sinead Roche (13:24) and Tracey Taylor (14:07), but the final placing of 12th was a very creditable result with such a high standard field on show.

We managed to field 2 teams in the W45 race, and there were high hopes for our A team, led off by team manager Anne Chinoy, fresh from her selection to represent England Masters over 10k in Birmingham next year.  Improving on last year's time, Anne's 12:17 was good enough for 4th place (8th fastest V45 of the day). Further excellent runs from the evergreen Jackie Cordingley (13:22 for 5th fastest on her leg even though a W55!) and Helen Reagan (13:53) resulted in a great 8th place! 

The B team consisted of Carla Ousey (13:52), Lynda Rowlinson (14:13) and Marinda Breddy (16:24); all three girls putting in a great performance to finish 13th

It was a great turnout by the ladies, but they again were left to lament the lack of a 3rd W55 runner to complement Jackie and Lynda, which would almost certainly have ensured medals for a complete trio. However, this would have left the W45 teams short, which does highlight the difficulty in selecting Masters’ relay teams and the need to juggle with athletes from different age categories to put out the strongest teams possible.

At the same time as our ladies were running, our M65 team were trying to improve on their fine 6th place from last year, and it was a determined effort from the same trio.

Mike Curley has proved himself to be one of the quickest M65 runners in the country, but found himself in an incredibly competitive first leg, with Salford’s Stanley Owen setting a blistering pace.  Mike’s 12:38 was nevertheless a superb effort.  Further great runs from Mike Dunne (14:35) and Geoff Beattie (14:38) helped secure the team a fine 5th place.

Our M35 team were next up.  Matt Oldham had the misfortune of falling at the start of the first leg, but recovered well enough to run an excellent 10:40 in 17th place.  Rob Fairbanks, who along with Matt was using this as a warm-up for the following day’s Oldham Half Marathon, also had a great run with 11:05, continuing his great form.  Rob Marsden, hindered by a recent glute injury, ran gamely to record 13:28.  Another recent recruit, Richard Clancy, showed he is recovering well from recent illness problems with a brilliant 10:44.  The team was completed by M55 runner, Glenn Savage, running a solid 11:42 following an injury hit few months as he brought the team home in 14th place.

Our M55 team was decimated by withdrawals and Glenn having to make up the M35 team, so it was left to club stalwart Frank Cordingley to run as our sole runner in an incomplete team.  Another one blighted by recent injury/illness problems, Frank’s 13:11 was a fine effort indeed.  It is worth mentioning that Frank made himself available to run in younger age group teams if needed, typifying the kind of spirit we need.  So take a bow Frank!

In summary; no medals, but good solid team performances all round, and certainly something to build on for next year.  Maybe we will acquire the medals our veteran runners are capable of in the spring road relays.

Regardless of results, a great time was had by all who made the journey to Long Eaton; and the team spirit and camaraderie was there for all to see.  Roll on next year!