Harriers in National XC competition – Jan 2007
The latest round of the UK’s premier XC series, the Reebok XC Challenge, took place on Saturday Jan 20th at Cardiff with a number of the top Harriers once again competing. Best position on the day was by one of the Club’s senior Team GB athletes Ben Tickner who has spent the winter competing on the XC circuit close to where he is studying at Birmingham University. Ben was 6th in 33.05 behind the winner, former GB international Ben Noad who ran 32.23.
Ben and his younger brother Frank, also now studying at Birmingham, expect to cross swords again with Noad next Saturday Feb 3rd at the British University’s XC Championships being held at Bath University. That race also doubles as the trial for this year’s World XC Championships to be held in Mombasa, Kenya, in March. Both Ben, in 2005, and then Frank, in 2006, have competed for Team GB in the World XC Championships over the past two years. We wish them both well at Bath.
Also expected to compete at Bath will be the Harrier’s Pete Grist, 41st at Cardiff, and Andrew Baker, who recently ran along with Frank Tickner at the European XC Champs in Italy last November.
Other Harriers competing at Cardiff included senior woman Claire Martin, 31st in 27.31; U’17 woman Laura Parker who ran well for an excellent 11th place in the field of 89 in that age group; and Alex Wiltshire, 9th in the u’15 boys race with his time of 16.22 just 30 seconds or so down on the winner.
Also out competing on Jan 28th, were father and son duo Les and Tom Lock, and Tracy Halliday and Kaye Franklin. Whilst Tom won the u’17 men’s race at the Sidmouth XC race in a nippy time of 16.32 over the 2 lap course, the other three were running for medals in the SW Veterans Championships. Les finished 5th overall, 2nd V50, with his time of 34.05 for the 4 lap distance. In the women’s race, Shepton’s Tracy Halliday finished 9th, 2nd F40, and Baltonsborough’s Kay Franklin was 13th overall, 1st F60, in times of 32.111 and 39.03 respectively.
Meanwhile, on the road, Jenny Moore has been continuing her preparations for the London Marathon with a victory in the Milborne 10 mile road race in a time of 63.19 for the undulating course. Jenny was one of a number of Harriers that recently attended a workshop on preparing for a Spring marathon organised by the Club’s senior coach Clive Thomas and the Club’s top marathon Man, Adrian Marriot.
Good luck to all the junior Harriers competing at this Saturday’s (Feb 3rd) Schools XC Championships at Millfield.