Whilst 2 Harriers make their
final preparations to run for Team GB at the European XC Championships in Italy
this coming weekend, almost 60 Harriers of all ages were out competing hard
last weekend. 7 Harriers were crowned Somerset County Champions at Saturday’s
XC Championships held at Blaise Castle, Bristol, with a further 7 gaining
silver or bronze medals. On Sunday 30 or so seniors were out competing at the
Full Monty 10 mile race with the Harriers again winning the team prize along
with a number of individual prizes.
The County XC Championships
were combined with a Gwent League fixture and consequently there were very
competitive fields at all age groups. The course took in woodland and short
hills as well as brief stretches of mud and flat parkland. First off in the
novices race over 1.6km was 10-year-old Matthew Cole who came in 10th.
In the U’13 girls race Jessica Wood won the County bronze medal with her run
over 3km, finishing 13th overall. The U’13 boys race saw George
Harris storm away from the other Somerset qualified athletes to win gold
despite carrying an injury from an accident sustained just 48 hours earlier.
Street’s Lewis Lynham judged his race well to finish 4th, with
Cameron Rafferty in 6th and Reuben Whitcombe, making his Harrier
debut, in 9th for the County.
In the U’15 girls race
Leighanna Chappell picked up bronze, and Lizzie Hart was 5th. Then
in the u’15 boy’s race over 4.3km Charlie MacLean ran well for County silver
and Ben Venus bronze, finishing 2nd and 4th respectively
in the entire field. Tom Thick and Louis Curtis also competed well finishing 23rd
and 34th overall. The U’17 women’s race over 5km saw Laura Parker
once again win County gold finishing 6th in the field; and the U’20
women’s race saw Kyra Hawkins pick up silver over the same distance.
In the senior women’s race
over 6km, in a field of almost 150 athletes, there were stacks of medals by the
competing Harriers. Jenny Moore was 2nd Somerset athlete home in 17th
place overall but was first F35 and so gained County gold, whilst Welsh
International Claire Martin was not far behind in 20th place overall
and was 3rd Somerset- qualified athlete so took silver in the senior
women’s category. Tina Backwell was next home for the Harriers with a strong
run to win gold in the F45 category, with membership secretary Angela Thomas
once again picking up a gold medal – this time as 1st F55. Debbie
Keeble completed the Harrier women contingent with her steady run to 2nd
F35 and silver.
Tom Lock was 2nd
in the U’17 men’s race over 6km, whilst his father Les went one better in the
senior men’s race of 10km to achieve County gold as 1st M50. With
the Harrier’s squad of internationals focussing on other forthcoming races,
Steve Masters was 1st Harrier home in the huge field of almost 300
runners from a huge area. He finished 52nd overall and as 1st
V40 from the County won gold. Not far behind was Andrew Deamer in 64th
who gained silver in the same age category. Stuart Marsh was 2nd V50
for silver in 166th place, with Club chairman Paul Chadwick
finishing in 187th just outside of the medals but looking to race
again the following day at the Full Monty. Geoff Cole made his Harrier debut in
245th place and Adam Hawkins closed the team with a gutsy run.