Harrier Frank Tickner’s progress at the European XC Championships in Portugal on Sunday was being monitored by the team of over 40 Harriers competing at the County XC Championships held at the University of Bath on the same day. It inspired the team to win an incredible total of 23 medals.

The County Championships were combined with those of Avon, and Wiltshire, so as to make for competitive fields in the various age groups. The top headline at Bath was probably made by one of the Harriers Team England women internationals, Laura Parker, who won the women’s race with front running from gun to tape. In addition to Laura’s Gold, the Club had a further 4 junior gold medallists and 4 veteran gold medallist.

 

 

Proceedings got underway with the Minor Girls race for u11s, which was held as a non-championship race so as to encourage younger runners. Harriet Fox, despite only being a Year 5 pupil up against many a year older, won the bronze medal over the 1.9km course with a great display of gutsy running. In the following u13 girls race, over 2.9km, Lucy Baldwin for the Harriers set off and paced her race to perfection to finish Somerset Gold medallist with team mate Amy Darcy not far behind for silver. In the U13 Boys race we also had a Somerset 1-2 with Sam Somerville finishing just behind the first Avon athlete and just in front of team-mate Luke Prior. Sam’s time was 9.44 and Luke 10.01 for the 2.9km course.

 

It was the same double medal winning story in the u15 age groups over a 3.8km course, with the club’s reigning English Schools champion, Emily Smith, having a great race for 1^st Somerset athlete in a time of 13.43. Team-mate Rebecca Carver won the bronze, with Abigail Gibbons just missing out. New signing Georgie Hoff ran well for her first time out in a Harrier vest to be 7^th Somerset, and Hayley Carver completed the first ten home for Somerset.

 

In the u15 boys, Matthew Dickinson continues to get back to his form of the summer with winning Somerset gold, just behind Team Bath’s Alex Carter who won the Avon gold. Matt’s time of 12.05 was followed by an excellent 12.51 by team-mate Oliver Fox who gained the Somerset bronze. Oliver will have another year in this age group. As will Charlie Martin who was 6^th Somerset athlete, 9^th overall in the combined race, just 4 seconds ahead of team Mate Phillip Bridge. Ben & Tom Baldwin also had excellent debuts in a team event for the Harriers with their clockings of 14.01 and 14.06 following up good runs from the mid-week Street race.

 

Sam Bedford and George Harris won Somerset silver and bronze respectively in the u17 men’s race over 4.7km. Sam’s time of 22.02 being just 3 seconds ahead of his team mate. Sam Harding with 25.17 was next in for the Harriers and Reuben Whitcombe toughed it out despite under the weather to finish.

 

Laura Parker was pleased with her workout over the 6.6km course in the women’s race and sees the County Gold medal winning performance as a good stepping stone to the big regional championships in January, including the South of England races at Parliament Hill on January 29^th. Also running well and medalling for the women were Jenny Moore, 2^nd for Somerset and 1^st F45, Katerina Prior, 3^rd and 1^st F35, and Claire Thomas, 4^th Somerset and 2^nd F35.

 

In the final, men’s, race over almost 10km, Elliot Haimes was the Somerset silver medallist in a time of 33.50, with team-mate Robert Dennes in 4^th, just ahead of Andrew Deamer, 1^st V40 who finished in 37.11, with Simon Prior 2^nd V40. Nick Somerville was 1^st V50 with Paul Chadwick and Rex Whitcombe 2^nd and 3^rd amongst the V50s. Clive Harwood was 1^st V60 and Pete Wright 3^rd V60. Geoff Cole completed the team entry by running well.

 

For many of the Harriers, Sunday’s race was their 3^rd in a week following on from the Street 5km race last Wednesday and the previous weekend’s Gwent League fixture at Blaise Castle when 50 Harriers of all ages had competed. See the Harrier website for positions and times at these races. Members are reminded about the social event being held on Monday December 27th and that training arrangements over the Christmas period are also detailed on the website www.wellscityharriers.org.uk