Gloucester League finale is memorable one for Savery

The proposed course, renowned for being perfectly flat and wet underfoot, looked more like a lake and as a result the course was amended to incorporate shorter laps - three for the ladies and four for the men.

Savery made light of the soggy conditions, however, to come home in 31:46, nearly a minute-and-a-half clear of second-placed Ben Price (33:07) from Cheltenham & County Harriers.

Savery was followed by William Kirk-Wilson (28th, 35:48), Brian Miller (32nd, 36:05), Steve Howes (36th, 36:35), Craig Bower (43rd, 36:49), Steven Roberts (67th, 38:20) and Alex Montgomery (101st, 42:19) as the senior men finished in fourth position and the masters’ men claimed third.

Leamington’s under-13 boys’ team, meanwhile, claimed first place overall on the day to earn silver in the league series.

Kieran Chahal led the boys home in an excellent third position, closely followed by Alex Ibbs (5th) and Greg West (8th). Tim Virr followed in 11th, with Toby Loveday 14th and Alistair Robinson 16th.

Dominic Priest, in his first season at under-13 level, finished a pleasing 19th while Ben Illsley struggled on the muddy course, coming home 25th.

Chahal also gained an individual bronze in the league to underline his improvement over the season.

In the under-15 boys’, Freddie Loveday was seventh, while team-mate Lara Murray continued her comeback from injury with a 19th in the under-13 girls.

Janet Mee was the only Leamington representative in the ladies’ race, coming 58th in 35:27.

Six ladies and five men from Kenilworth Runners took part at Plock Court

The ladies’ team, minus two of their counters (Marie Voice through illness and Jayne Mumford, who was running the Midland Masters Cross Country on Sunday) was strengthened by Sam Starvis and Deborah Butler making their cross country debuts for the club.

Ladies’ captain Sara Habib was first home for the club in a fine 29th, clocking 31:44.

She was followed by Starvis (38th, 32:37), Butler (51st, 34:24), Sheela Kennedy (55th, 34:44) and Pauline Dable (71st, 37:54), with Lizzie Dixon failing to finish.

The team were 11th overall on the day and the tenth veteran team.

Dable won a silver medal as the second V60 lady in the series.

In the men’s race, Roger Homes (54th in 37:46) led the veteran team home. He was followed by Jimmy Atkins (79th, 38:57), Martin Smith (117th, 43:36), Tom Dable (136th, 48:38) and Stef Shillington (137th, 50:03).