Leamington C&AC reign on home mud

Leamington C&AC hosted the 2013 Warwickshire Cross Country Championships at Newbold Comyn last Saturday and were rewarded with nine medals across the ten different age groups.

The course, taking in the famous Beacon Hill and the water-filled ditch at least once for all runners, was wet and muddy after the recent heavy rain and proved to be tough throughout.

The star of the show for Leamington was Dan Wilkinson who led from start to finish over a 3,000m course to win the under-13 boys’ race in 13min 9sec.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He also led home the team for his second gold medal as Kieran Chahal underlined his improvement to finish third in 14:02 and William Eadon 12th in 14:34.

Alex Ibbs just missed out on a team medal by coming home 13th in 14:39.

Selected others: 23, Ben Hawkes (15:32); 25, Tim Virr (15:38).

The day started with a combined 5,000 race for the under-17 and under-20 ladies, with Megan McDonald (under-17) taking third in 25:33 and Kat Taylor (under-20) tenth in 31:48.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The ladies’ seniors and masters race resulted in two medals for Leamington’s Monica Williamson.

Williamson finished seventh over the 6,000m course in 28:32 to earn third place in the masters race and help herself, Sue Harrison (11th, 29:14) and Jenny Jeeves (26th, 32:16) to masters gold.

Masters athlete Imogen Peace was the first Kenilworth Runner home, with her time of 29:41 earning her 15th position.

Leamington C&AC senior Zara Blower was the next runner home in 30:22.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Selected others (Kenilworth Runners unless stated): 27, Tina Clemmensen (Leamington C&AC, 32:22); 34, Becky Smith (33:25); 35, Angela Chahal (Leamington C&AC, 33:33); 37, Emma Fulcher (Leamington C&AC, 33:52); 43, Marie Voice (34:55); 47, Sally Hicks (35:18); 55, Janet Mee (Leamington C&AC, 37:13); 64, Carol Blower (Leamington C&AC, 39:35); 65, Sara Monahan (39:55); 68, Pauline Dable (40:29); 76, Sam Moffatt (46:40).

Paddy Roddy and Matthew Elkington represented Kenilworth Runners in the under-20 men’s race which was held alongside the under-17 event.

Roddy ran excellently to finish fifth under-20 (12th overall, 26:50); just a place and five seconds ahead of Leamington C&AC’s Callum Hanlon.

Elkington also had a great run to come home tenth under-20 (22nd overall, 27:35).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the under-15 boys, Dean Mawby was the leading Leamington runner in ninth (17:52).

Selected others: 14, Sam Wadsworth (18:15); 20, Lloyd Ellis (19:11); 21, Matthew Woodhouse (19:13); 24, Gabriel Higgins 24th (19:43).

C&AC’s Charlie Davis worked his way through the field in the under-17 men’s race but missed out on gold despite closing down on the leader as the line approached.

He was left to settle for silver in a time of 23:52, with team-mates Jack Savage (13th, 28:05) and James Sadler (14th, 28:35) joining him in earning a team bronze.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Selected others: 17, Ben Kimberley (29:08); 21, Bryn Morgan (29:20); 22, Tristan Warren (29:22); 24, Jonathon Brown (29:38).

Charlie’s younger sister, Issy, coming back to form after a recent illness, ran strongly in the under-15 girls’ and finished just out of the medals in 18:33.

However, with good team backing from Rebecca Lord (17th, 21:14) and Asha Chakrabarti (18th, 21:28) she had the consolation of a team bronze.

In the youngest girls’ age group - under-13 - only two C&AC athletes took part, with Georgia Clarke 17th in 16:30 and Amy Savage 19th (16:33).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The seniors and masters men made up the largest field of the day and it turned into something of a procession for Coventry Godiva Harriers as they filled the top five positions.

Andy Savery, running his first cross country for Leamington, stayed strong to finish sixth in 36:06.

Jamie Langley was the only other Leamington senior, coming home 18th (14th senior) in 38:03.

Kenilworth Runners men’s team captain Phil Gould defied a slight hamstring niggle to finish 12th and earn himself consideration for a county vest.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Behind Gould there was a good battle between clubmates Stuart Hopkins and Jim Sawle for 20th position, with Hopkins (38:24) finishing just ahead of Sawle (38:31).

Selected others (Kenilworth Runners unless stated): 56, Brian Miller (Leamington C&AC, 42:42); 59, Craig Bower (Leamington C&AC, 42:47); 63, Pete Bryan (43:04); 72, Richard Steel (43:42); 73, Roger Homes (43:43); 76, Mick Williams (44:09);79. Mike Denney (Leamington C&AC, 44:24); 96, Steve Roberts (Leamington C&AC, 45:42); 97, Paul Caruana (Leamington C&AC, 45:43); 98, Chris Simkiss (46:01); 108, Pete Taylor (Leamington C&AC, 46:48); 125, Nathan Stratton (49:23); 126, Barry Elkington (49:26); 134, Stan Alexander (50:06); 137, Adrian Mawby (Leamington C&AC, 50:27); 144, Graham Roberts (Leamington C&AC, 51:36); 160, Mark Hall (55:30); 161, Tom Dable (55:58); 163, Stef Shillington (56:38); 170, Mick Aston (Leamington C&AC, 60:29).

Related topics: