Northern Cross Country Championship

Saturday, 26th January 2008

 

This being my first full season doing cross country racing, I had no idea what to expect coming into my first experience of a big race.

 

Most of the team travelled by coach but I was off to the annual dinner of the Pinnacle Club, (a national ladies climbing club), in the Peak District that evening so took my car.  I printed off directions from the NOEAA website.  I know how to get to Leeds, (I've been to the Climbing Wall there lots of times), but had no idea where Roundhay Park was.

 

Unfortunately, the directions appeared to send me almost to York, (along the M62 then the A1), before back into Leeds - an extra 30 miles from the first exit I had seen for Leeds.  Then I couldn't find anywhere to park my car, time was ticking away and I was starting to panic....

 

When I finally met up with the club, the girls (Julie C, Kath and Carmel), were very pleased to see me as they were starting to think that there were only going to be three of them - we needed four to make up a ladies team.  Since it was very windy, we weren't allowed to pitch the club hotel tent.  So everyone huddled around a tree for shelter.  (Obviously an oversight by the organisers having the race headquarters in the windiest part of the park!)

 

Our race went at 12.25pm.  It was a very well organised mass start with 100 pens spread across the field.  We were to start in pen 93.  When the gun went everybody filtered in together.  Luckily the ground was pretty firm.  The course itself consisted of a lap of the field followed by a loop of the park followed by an even larger loop of the park, (the men had to do this loop twice).  The loops had a steep descent followed by a steep ascent towards the end.  The ascent provided a great spectator vantage point.  I now know this hill to be called "Hill 60" - allegedly the top speed reached when tobogganing down the slope!

 

As I came round to the big hill for the second time, somebody shouted, "Work your arms, Joanna".  I had got into battle with Bev Wright from BW&FAC and was determined not to be overtaken at the top of the hill where I have a habit of not picking up speed quick enough - I knew the finish was not far away.  My only grumble was that there was no "Finish" sign and I wasn't quite sure how far I had to go.  Luckily, I saw it just in time and was able to sprint for the line.

 

The race was a step up from running in Mid. Lancs races - the course was taped all the way round, there was sand on the footpaths that you had to cross and it was a slightly longer distance, (Carmel measured it at 4.75 miles), making an excellent event. There was also a lot more women taking part - 290 finishers.

 

The men's race went at 2pm.  Nearly 700 men took part in this.  After watching the lap of the field, we went to the steep hill to watch the men coming up it.  First up for Wesham was Charlie "the Gazelle" closely followed by Alex.  By the time some of our later runners were coming up the hill for the first time, they were already being lapped by the leaders who were making it look very easy.

 

For so many people taking part, the event was brilliantly organised - loads of ladies toilets with little queue, (lots of bonus points), marshals everywhere and a great course.

 

Results

Ladies

1 Gemma Miles 27:04 (Kendal AC)

96 Joanna Goorney 33:24

155 Carmel Sullivan 35:39

164 Julie Cruise 36:12

191 Kath Hoyer 37:07

 

Team - 23rd out of 30

 

Men

1 Dave Webb 37:07 (Leeds City AC)

91 Charlie Pass 42:55

156 Alex Rowe 45:13

163 Gary Pendlebury 45:21

215 Les Cornwall 46:50

295 Derek Buckley 48:57

316 Trevor Raynor 49:29

330 John Collier 49:43

352 John Bertenshaw 50:11

358 Alan Glasgow 50:16

401 Dave Waywell 52:26

536 Mark Midgley 56:12

631 John Sharples 56:12

652 Mike Walsh 66:44

 

Team - 18th out of 53

 

Written by: Joanna Goorney

Submitted: 13th February 2008

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor