Derby Runner Cross Country League 2006/07

Sinai Park, Burton-upon-Trent

Sunday 18th February 2007

PHIL CHRITCHLOW and Liz Cocks secured the individual titles at the final round of this seasons Derby Runner Cross-Country League held at Burton-upon-Trent’s Sinai Park.

In the Men's race, defending league champion Phil Chritchlow secured his third victory of the series to successfully retain his title. The 39-year-old Beaumont athlete crossed the line over the tough and demanding five-mile course in a time of 32:06 to finish ahead of Hinckley's Chris Jordan (32:52) and Leicester Owls Jason Williams, third in 33:19.

Liz Cocks was made to fight hard for her second series victory as fell-running specialist Sally Newman representing Wreake put in a strong performance to challenge the Birstall athlete to the line with Cocks holding the advantage to win in a time of 36:16, 13 seconds clear of Newman. Hermitage’s ever-improving Gemma Steel was third in 37:56.
Leading Results:
Men
1 P Chritchlow (Beau) 32:06; 2 C Jordan (Hinck) 32:52; 3 J Williams (Owls) 33:19; 4 J Walker (Shelt) 33:21; 5 G Burnett (Shep) 33:31
Team:
1 Hatton 179pts, 2 Wreake 195pts, 3 Hinckley 275pts, 4 Ivanhoe 428pts, 5 Shelton 436pts, 6 Leicester Owls 490pts
Women
1 L Cocks (Birst) 36:16; 2 S Newman (Wreake) 36:29; 3 G Steel (Herm) 37:56; 4 A Caven (Owls) 39:29; 5 D Pearson (Ivan) 39:57
Team:
1 Wreake 46pts, 2 Hatton 64pts, 3 West End 70pts, 4 Shelton 71pts, 5 Birstall 74pts, 6 Ivanhoe 85pts
Combined Team:
1 Wreake 181pts, 2 Hatton 184pts, 3 Hinckley 325pts, 4 Ivanhoe 386pts, 5 Leicester Owls 396pts, 6 Shelton 400pts
Overall:
1 Wreake 77pts, 2 Hatton 76pts, 3 Hinckley 325pts, 4 Leicester Owls 69pts

Full results are available on the following link: www.hattondarts.co.uk
The 2007 National Final takes place at Shipley Park, Heanor, on Sunday 11th April.

Birmingham & District Cross Country League 2006/07

Pittville Park,Cheltenham

Saturday 17th February 2007

MARK POWELL secured the overall individual title at the final round of the Birmingham & District Cross Country League at Cheltenham’s Pittville Park.

The 28-year-old inform Owls athlete has produced a series of fine cross country performances in 2007 after claiming his first senior Leicestershire County title in January and securing a well-deserved Bronze medal at the Midland Championships in Stafford and has now added the prestigious Birmingham title to his collection in what is by far the most competitive domestic cross country league in the United Kingdom with inclusion of the powerhouse university teams of Birmingham and Loughborough in the roaster.

Race victory went to Coventry’s Matt Lole in a time of 30mins 06secs finishing almost half-a-minute clear of second placed Jon Pepper representing Birmingham University (30:34), with Powell third in 30:37.

Loughborough students, despite the squad suffering with a flu epidemic that resulted in them fielding a weaken team were led home by Gavin Smith in 12th place in a time of 31:46.

In the team events Birmingham won the title with Tipton Harriers second, Loughborough third and the Leicester Owls in fourth.

Full results available on the following link: www.birminghamccleague.co.uk/images/Div1_17Feb2007_results.pdf

Charnwood Hills Race (The Bowline)

Anstey, Leicestershire

Sunday 4th February 2007

TIM HARTLEY secured his fifth Bowline title with an impressive performance at the 21st Anniversary staging of the Charnwood Hills race that takes place over what is arguably the toughest and most demanding cross country course in Leicestershire.

The course is also by far the most picturesque, held over the beautiful landscape of the Charnwood National Forest taking in both the surrounding area of Bradgate Park and Beacon Hill as the out and back 15 mile route winds it’s way across the challenging terrain.

For Hartley, the 38-year-old Notts AC athlete, here representing his second claim club Barrow this victory marked his fifth success in the event over the past six years, the only previous time he failed to win was back in 2003 when he was beaten by the British duathlon champion Martin Yelling, husband of fellow international Liz Yelling

A week after winning a Silver medal at the Midland Cross-Country Championships at Stafford, Hartley hit the front from the mid-way point and never looked to be challenged as the Loughborough athlete pulled away from the field to take a comfortable victory in a time of 1hr 22mins 28secs, finishing just over a minute-and-a-half ahead of Beaumont’s Phil Chritchlow, second in 1:24.04.

Harborough's Peter Swaine, runner-up twelve months ago, was third in 1:24.24, just 19 seconds ahead of Stilton Strider’s Chris Southam, who claimed the Vets overall title. Hartley’s fine winning performance also gave Barrow the team prize.

In the Women's race, victory went to Kirsty Whigham representing Wootton Road Runners in a time of 1:34.02, as the winner of 2006 Luton Marathon finished over a minute clear of defending champion Zoe Fleming (1:35.21) and third placed Liz Cocks of Birstall (1:35.45). Fleming, representing her second-claim club, Bowline, also led them to the team title.
Leading Results:
Men
1 T Hartley (Barr) 1:22.28; 2 P Chritchlow (Beau) 1:24.04, 3 P Swaine (Harb) 1:24.24; 4 C Southam (Stilton, M40) 1:24.43; 5 P Harwood (Leam) 1:25.30; 6 P McKnight (Unatt) 1:26.23; 7 C Mattocks (Wootton) 1:26.35; 8 M White (Team Tri) 1:27.14; 9 M Bridges (Owls) 1:27.34; 10 C Hanney (Hunc) 1:28.14; 11 D Pearce (Leics Cor, M40) 1:28.40; 12 C Gallagher (Wootton) 1:28.48; 13 L Tomlinson (Herm) 1:29.05; 14 G North (Barr, M40) 1:29.23; 15 P Gregory (Herm) 1:29.45; 16 D Bailey (Milton K) 1:30.29; 17 M King (Birst) 1:30.46; 18 I Paramore (Barr, M40) 1:30.59; 19 J Maddocks (Wreake) 1:31.13; 20 S Costall (Harb, M40) 1:31.32
Teams:
1 Barrow, 2 Wootton, 3 Wreake
Women
1 K Whigham (Wootton) 1:34.02; 2 Z Fleming (Bowline) 1:35.21; 3 L Cocks (Birst) 1:35.45; 4 E Marvin (Des) 1:40.37; 5 S Haines (Harb) 1:42.58; 6 A Caven (Owls) 1:43.59; 7 L Kelly (W End) 1:45.41; 8 G Vaughan (Beau, W45) 1:46.21; 9 D Pearson (Ivan, W45) 1:46.22; 10 L Clough (Wigan Phoenix, W35) 1:46.25
Teams:
1 Bowline, 2 West End, 3 Desford

Full results available on the following link: www.charnwoodrace.f9.co.uk/

European Champions Clubs Cup Cross Country 2007

Istanbul, Turkey

Sunday 4th February 2007

TARA KRZYWICKI led the English national champions Charnwood AC to a seventh place finish at the 2007 European Champions Clubs Cup Cross Country meeting held in Istanbul, Turkey.

Former british steeplechase record-holder Krzywicki was the highest placed of the Charnwood quartet over the three-lap 6km course in the Turkish capital as the 32-year-old finished in 13th place with a time of 21mins 13secs, she was followed by Jane Potter in 26th place with 22:02 and twin sister Juliet in 31st position in 22:20, Catherine Hutton completed the team in 37th place with 23:07.

Individual victory went to Rosa Morato representing Valencia in a time of 20:12 as the Spanish squad finished in third place overall, team victory went to the Maratona Clube de Portugal led by Analia Rosa with a combined total of 14pts, ahead of the Moscow team.

Loughborough based Charnwood, who gained selection as the English National Cross Country champions and on the back of their fine team performance at the UK Cross Challenge race in Liverpool, finished in 7th place with 70pts.

In the Men’s 10km event Chris Birchall was the highest placed finisher for the Leeds City Athletics Club in 42nd place with a time of 31:56 as the Yorkshire team finished in 12th place with a combined points total of 209.

Individual victory went to Alberto Garcia representing the C.A. Adidas club from Spain in 29:20, finishing ahead of team mate Ayad Lamdassem as they comfortably won the team championship.
Leading Results:
Men (10km)
1 Alberto Garcia (C.A. Adidas-ESP) 29:20; 2 Ayad Lamdassem (C.A. Adidas-ESP) 29:38; 3 Gabriele De Nard (GS Fiamme Gialle-ITA) 29:41; 42 Christopher Birchall (Leeds City Athletic Club-GBR) 31:56; 57 Darren Bilton (Leeds City Athletic Club-GBR) 32:29; 60 Gregory Hull (Leeds City Athletic Club-GBR) 32:46; 61 Michael Burrett (Leeds City Athletic Club-GBR) 32:47; 62 Adam Osbourne (Leeds City Athletic Club-GBR) 32:48
Team:
1 C.A. Adidas-ESP-12pts; 2 GS Fiamme Gialle-ITA-29pts; 3 Athletisme Legion Etrangere-FRA-60pts; 4 Kocaeli Büyüksehir Belediyesi-TUR-68pts; 5 Istanbul Büyüksehir Belediyesi-TUR-88pts 6 Grupo Conforlimpa-POR-92pts; 7 Daring Club Leuven Atletiek-BEL-135pts; 8 AK Kromeriz-CZE-163pts; 9 Hasselby SK-SWE-174pts; 10 Clonliffe Harriers-IRL-185pts; 11 SK Vidar-NOR-188pts;
12 Leeds City Athletic Club-GBR-209pts
Women (6km)
1 Rosa Morato (Valencia C.A. Terra i Mar-ESP) 20:12; 2 Marina Ivanova (Club Moscow-RUS) 20:13; 3 Analia Rosa (Maratona Clube de Portugal-POR) 20:14; 13 Tara Kryzwicki (Charnwood Athletic Club-GBR) 21:13; 26 Jane Potter (Charnwood Athletic Club-GBR) 22:02; 31 Juliet Potter (Charnwood Athletic Club-GBR) 22:20; 37 Catherine Hutton (Charnwood Athletic Club-GBR) 23:07
Team:
1 Maratona Clube de Portugal-POR 14pts; 2 Club Moscow-RUS 15pts; 3 Valencia C.A. Terra i Mar-ESP 22pts; 4 Jaky Tech Apuana-ITA 45pts; 5 Hasselby SK-SWE 50pts; 6 SK Vidar-NOR 62pts; 7 Charnwood Athletic Club-GBR 70pts

Further details and full results are available on the official web-site at: www.eccc2007istanbul.org/

LII Cross Internacional de Donostia

San Sebastian, Spain

Sunday 28th January 2007

LIZ YELLING stepped up her preparations for April’s Flora London Marathon where she hopes to hit the qualifying time for the IAAF World Championships in Osaka later this year, with a well-deserved third place finish at the LII Cross Internacional de Donostia Meeting in San Sebastian, Spain.

The 33-year-old Loughborough based Commonwealth Bronze medallist was just edged out into third place by Tanzania’s Zakia Mrisho recording a time of 17mins 56secs over the 5.624km course in the race that witnessed a fine victory for sister-in-law Hayley Yelling in 17:51, the 2005 European champion who has already been pre-selected for the Great Britain team that will compete at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya, on March 24th.
Leading Results:
Women (5.624m)
1 Hayley Yelling (GBR) 17:51; 2 Zakia Mrisho (TAN) 17:55; 3 Liz Yelling (GBR) 17:56; 4 Ana Dias (POR) 18:07; 5 Marta Domínguez (ESP) 18:12; 6 Nebiat Habtemariam (ERI) 18:23; 7 Judit Pla (ESP) 18.28; 8 Iratxe Aranburu (ESP) 19:28; 9 Cristina Petite (ESP) 19:51; 10 Beatriz Santiago (ESP) 20:03

Full results available on the following link: www.rfea.es/web/resultados/desarrollo.asp?codigo=991

Midland Cross Country Championships 2007

Stafford Common

Saturday 27th January 2007 - Updated

LEICESTERSHIRE athletes collected a trio of individual medals at the Midland Cross Country Championships 2007 held in very muddy conditions at Stafford Common.

Tim Hartley and Mark Powell secured hard fought Silver and Bronze medals in the Men’s Senior 12km race, while Leicester Coritanian Georgie Brookes won a brilliant Silver in the Under-13 Girl’s race.

Victory in the Men’s race went to British international Billy Farquharson representing Notts AC in a time of 40mins 16secs, he was followed by team mate Tim Hartley, second in 40:24 and the reigning Leicestershire County champion Mark Powell running in the colours of the Owls, third with 40:48.

Powell’s solid Bronze medal performance gained the Leicester Owls the runners-up position in the Men’s team event collecting the Silver medals behind the powerful Notts AC squad. The Wigston based club’s team comprising of Powell, Steve Platts, 12th in 42:36, James Boxell, 15th with 42:44, Chris O’Neill, 17th in 42:52, Gordon Lee, 20th with 43:19 and Tom Meakin in 28th place in a time of 44:05.

There were also team Bronze medals for Charnwood AC in the Under-17 category and top six finishes for Under-15 Lewis Smart representing the Owls and Notts Ashley Sabin in the Under-20 race.

Michelle Ross-Cope representing the City of Stoke AC, currently third in the UK Cross Challenge standings, won the Senior Women’s 6km title in a time of 26:04 ahead of Telford’s Kim Green, second in 26:23 and third placed Wendy Jones of Cirencester (26:30).

For Charnwood AC Juliet Potter was their highest placed athlete in 4th place in a time of 26:32, however, with Jane Potter finishing in 5th (26:42) and four-times champion, Tara Krzywicki in 6th position (26:52) respectively, backed by Leicestershire County champion Hannah Whitmore in 8th with 27:28, the Loughborough based club comfortably retained the team championship title, their seventh success over the past eight years, a result that bodes well for next weekend’s European Champion Clubs Cup event that takes place in Istanbul, where Charnwood will represent Great Britain, where the squad will be joined by Catherine Hutton.

The other highlight came in the Under-13 race where Georgie Brookes representing the Leicester Coritanian club was on top form as she has been all season to collect a very well deserved Silver, finishing second to Rebecca Robinson of Royal Sutton Coldfield over the 3km course in a time of 12:53.

Brookes fine performance was backed by team mates Freya Vincent (13:05), Megan Fairbrother (13:09) and April Beeby (13:26) who all secured top ten places to collect team Gold. And there was more success for the Coritanian’s as Sara Dias, Emily Orton Jasmine Mellor and Tilly Abraham finished in third place.

All eyes will now turn to the BUSA (British Universities) Championships that incorporate the IAAF World Trials that take place at the UK Athletics High Performance Centre at Bath University next Saturday 3rd February.

Full results are available on the following link: www.midlandathletics.org.uk/mcaa_005.htm

XIX Cross Internacional Ayuntamiento de Camargo-Punta de Parayas

Milan, Spain

Sunday 21st January 2007

BENITA JOHNSON finished her European campaign on a high taking victory at the XIX Cross Internacional Ayuntamiento de Camargo-Punta de Parayas in Milan, Spain, in a time of 18mins 20secs.

The 27-year-old Australian finished well clear of Loughborough based Brit Liz Yelling (19:29), commenting afterwards: “I had a good run today. I felt good as soon as I started so thought I'd get things rolling straight away,“It was a tough course with real cross country-type hills filled with gum trees.”

Busy preparing for the Flora London Marathon, Johnson has returned to Melbourne before leaving for a Falls Creek training camp which concludes in mid February. She then returns to her ‘second home’ London in late March and will compete in the Berlin Half Marathon on April 1st. The much anticipated Flora London marathon will take place on April 22. Although the London Marathon is currently her main focus, she still has her sights set on qualifying for the IAAF World Championships in the 10km.

Midland Masters Cross Country Championships 2007

Perry Park, Birmingham

Sunday 21st January 2007

GARETH DEACON and Clare McKittrick both made successful Gold medal winning Masters debuts despite the very wet in wet and windy conditions at the Midland Masters Cross Country Championships held at Perry Park, Birmingham.

Deacon from the Coventry Godiva club, the Leicestershire County champion in 1991 and 2000, claimed victory in the M40 category after finishing third overall in the Men's race behind winner Ian Furness, representing Dudley who won by a margin of eight seconds ahead of Staffordshire Moorlands' Andy Wilton in a time of 27mins 45secs, Deacon finished in 28.18 to take the M40 Gold, both Furness and Wilton were competing in the M45 category.

Welsh international Rob Sheen representing Leicester Coritanian’s was fourth overall in 28:24 to secure M45 Bronze, while Leicester Owls Irish Masters international Des Martin narrowly missed out on an M50 medal, finishing fourth and 16th overall in a time of 31:04.

In the Women's 5.7km race, victory went to Sharon Orridge representing Notts AC as she won the F40 category in a time of 20:17, with Charnwood’s Clare McKittrick, who turned 35 on January 18th, finished second in 20:53 to take the F35 Gold. Team mate from Charnwood, Nicki Thompson, in her first race for several weeks because of illness, was fourth overall in 21:55 to claim the F35 Silver medal.

Derby Runner Cross Country League 2006/07

Castle Hill Park, Beaumont Leys

Sunday 21st January 2007

BRITISH marathon international Beth Eburne defined a bad cold and a loose shoelace to stamp her class with a comprehensive victory in the latest round of this seasons Derby Runner Cross-Country League held at Castle Hill Park, Beaumont Leys on the outskirts of Leicester.

Eburne is fast becoming one of the United Kingdom’s brightest prospects on the road with a Team GB debut in Toronto back in September last year and several high profile victories in various domestic races including the opening LRRL event at Barrow the previous weekend and here in her first cross country race since the March of last year the 25-year-old Hinckley athlete was a class apart as she simply blew the field apart to take victory in a time of 36mins 37secs, finishing well over two-minutes clear of second placed Liz Cocks representing Birstall and Hermitage's Gemma Steel, third in 40:09.

In the Men's race, defending league champion Phil Chritchlow secured his second victory of the series, and now looks firm favourite to retain his title.

The 39-year-old Beaumont athlete crossed the line in a time of 34:23 to finish ahead of Hinckley's Chris Jordan (34:19) and Leicester Owls Patrick Devine-Wright, third in 36:00.
Leading Results:
Men
1 P Chritchlow (Beau) 34:23; 2 C Jordan (Hinck) 35:19; 3 P Devine-Wright (Owls) 36.00; 4 A Baker (Owls) 36:08; 5 P Gregory (Herm) 36:22
Team:
1 Hatton 235pts, 2 Wreake 263pts, 3 Owls 341pts, 4 Hinckley 374pts, 5 West End 406pts
Women
1 B Eburne (Hinck) 36:37; 2 L Cocks (Birst) 38:47; 3 G Steel (Herm) 40:09; 4 S Newman (Wreake) 40:37; 5 E Marvin (Des) 41:51; 6 D Pearson (Ivan) 42:44
Team:
1 Wreake 52pts, 2 Shepshed 61pts, 3 Shelton 76pts, 4 Birstall 87pts, 5 Hatton 94pts
Combined Team:
1 Wreake 235pts, 2 Hatton 245pts, 3 Leicester Owls 318pts, 4 Hinckley 351pts, 5 West End 376pts

Full results are available on the following link: www.hattondarts.co.uk
The next fixture in the series takes place at Sinai Park, Burton-upon-Trent, on Sunday 18th February 2007.

LXIV Cross Internacional Juan Mugueiza

Elgoibar, Spain

Sunday 14th January 2007

TARA KRZYWICKI finished in 13th place at the 64th edition of the Cross Internacional ‘Juan Muguerza’ cross country meeting held in the northern Spanish town of Elgoibar in the Province of Gipuzkoa.

In the Women’s race Ethiopian Mestewat Tufa edged out compatriot Bezunesh Bekele in a tight finish taking victory by a four-second margin in a time of 20mins 37secs, Charnwood’s Tara Krzywicki was part of a strong British team headed by Chorley Harrier Vicky Gill who claimed a top ten finish in 22:20, she was followed by Sophie Morris from the Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow club in 12th place in 22:33, with Krzywicki just one second behind in 22:34. Mountain running specialist Victoria Wilkinson from Bingley Harriers finished in 19th place in 23:11.

In the Men’s race Ethiopia’s Sileshi Sihine took an unchallenged victory as the 2006 World Cross Country long race Silver medallist beat Spain’s reigning European 10,000m Silver medallist Chema Martínez by a comfortable margin of 18 seconds.
Leading Results:
Women (6.470m)
1 Mestawet Tufa (ETH) 20:37; 2 Bezunesh Bekele (ETH) 20:41; 3 Jessica Augusto (POR) 21:04; 4 Aniko Kalovics (HUN) 21:13; 5 Rosa Morató (ESP) 21:38; 6 Nebiat Habtemariam (ERI) 21:44; 7 Leonor Carneiro (POR) 21:45; 8 Diana Martín (ESP) 21:58; 9 Judith Pla (ESP) 22:12; 10 Vicky Gill (GBR) 22:20; 11 Claudia Pereira (POR) 22:32; 12 Sophie Morris (GBR) 22:33; 13 Tara Krzywicki (GBR) 22:34; 14 María José Pueyo (ESP) 22:37; 15 Fernanda Miranda (POR) 22:49; 16 Iratxe Aranburu (ESP) 23:02; 17 Marta Fernández (POR) 23:05; 19 Victoria Wilkinson (GBR) 23:11; 19 Ana Burgos (ESP) 23:14; 20 Maria dosé del Toro (ESP) 23:31

Full results available on the following link: www.rfea.es/web/resultados/desarrollo.asp?codigo=949

Visit Scotland Great Edinburgh International Cross Country Race

Holyrood Park, Edinburgh

Saturday 13th January 2007

LIZ YELLING and Felicity Milton were both in action up against a world-class field at the Visit Scotland Great Edinburgh International Cross Country Race that was held in very blustery conditions at Holyrood Park in the Scottish capital, the venue where in 2008 will see the staging of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, writes Mark Woolley.

In the Women’s 6.7km race victory went to defending champion Gelete Burka of Ethiopia as she used her taller rivals for shelter in the gale-force conditions and waited until the last kilometre before making a decisive move to cross the line in a time of 23mins 25secs. The reigning world cross-country short course champion made her move on the last hill, powering away from fellow Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu and Australia's Benita Johnson. Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya stormed through in the last 400m to take second place ahead of Johnson.

Loughborough based Liz Yelling finished in 9th place in 24:21 as the 32-year-old Commonwealth Marathon Bronze medallist led the British challenge over the line fourteen seconds clear of European Junior champion Steph Twell.

Rutland's Felicity Milton, who as with Yelling was part of the successful Senior Team GB that won Sliver at the European Championships in San Giorgio su Legnano, Milan, back in December, finished in a very creditable 13th place in a time of 24:54, producing a good solid performance for the 19-year-old Durham University student considering the very high quality opposition.

Loughborough graduate and resident, Sonia Thomas, from the Sale Harrier’s club finished in 14th place in 25:03. Commonwealth 1500m champion Lisa Dobriskey finished 16th in 25:12 as she reflected on the race as more of a training run.

In the Men’s 4km Britain's Mo Farah was out sprinted by Sergiy Lebid, the six-time European champion shadowed the Gothenburg 5,000m Silver medallist from the halfway point before striking for home over the final 200m. Lebid, deprived of a seventh European cross-country title by Farah last month, won by a margin of 20 metres, while two-time runner-up Mike Skinner was third.

Farah’s team mate at Newham and Essex Beagles, Leicester’s Moumin Geele, ran a strong race to finish in 6th place in a time of 12:48. Loughborough student Chris Warburton finished in 12th place as the 23-year-old Notts AC athlete recorded 13:02.

There was further success for Ethiopa when world number one Kenenisa Bekele claimed victory against an elite field in the Men's 9.3km race.

The five-time world champion produced one of the most amazing displays ever seen at this level when, with three laps remaining, he simply blew the field away as the 24-year-old Olympic and World 10,000m champion extended his sequence of cross-country victories to 26 since losing to Haile Gebrselassie in December 2001.
Leading Results:
Men 4km
1 S Lebid (Ukraine) 12:20, 2 M Farah (GB) 12:21, 3 M Skinner (GB) 12:25, 4 N McCormick (GB) 12:43, 5 G Murray (Ireland) 12:43, 6 M Geele (GB) 12:48, 7 A MacLean (GB) 12:51, 8 M Barnes (GB) 12:54, 9 M Pollard (GB) 12:54, 10 B Bene (Hungary) 12:59, 11 R Silva (Portugal) 13:00, 12 C Warburton (GB) 13:02, 13 J Mellor (GB) 13:05, 14 G Comish (GB) 13:05, 15 R McLeod (GB) 13:08
Men 9.3km
1 K Bekele (Ethiopia) 28:14, 2 Z Tadesse (Eritrea) 28:24, 3 E Kipchoge (Kenya) 28:51, 4 F Joseph (Tanzania) 28:52, 5 G Gebremariam (Ethiopia) 29:00, 6 D Ritzenhein (USA) 29:02, 7 S Bairu (Canada) 30:34, 8 A Letherby (Australia) 30:35, 9 C Rooney (Ireland) 30:43, 10 T Abyu (GB) 30:51, 11 J Ward (GB) 30:53, 12 G Thompson (GB) 30:54, 13 R Ribas (Portugal) 31:00, 14 A Jones (GB) 31:05, 15 P Lopez (Spain) 31:10, 16 L Dobriskey (GB) 25:12
Women 6.7km
1 G Burka (Ethiopia) 23:25, 2 V Cheruiyot (Kenya) 23:34, 3 B Johnson (Australia) 23:34, 4 M Melkamu (Ethiopia) 23:36, 5 A Thompson (Australia) 23:54, 6 F Britton (Ireland) 24:00, 7 A Rosa (Portugal) 24:08, 8 T Holovchenko (Ukraine) 24:11, 9 L Yelling (GB) 24:21, 10 S Twell (GB) 24:35, 11 J Wilkinson (GB) 24:47, 12 B Uslu (Turkey) 24:53, 13 F Milton (GB) 24:54, 14 S Thomas (GB) 25:03, 15 O O'Mahoney (Ireland) 25:08

North Midlands Cross Country League 2006/07 – Race No. 4

Wollaton Park, Nottingham

Saturday 13th January 2007

JULIET POTTER and Tom Bell were the major winners at the final round of the North Midlands Cross Country League held at Nottingham’s Wollaton Park, the venue for the UK Cross Challenge Inter-Counties race.

Potter, the British Under-23 international representing Charnwood returning to form after recent injury problems faced the strong challenge of Lincoln’s Blue Haywood and Catherine Foley of Nene Valley, and in a tight finish the top three runners were separated by just five seconds with Potter edging out the hugely talented teenager Haywood by only two-seconds in a time of 21:14 over the line. In the close finish Haywood was second in 21:16 with Foley just metres behind in 21:19.

Potter’s victory combined with 6th place Clare McKitterick (22:10) and Catherine Tomaney in 11th (22:45) gave Charnwood the team victory on the day, but the defending champions lost their overall team crown to Redhill Runners, this due in part to their athletes commitments at national and international level where the Loughborough club have found it difficult to field a full team at the North Midlands fixtures over this season.

For Tom Bell this season has seen a brilliant set of performances for the Leicester Owls athlete, he collected the Under-17 individual overall title in real style with another comprehensive victory to complete a clean sweep of the victories with a 100% winning record. Here in Nottingham the Leicestershire County 800m champion claimed victory in a time of 19:38 to finish ahead of Derby’s Tom Bishop (20:04) and Robert Love representing Amber Valley, third in 20:13.

In the Men’s race victory went to Rob Birchall representing the host club of Notts AC, as the 36-year-old finished ahead of Derby’s Alex Pilcher in a time of 33:31. The RAF’s Matt Blunden was third for Notts in 34:50 as they won the overall league championship title for 2006/07. Richard Lee was the highest placed Charnwood athlete finishing in 8th position in 36:04.

Full results are available on the following link: www.northmidsxcleague.co.uk/event_4_0607.xls

Birmingham & District Cross Country League 2006/07

Coundon Park, Coventry

Saturday 13th January 2007

FRANK TICKNER, the winner of November’s UK Cross Challenge race in Liverpool won a tight but compelling race in the latest round of the Birmingham & District Cross Country League at Coventry’s Coundon Park.

Tickner, the 23-year-old Birmingham University student from the Wells City Harriers club out sprinted Loughborough’s Andy Baker and Matt Lole representing the host team of Coventry to take victory in a time of 28mins 44secs in a fine competitive race.

Baker, the 2006 British Universities 5,000m Bronze medallist who represented the Junior Norwich Union Great Britain team at the recent European Championships in San Giorgio su Legnano, Milan, finished in the runners-up position just one second ahead of Lole in 29:10.

Leicester Owls inform Mark Powell, (pictured above) one week on from his fine victory at the Leicestershire County Cross Country Championships claimed fourth place in a time of 29:11 as he guided the Wigston based club to a solid third place finish behind Birmingham and Tipton. His self belief and confidence over recent weeks very evident as the 28-year-old now heads the individual overall standings in what is regarded by many as one of the strongest and most competitive domestic men’s league’s in the United Kingdom.

Owls strong third place finish in Coventry was completed by Steve Platts 16th, James Boxall 24th, Geraint Davis 28th, Chris O'Neil 29th and Tom Meakin 31st.

With Loughborough missing the likes of Chris Thompson, Tom Carter and Chris Parr, and with Chris Warburton away on international duty in Edinburgh their challenge was led by Baker and their only other top twenty finisher, Basildon’s Daniel Shane, who claimed 11th position in 30:16 as they had to settle for fourth place overall.

All eyes will now turn to the Midland Cross Country Championships at Stafford Common in two-weeks time followed by on Saturday February 3rd the (BUSA) British Universities Championships and World Trials in Bath.

Full results are available on the following link:
www.birminghamccleague.co.uk/images/Div1_13Jant2007_results.pdf

Nottinghamshire County Cross Country Championships 2007

Ashfield School, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire

Saturday 6th January 2007 - Updated

JANE POTTER followed in the footsteps of twin sister, and reigning champion Juliet, by winning the Women’s senior title at the Nottinghamshire County Cross Country Championships held at Sutton-in-Ashfield, thus ensuring the Potter family grip on the trophy.

Over the 8km course around the playing fields of Ashfield School, Jane, the 25-year-old British international representing Charnwood AC was in a class of her own as she finished over two minutes ahead of Long Eaton’s Sharon Orridge taking victory in a time of 27:42 to ensure that the title stays on the Potter family mantelpiece for another year.

Orridge, the winner of the 2004 Everards Leicester Half Marathon, had to settle for second in 29:58 as Jane’s team mate from Charnwood Catherine Tomaney claimed third place in 30:56.

In the Men’s 10km event two of the United Kingdom’s leading British internationals and Notts AC team mates went head-to-head as Billy Farquaharson narrowly defeated the current Loughborough University student Chris Warburton, the 2006 British Universities indoor 1500m Gold medallist, by just two seconds as Farquaharson claimed the title in a time of 35:18.

Full updated results are available on the following link: www.nottsaaa.org/Notts_AAA_Cross_Country_Champs_2007.htm

UK Cross Challenge Series 2006/07

Stormont Estate, Belfast

Saturday 6th January 2007 - Updated

TARA KRZYWICKI opted to miss the Leicestershire County Cross Country Championships to wear the vest of England at the Belfast International meeting, the latest leg of the UK Cross Challenge Series held at the Stormont Estate.

The 32-year-old Charnwood athlete produced a strong performance in a very high quality world class field as she finished in 10th place in the Women’s 5785km race with a time of 20mins 59secs, just one place behind fellow steeplechase specialist and Loughborough resident, Sale Harriers Sonia Thomas, who recorded 20:51.

The race was as expected dominated by the powerful African contingent with victory going to Ethiopia’s Etalemehu Kidane in a time of 19:29, the 23-year-old former World Junior 3,000m Bronze medallist out sprinted compatriot Teyiba Erkesso in the latter stages to win by a narrow margin of four seconds.

Kate Reed of Bristol and West and Tipton’s Phil Nicholls were top finishing Brits in Belfast. Reed finished fourth in 19:45, and Gemma Phillips of Kendal was 7th in 20:22.

Nicholls led home the British male interest in 10th position over the 9575m race won by Ugandan Moses Kipriso in 28:20. Gavin Thompson from Crawley, combined with Altrincham’s Jason Ward and Alan Buckley of Gateshead finished in 11th, 12th and 13th respectively. Loughborough's Chris Thompson finished in 36th place in 32:26 and Leicester Owls James Boxell was 39th in 32:29.

European Cross Country representative Olivia Kenney (sister of Loughborough University's Laura) was the leading British athlete in the Under-20 Women’s race, which was held alongside the Senior Women’s event. The Sutton Coldfield athlete was the second junior to finish, behind Ireland’s Suzanne Huet.

Nuneaton’s Lee Carey made up for a disappointing run at Liverpool, where he missed out on making the team for the European Cross, by winning the Under-20 Men’s race. Leicester Owls Geraint Davies finished in 20th place in 20:27.
Leading Results:
Men (9575m)
1 Moses Kipsiro (UGA) 28:20; 2 Fabiano Joseph (TAN) 28:22; 3 Patrick Musyoki (KEN) 28:25; 4 Ibrahim Jellan (ETH) 28:33; 5 Tadessa Tola (ETH) 29:12; 6 Jean Ndayisenga (BUR) 30:03; 7 Mindi Pukstas (LTH) 30:04; 8 Gary Murray (IRE) 30:07; 9 Mark Kenneally (IRE) 30:14; 10 Phil Nicholls (ENG) 30:18
Women (5785km)
1 Etalemehu Kidane (ETH) 19:29; 2 Teyiba Erkesso (ETH) 19:33; 3 Mary Wacera (KEN) 19:44; 4 Kate Reed (ENG) 19:45; 5 Cathy Mutwa (KEN) 19:48; 6 Mary Cullen (IRE) 20:02; 7 Gemma Phillips (ENG) 20:22; 8 Binnaz Uslu (TUR) 20:38; 9 Sonia Thomas (ENG) 20:51; 10 Tara Krzywicki (ENG) 20:59

Leicestershire County Cross Country Championships 2007 - Men’s Race

Brocks Hill Country Park, Oadby

Saturday 6th January 2007

MARK POWELL claimed his first senior Leicestershire County Cross Country title with a brilliant and determined performance as he won a thrilling and compelling battle with defending champion Tim Hartley in the very wet conditions at the Brocks Hill Country Park in Oadby, Mark Woolley reports.

In conditions under-foot that mirrored last year’s championships at Burbage, Powell really made his intentions apparent from the start, the 28-year-old Leicester Owls athlete has been in fine form of late building up his miles and strength on the hills of Bradgate Park, he looked determined and focused on the start line and matched Hartley’s early fast pace over the opening lap of the 10km course, the Notts AC athlete has also shown good form recently over the winter with impressive victories on the road at the Shepshed 7 and the Keyworth Half Marathon, however, he began to hurt at the half-way point as Powell running just off his shoulder chased him down and moved ahead to make a decisive break as the second lap began.

As Powell’s determination and confidence grew over the final kilometres the destiny of the title in 2007 was all but decided as he pulled away clear to sprint over the line in a time of 34mins 37secs to take the victory, despite producing a fine competitive performance Hartley looked resigned to the runners-up place as he eased over the final metres to record a mark of 34:42.

Third place went to the hugely talented team mate of Powell at the Wigston based club, Rory Fraser, the 19-year-old Leeds Metropolitan University student, who made his Norwich Union Great Britain debut at the European Cross Country Championship in San Giorgio su Legnano, Milan back in December finished behind Hartley with a time of 36:31 as the Owls comfortably won the team event with Steve Platts in fourth (37:09) followed by the winner of the recent Huncote Hash, Tom Meakin in fifth (37:28).

Powell reflecting on his excellent victory said: “It was a great tussle, Tim made it a good race, I’m pleased to win the senior title for the first time, all the hard work in training is paying off.”

Having recently moved into a house near Bradgate Park with fellow Owls Paul Miles and James Boxell they are copying the Kenyans style of a running environment I remark: “Yes,” he laughs, “Its good for training especially around the hills of Bradgate.”

Powell’s next aim is to give a good account at the Midland Cross Country Championships at Stafford Common on January 27th and then the (BUSA) British Universities Championships that also incorporate the IAAF World Trials on February 4th followed by the Inter-Counties at Nottingham in March where he will line-up alongside Hartley and Fraser to lead the Leicestershire team challenge.

Both Powell and Hartley really combined to produce an excellent true run race over a challenging course with both giving their best with an honest and hard fought battle . . . a fine example of quality cross country racing.
Junior Races

In the Junior 10km race Christian Hanney representing Huncote Harriers claimed the title as he finished ahead of Leicester Coritanian Michael Godrich with a time of 40:42.

Tom Bell, who has all but secured the Under-17 title at this season’s North Midlands League won the same age category race at Oadby by a margin of nine seconds, as the Leicester Owls athlete held off the challenge of Charnwood’s Michael Brind to take the title in 22:01.

Charnwood’s George Buttery triumphed in the Under-15 race, once again this came down to a tight battle with the Owls Sam Stabler and Countesthorpe College’s Lewis Smart for company, with the victory margin being only six seconds at the finish with Buttery recording 15:36 to take the title.

In the Under-13 event victory went to Jacob Kench representing Leicester Coritanians as he narrowly edged out Lutterworth’s Jack Hall by just three seconds with a time of 11:45 in a very competitive and close race.

Full results available on the results page.

2006 SPAR European Cross Country Championships

San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy

Sunday 10th December 2006

MO FARRAH and Steph Twell were the major winners for British athletes at the 2006 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy, as they both won superb individual Gold’s. And there was also success for Team GB’s Junior and Under-23 Women’s team as they secured Gold and the Senior team led by Hayley Yelling won Silver.

This is how the Championships unfolded on a bright sunny clear day in the northern town of San Giorgio su Legnano, Milan, Italy.
Junior Women’s 4.1km

Steph Twell, the 17-year-old Briton became this country's second SPAR European Cross Country Championships junior Women's winner after Charlotte Dale in 2002, covering the 4,100m course in 12:33 to take victory.

Romania's reigning champion Ancuta Bobocel, wearing dark glasses to disperse the mid-morning glare on a sunny winter day took an immediate lead from the gun and was in front of the field by a metre after just 400m but, once the early pace had settled down, Britain's Step Twell and Norway's Karoline Grovdal were soon by her side.

After the first of the main 1875m laps, Twell and Grovdal had a slight lead over Bobocel with Britain's Emily Pidgeon, last year's silver medallist, another two metres further back.

Twell then cranked up the pace from the front in the second half of the race, with only Grovdal able to hang on, before surging again 500m before the line to shake off the Norwegian challenge. Grovdal finished three seconds back for Norway's first ever medal at the Championships.

The 2005 champion Bobocel came home a disappointing third in 12:51, unable to stay with the pace set by Twell over the final 1,500m while Pidgeon, who had six weeks off during the summer with a heal injury, was fourth in 12:59.

Twell commenting after her win said: "I cannot believe I could win today. I’m overwhelmed, I do not know how I can express my feeling. I came here with the goal to finish in the first five. I finished seventh last year. This is the first major of my career, I owe this all to my coach Mick Woods.”

With two runners in the top four, Sian Edwards sixth, and Loughborough University student Abby Westley 10th, Britain easily retained their team title with just 21 points, equalling the lowest total since the scoring was decided by the first four home from 2000. Germany were the surprise Silver medallists with 69 points with Russia third with 76points, led home by Viktoriya Ivanova in fifth place.
Junior Men’s 5.975km

Andrea Lalli responded to the cheers of the home crowd and brought home Italy's first ever individual Gold in San Giorgio su Legnano.

The first European finisher at this year's IAAF World Cross Country Championships comfortably confirmed his standing as the continent's top teenage cross country runner to win by 10 seconds, or approximately 70m.

Lalli covered the 5,975m course in 16:53 and his margin of victory would have been even greater had he not taken the time to wave to the crowd, blow kisses and bless himself over the final 150m.

"I felt very well during the race. I decided to take the lead for the early stages. I had no fear because I had nothing to lose. I tried to take the initiative and run the whole race in the lead and it paid off," said a naturally delighted Lalli.

Ciprian Suhanea came through strongly over the third kilometre to move up to second with Belarus Sergey Chabyarak another five metres further back, but the Belarus runner timed his race well and overtook his Romania rival with one Kilometre to get his country’s first ever medal at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.

Chabyarak finished in 17:03, taking the time to do some celebrations of his own in the final 40m, with Suhanea, who was fifth 12 months ago in Tilburg and still eligible to compete as a junior in 2007, three seconds further back.

Kevin Deighton led the way for Team GB as they finished in fifth place overall. Deighton, the 19-year-old Loughborough University student finished in 16th place overall in a time of 17:30, he was followed by Enfield & Haringey’s Jonathan Pepper finishing in 23rd place with 17:37, Gosforth Harrier Lewis Timmins finished in 28th position in 17:43 as Leicester Owls Rory Fraser on his GB debut finished just two places behind in 30th recording the same time of 17:43, this after leading the challenge for Britain lying in 17th place at half way with a split of 6:16. New Marske’s Ricky Stevenson completed the team in 57th place with 17:59.

Rory Fraser said afterwards: “I’m not pleased. My start was all right; maybe a bit too fast because halfway through the race, I ‘died’. I should have been in the top 20. I’m quite disappointed.”

Italy also collected the team Gold medals with 68 points, helped by an inspired Simone Garibaldi finishing fifth, while Spain just edged out France for the Silver medals, which was decided by tie-break rules as both teams equalled 74 points.
Under-23 Women’s 5.975km

Anie Hoban with a brilliant fourth place finish guided the British Women’s Under 23’s squad to team Gold in Milan.

Hoban, the 22-year-old Wakefield Harrier who attends Providence College in the USA recorded a time of 19:10 to finish behind winner and pre-race favourite Binnaz Usla of Turkey who became the first Under-23 European champion.

Uslu always controlled the race from the front but her victory was not assured until the final 1,500m when she edged away from the eventual Silver medallist, Ireland's Fionnoula Britton.

She eventually put 50m between herself and Britton, covering the 5.975m parkland course, which had drained well after the recent torrential rain and was not as muddy as expected on the cold but bright day, in 18:47.

Britton was the only women to stay with Uslu during the third and fourth kilometres, the pair a complete physical contrast with the stocky and dark Uslu almost the exact opposite to the pencil-thin and fair Britton, who is a sports science student at Dublin College University.

After Uslu made her break, Britton concentrated hard and held her form to finish second in 18:56. Behind the leading pair, there was a terrific race for third. The Netherlands' Adrienne Herzog had a slight lead for the Bronze medal going into the final lap but struggled over the final kilometre to fall back to seventh.

The final place on the podium was only decided in the final 20m when Erismis sprinted past Britain's Hoban to make it two Turkish women among the medals. Erismis was timed at 19:10 with Hoban one second in arrears in her first race in Europe this year.

Loughborough student Laura Kenney ran a fine race to take a top ten place finishing in 8th position as the 21-year-old Royal Sutton Coldfield athlete crossed the line in a time of 19:23.

Birmingham University student Claire Holme secured a top twenty finish in 19th with a time of 19:49 as Havering’s Faye Fullerton in 25th place followed her in 19:55.

Just three places behind in 28th position Charnwood’s Hannah Whitmore on her team GB debut ran a solid race to record 20:04 as Emily Adams from the Aldershot, Farnham & District club completed the GB team finishing just one second adrift in 20:05.

Whitmore commented afterwards: “It was really, really hard work. I was absolutely shattered on the second lap, I was working really hard. But it’s been so good – I definitely want more of it!”

Hoban's disappointment at just missing out on an individual medal was tempered by leading home Great Britain to their second set of team Gold medals on the day, totalling 56 points, getting their scoring four inside the top 25.

Poland were the surprise silver medallists with 65 points with hosts Italy seeing their flag raised once again in third with 96 points.
Under-23 Men’s 8.03km

Hungary's Barnabás Bene proved again that he is Europe's most outstanding young distance runner by winning the inaugural Under 23 Men's event.

He followed up his junior victories in 2004 and 2005 by winning his third consecutive individual Gold medal and doing it in familiar fashion, by being faster than anyone else over the final 400m. He covered the 8,030m course in 23:14, but the time was almost irrelevant as the race essentially was over the three final kilometres

The first lap of the four was conducted at a leisurely place, as most of the main contenders were happy to settle into a steady rhythm. The pace only slightly increased during the third and fourth kilometres and there was still a closely-knit bunch of 22 runners before the first sign of daylight between the leaders and the rest of the field.

The race was decided on the final lap as Serbia's Dusko Markesevic, who was the 2005 SPAR European Cross Country Championships Junior Men's Bronze medal, and Italy's Daniele Meucci, the only European Under-23 under 29 minutes over 10,000m on the track this year, started to do battle seriously.

Over the final 800m the race was down to five men with Anatoliy Rybakov the first to fail to stay with the ever increasing pace being produced by Bene.

However, Bene, Yevgeniy Rybakov, Meucci and Markesevic entered the final 200m before the Romanian-born reigning European Junior Athletics Championships 5,000m produced his familiar devastating finishing kick for home. The older Rybakov, by 90 seconds was rounded first by Markesvic and then Meucci, who were both given the time of 23:16 although the Serbian was a clear Silver medallist.

Team GB were led home by Aldershot’s Andy Vernon in 14th place as the recorded a time of 23:34, Tom Humphries and Loughborough student Andy Baker in 25th and 26th followed with times of 23:54 and 23:55 respectively. Then a posse of GB vests crossed the line as Tom Russell, 40th in 24:08, Rob Bugden, 41st in 24:08, and Matt Ashton in 42nd with 24:10 completed the line-up as the Brits finished in fifth place behind Ireland in fourth.

The Russian team won the Under-23 Men's team Gold medals with 28 points. Italy were a distant second place with 78 points while Poland, with three members of the 2005 Junior Men's winning team in their squad, third with 94 points.
Senior Women’s 8.03km

Tetyana Holovchenko emulated the success of her Ukrainian compatriot Sergey Lebid in recent years by winning the Senior Women’s championships and provided the biggest surprise of the day in San Giorgio su Legnano.

The 26-year-old runner in her only previous appearance at the Championships four years ago she finished back in 50th place, however, she proved everyone wrong by sprinting to victory over the final 200m from Russia's Maria Konovalova.

Konovalova initially pushed the pace over the first two kilometres, holding the inside line with Holovchenko on her shoulder. The pair were a metre ahead of Britain's Jo Pavey and Hungary's Aniko Kalovics, with the rest of the favourites in close attendance just a little further back.

On the second of the four laps, Kalovics made her move although ultimately it was to be in vain and tried to break the opposition.

Konovalova and Holovchenko stayed right behind Kalovics despite her best efforts, although Kalovics still held the lead at 6km, but shortly afterwards Holovchenko, who later admitted she grew in confidence as the race progressed and she started to sense she might have a chance of winning, went past her, taking her Russian rival and Serbia's Olivera Jevtic with her.

Holovchenko, better known as a 1,500m and 5,000m runner who was 10th in this year's European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg over the shorter distance, then used her track speed to determine the outcome and become her country's first woman to get a Gold medal at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.

"I never expected to win. I thought that a place in the top-three was within my reach. It was not a difficult course. I am used to competitions over hilly courses in my country. After this win I have not planned the rest of the season yet."

She covered the 8,030m course in 25:17 with Konovalova, the reigning Russian cross country champion, in the end had to settle for second place in 25:17. Jevtic was a delighted third, for an amazing fifth time, in 25:51.

"I knew I didn't have the finish of many of the other women here. I'm a marathon runner now and it was the only tactic I had on a fast course like this," reflected Kalovics after finishing just out of the medals again in fourth, following her fifth place finish last year.

"I recently did the Tokyo Marathon, where I finished fourth, and I don't think I have fully recovered from that. Next year, I might focus properly on the European Cross Country Championships, I'll keep on running in it until I one day win," said Jevtic.

Hayley Yelling, the European champion back in 2004, and Jo Pavey in 6th and 8th places respectively were the highest placed Brit’s crossing the line with times of 25:28 and 25:38.

Loughborough based Liz Yelling found the race tough going having spent recent months concentrating on marathon training as the 31-year-old Bedford athlete finished in 15th place in 25:56. Bristol’s Kate Reed finished in 18th place in 26:08, and track specialist Helen Clitheroe claimed 29th position in 26:37.

Liz Yelling reflected: I’ve not been able to do enough training to be as fit as I usually am. I’ve had four weeks proper training – not enough time to get the speedwork in. I couldn’t have done any more in this race.”

The sensation of the domestic cross country season in the UK, Rutland’s Felicity Milton, on her Team GB debut ran a solid race, the 19-year-old Durham University running with little or no international experience acquitted herself well to finish in 35th place in a time of 26:49.

Team honours went to Portugal, who packed their four scorers into the top 17 to regain the title they won two years ago with 47 points.

Defending champions Great Britain took the Silver medals with the same number of points but finished lower down the podium because their fourth scorer, Kate Reed in 18th place, finished just behind her opposite number from Portugal, Monica Rosa who finished in 17th place. France took the Bronze medals, as they did in 2004 and 2005, with 69 points.
Senior Men’s 9.95km

The European 5,000m track Silver medallist Mo Farah became only the second British athlete in history, following in the foot steps of Jon Brown who won a decade ago in 1996, to lift the European title with a brilliant individual performance.

The 23-year-old Newham & Essex Beagle won by seven seconds in a time of 27mins 56secs from Portugal's Fernando Silva and Spaniard Juan de la Ossa. He moved ahead at the beginning of the final 1,920m circuit and simply ran away to victory in the 9,950m race. “I had a good feeling today,” said a delighted Farah afterwards.

“I’m perfectly pleased with how it worked out,” Farah continued, whose last podium appearance at a continental cross country championship came in 2001 when he took individual Silver. “I definitely worked hard for it. And it’s been a really good year for me. I’ve been injury free and that’s been the main thing.”

Farah led Britain to fourth place in the team event, with France taking the title from Portugal and Spain. Loughborough University graduate Chris Thompson finished in 24th place in 28:45, Gavin Thompson was 28th in 28:52, Michael Skinner finished 29th in 28:54, and winner of the UK Cross and European trials race in Liverpool, Frank Tickner, was 33rd in 29:07. Andy Vernon pulled out of the race at the 6km point.

Full results are available on the following link: www.sangiorgio2006.org/

Photo by Mark Shearman.

Swithland Cross-Country Relays 2006

Longlands Farm, Swithland

Sunday 3rd December 2006

NIGEL STIRK showed his class to set the standard as Desford Striders men and West End’s women claimed the top prizes at the second annual Swithland Cross-Country Relays held at Longlands Farm in Swithland, Leicestershire.

Stirk, the 34-year-old former Leicestershire County 5,000 and 10,000 metres champion, completed the 4k course in a time of 17mins 59secs, the fastest individual time of the day, to give Desford an unassailable lead over the rest of the field.

They claimed victory in the Men’s four-stage event in a combined time of 1hr 21mins 19secs, more than two minutes clear of their nearest challengers, Stilton Striders ‘B’ team.

In the Women's three-stage race, West End recorded 1:14.33 to take the win by over three-minutes ahead of Huncote Harriers (1:17.47).

The four-stage mixed race was won by Wreake Runners in a time of 1:26.35 from Rutland AC (1:28.50) and third placed Birstall (1:30.38), while the host team of Barrow won the Vet-60 three-stage race in 1:19.38.
Leading Results:
Men
1 Desford 1:21.19 (N Stirk 17:59, Alistair Richards 19:45, John Couling 22:09, Tom Pocock 21:26), 2 Stilton ‘B’ 1:23.36, 3 Welbeck College 1:26.37
Women
1 West End 1:14.33 (Julie McFarland 21:12, Anne Dider 24:44, Liz Taylor 28:37), 2 Huncote 1:17.47, 3 Welbeck College 1:21.37
Mixed
1 Wreake 1:26.35 (Liz Collingham 22:45, Steve Bolton 21:16, Brian Busby 21:36, Mark Bush 20:58), 2 Rutland AC 1:28.50, 3 Birstall 1:30.38
Veterans
1 Barrow 1:19.38, 2 Desford 1:47.50

Full results available on the following link: www.barrow-runners.fsnet.co.uk/

Birmingham & District Cross Country League 2006/07

Plock Court, Gloucester

Saturday 2nd December 2006

BEN TICKNER representing Birmingham University won the second of this season’s Birmingham & District Cross Country League races over the three-lap six-mile course at Gloucester’s Plock Court.

Tickner, the 25-year-old Wells City Harrier and brother of last weeks Liverpool UK Cross Challenge winner Frank, crossed the line in a time of 30mins 36secs to take the victory ahead of Leicester Owls Mark Powell who produced one of his best performances of the autumn cross country season to finish just five seconds behind in 30:41. Mark Williams of Tipton made it a close finish taking third place in 30:45.

Powell’s fine run combined with top twenty places for James Boxell, 16th with 32:33, and Steve Platts 20th in 32:48, helped the Wigston based club to a strong third place finish in the team competition with victory going to Birmingham University ahead of Tipton Harriers.

A slightly under strength Loughborough Students team were in action at Birmingham this due to the fixture clash with the Leeds University Cross Country Relays taking place on the same day and the up-coming SPAR European Cross Country Championships next weekend in San Giorgio su Legnano, where top Team GB athletes Chris Thompson, Andy Baker and Kevin Deighton were all rested ahead of the trip to Italy.

Gateshead’s Chris Parr in fourth place was their top athlete on the day in Gloucester as the 22-year-old Loughborough Students team captain recorded a time of 31:13, this combined with Blackheath Harrier's James Poole finishing with a top twenty place in 17th in 32:36 the Loughborough squad finished in fourth place overall. Their second team did however finish top of the standings in the B league.

Full results are available on the following link: www.birminghamccleague.co.uk/images/Div1_02Dect2006_results.pdf

North Midlands Cross Country League 2006/07

Berry Hill Park, Mansfield

Saturday 2nd December 2006

TARA KRZYWICKI representing defending champions Charnwood AC completed a fine victory at the third fixture of the North Midlands Cross Country League on a day where Leicester Owls Tom Bell all but guaranteed himself the Under-17 championships with his third consecutive win this season, Mark Woolley reports.

Over the same Berry Hill Park course in Mansfield where Krzywicki was an integral part of Charnwood’s fine victory at the Saucony National Cross Country Relay Championships at the beginning of November the inform British international, fresh from guiding Charnwood to qualification for next year’s Istanbul Euro Clubs Championships at the UK Cross event in Liverpool the previous weekend, powered her way to a virtually solo victory as the 32-year-old crossed the line in a time of 21mins 18secs to finish well over a minute clear of Lincoln’s promising junior Blue Haywood.

British Masters international Kate Ramsey, showing signs of returning to full fitness following a viral infection gained a third place finish in 22:37, as the 38-year-old was making her debut in the colours of Barrow Runners, this after recently making the decision to leave Charnwood to represent the club in cross country and road events.

Winner of the previous fixture at Markeaton Park, Corby’s Karen Harewood, the 2006 AAA’s 800m indoor champion had to settle for fifth place in 23:12.

In the team competition victory went to Charnwood as the Loughborough based club finished clear of Redhill and Notts AC, with Claire McKitterick, 19th in 23:41 and Beverley Gray, 17th in 24:22, both securing top twenty places. Harborough’s Sarah Haines also finished well in 20th place in 24:51. Charnwood, however, lie in fourth place in the overall standings behind leaders Redhill, this mainly due to their recent national successes that have prevented them fielding their strongest team in the previous two fixtures.

Tom Bell, the 17-year-old 2006 Leicestershire County 800m champion crossed the line well clear of the chasing field in the Under-17 race to secure his third straight victory, and as with the previous fixtures at Heanor and Derby was in a class of his own winning in a time of 20:54, to finish 25 seconds ahead of Derby’s Tom Bishop, second in 20:47, and third placed Rob Love of Amber Valley (20:58).

Richard Lee was the leading county runner in a very competitive Men’s Senior race, the Charnwood runner finished in a well-deserved sixth place in a time of 29:57 where victory went to Matt Bowser of Lincoln Wellington in 28:40, as the 23-year-old Lincolnshire 5,000m champion finished ahead of the experienced Notts AC athlete Rob Birchall (29:05) and Long Eaton’s Neil Renault (29:12), former British international Billy Farquharson representing Notts AC was fourth in 29:25.

Charnwood’s Mark Cauldwell also secured a top twenty finished in 14th place in 31:16. In the team standings Notts AC won on the day, but Matt Bowers fine victory could not prevent Derby AC from retaining their overall top position ahead of Lincoln.

Lewis Smart ran a fine race in the Under-15 Boys event as the Leicester Owls runner finished in third place in a time of 14:38 behind race winner Ben Norris of Notts AC.

In the Under-13 Girl’s race Megan Booler continues to perform well, the Harborough AC athlete finished in fourth place overall in a time if 11:47 with victory going to Georgia Ball of Lincoln in 11:20.

Full results are available on the following link:
www.northmidsxcleague.co.uk/0607_results_3.xls