A record field made for a very impressive sight in Calendar Park on Saturday for the Scottish National Cross Country Championships. The Harriers' were well represented by junior athletes, women and men over ever increasing distances around a muddier than usual course. Our ladies team was out in force with Julie Beveridge, Joanne McEvoy, Frances Maxwell and Karen Allen all closely matched and keen to race. Around 250 women lined up for the two lap course which was nominally 8km total distance. At the front a gaggle of GB and Scotland internationalists flew around the course. Mid field our ladies battled away with regular rivals and each other. Julie Beveridge gradually pulled away to be first Harrier back in a time of 36:42 and 115th overall. Joanne McEvoy is coming back to full strength and demonstrated this with an excellent finish in 38:01 and 143rd position. With her various injuries behind her and plenty of strength from recent escapades in Fife, Frances Maxwell was running very well indeed, closing the gap rapidly on the second lap to finish in 38:15 and 148th position. Karen Allen continues to make progress back to form and completed the team with a finishing time of 39:17 and 166th position. Well done to the ladies who certainly were Calderglen's highest positioned senior team of the day.
The senior men were racing over 3 laps of the same course totalling 12km. The pre-race recce lap revealed a slight detour on the golf course section which usefully cut a bit off a corner (subsequent comparison of the GPS track with previous years confirmed that we had turned right 10 to 20m earlier too at the top of the first hill, cutting some more off each lap). I'm not complaining! It was also apparent that the course was very muddy and slippy indeed so spikes were the footwear of choice. Almost 600 men lined up and when the gun went, such was the size of the field that the leaders were already up the hill and on their way down the other side before some had crossed the start line. After a spate of poor cross country performances, my tactic was to at least try to establish a position at the start and to hang on rather than being immediately dropped. I took a position near the front and on the outside, having found this to be the least obstructed line in previous years and found that this did indeed give me a fairly clear run up and over the hill and down to the pond. Things went well until about 1/3 of the way into the second lap when the wheels fell off and a procession of runners passed me from there until the finish. Finishing time was 48:35 (207th) which was well over 2 minutes slower than last time so not fantastic. Andrew McCaffery showed his usual enthusiasm for cross country and was no doubt closing me down fast to finish in 49:29 (241), destroying his spikes on the gravel path by the pond in the process! Performance of the day came from Andy Henderson who finished in 55:47 (428) making him 4th M60.
Jim Holmes has missed a lot of training in the past month with an injury so could really only consider this as a good training run on the comeback trail, finishing in 57:50 (468). Kenny Leinster was the next Harrier to finish, crossing the line in 59:04 (485), ready to feed the masses back in the Harriers' tent with a very tasty Christmas cake. Richard Lawton continued his great season with another course best (60:29, 505th). After a wardrobe drama at the start, Jim Mearns finally found a junior Harrier vest that would fit him, having forgotten his own. This was perhaps some extra pressure that Jim did not need before making his first appearance at the National. Lack of experience of this type of race and lack of grip probably influenced Jim's performance as he can definitely run way faster. However, he now has a time on the board of 63:26 (538). Hugh Simpson seemed to be enjoying himself way too much and smiled his way across the line in 69:03 (558). Chas Steven looked strong and certainly was not in the pain that influenced his most recent National performance, finishing in 78:35 (565). Finally, David Herbertson flew in from somewhere to compete but really should not have as he was very ill indeed with a chesty cough, dropping out on the first lap.
Well done to all the Harriers who I am sure will have gained from this tough event. Thanks to our vocal support, including Russell, parents who stayed behind after the junior races and Stuart and Maud Waugh who traveled through to spectate and to Richard and Frances for managing the tent. Some more photos will follow when the evidence is gathered! Photos from Frances and me are
here. Many more photos on the That One Moment web site
here.
Full results of all the races are
here.
Alan
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