National Cross Country Championship 2017 - What Mud?48:

Calderglen Ladies' team clean up their act post-race

On the bright side, the sun did shine and it was quite warm for the final race of the day, the senior men's race at the National Cross Country Championships, but otherwise the Calendar Park course in Falkirk was a complete quagmire from start to finish. A record entry of 2500 across all the age group races and the biggest field in 30 years (900 entries and 600+ finishers) for the senior men's race guaranteed that any surviving blade of grass on the course was living on borrowed time.

Davie Watt to the fore off the line

Other than the fact that I wouldn't miss the National for anything, the omens were telling me this was a day I should have stayed at home. My usual morning Heart Rate Variability test gave me the thumbs down for any strenuous exercise on the day and a gentle mile and half jog at home before leaving confirmed that I was struggling. No matter, I was going and there was no stopping me. Except that when I started the car to leave for the race, the dash warning lights were telling me I had a left front puncture. Sure enough, there was a large nail in the tyre. I had to get this fixed as I needed the car for work so I sent a message to Russell advising that I probably wouldn't be there in time for the race start, pumped the tyre up as it was only a slow puncture and headed to the tyre centre in Stirling to get it fixed. As they were ready waiting for me, the tyre was fixed in no time and I was soon on my way to Falkirk, straight into a massive queue at roadworks on the M9! That cleared magically shortly after I joined it and I made it to Falkirk with over an hour to spare to the race start. I would not have believed that possible, the day I was having.

Andrew Buchanan negotiates a tricky corner

The ladies were already off and running when I arrived and it was fantastic to see a large team from Calderglen Harriers all running strongly. This was the first year that the ladies had stepped up to 10km for their race but that would not trouble the Harriers. Strongest of all was Julie Beveridge who is putting in a power of training for London Marathon at the moment and showed the benefits with a fine leading Harrier performance, finishing in 88th position in 48:25. Joanne McEvoy paced her run well and truly enjoyed herself, finishing confidently in 50:39. Really showing signs of a return to her old form, Karen Allen was next Harrier home in a time of 51:57, the muddy conditions suiting Karen's strength. Frances Ferguson is building back up gradually and this tough course will have done her no harm at all, covering the 10km in 55:25. Kay Conneff severely handicapped herself by running in normal road shoes rather than studs or spikes. It could not have been fun slipping and sliding around the whole course but Kay is never short of a smile so you would never know. Something else we did not initially know was Kay's time as her timing chip was in her pocket rather than attached to her shoe laces! Finishing with cleanest chip of the day, Kay crossed the line in 56:10.

Whereas the women stepped up to 10km from 8km, the men stepped down from 12km to 10km, all part of IAAF harmonisation of cross country race distances. In a funny sort of way, I would have preferred 12km as I definitely had no pace in my legs and a long slog was my only chance of finishing well up. The Harriers were well represented in the entered field of 900 with only one of our team having to call off. I squeezed my way to the outside of the start group but 5 or 6 rows back from the front to give myself a chance of a reasonable start and to avoid being trampled as the field swung in to the first corner. I would save getting trampled until the second corner for which I would be on the inside! For the first time in many years, as soon as the starter's gun went, I had nothing to give and found myself just running behind the guy in front as if it was a pack run rather than a training run, trying hard to stay on my feet and just keep moving forward. The initial climb wasn't too bad under foot but the first descent was down into a mud pit and things did not improve for the remaining 2.5km of each lap! The legendary climb up the muddy slope through the woods was significantly shortened this year and moved over to the right, turning sharp right part way up onto what was probably a footpath but during the race was a river of flowing, ankle to knee deep mud with some rocks underneath just to make it difficult! The course then entered the golf course section (I hope the membership there isn't expensive as that part of the course is now trashed) and ran parallel to the Antonine Wall ditch. This time we did not drop into the ditch but doubled back and crossed a footbridge leading into another part of the golf course which was equally muddy with a particularly deep, man-trap of a puddle at the gate exiting the golf course at Calendar House. The usually grassy slope through the tented village was becoming very squidgy and this gradual climb was one of the toughest of the lap, coming as it did straight after one of the flattest, fastest parts of the course. At the top we turned right along the top of the hill before swinging or sliding left into another slight depression and facing an almost vertical but short uphill slope of mud. Spikes and strength were a necessity here. Finally we turned sharp right and down the treacherously muddy slope onto what is usually the red ash drive (but brown mud today) leading to Calendar House and the start of the second of three laps.  I can normally tell you about race long battles with specific runners but I can't remember anything in particular happening on Saturday other than getting to the finish and sort of mustering a sprint up the drive to retain a place at the finish.

Gordon McInally on a surprising firm looking part of the course.

Our first Harrier was an antibiotic laden Davie Watt who finished in 228th position in 43:59 and a fantastic 2nd M55. Next up and having a strong run despite having had less than a week to recover from the Strathaven Half Marathon was fast improving Andrew Buchanan in 44:44 and 256th position. Then it was me, Alan Derrick, in 45:02, 264th position and 10th M50, a big but not unexpected drop from third equal last year. Kenny Leinster had a fantastic run to be 4th Harrier in 50:42 and 468th position. Kenny has managed to string some consistent training together since recovering from a persistent injury last Autumn and this is now having the desired effect. Jim Holmes momentarily was in front of race winner Calum Hawkins (although he was being lapped at the time!) and confirmed his evolving form with a time of 53:27. Richard Lawton is always there or thereabouts nowadays and was within sight of Jim in a time of 54:54, leading a very tight group of Harriers. Gordon McInally is vying with Richard for most improved Harrier in the past year and was only seconds behind Richard in 54:58 with Andy Henderson one place behind in 55:02 and 12th M60. Stuart Waugh vowed never to do this again last year but was still here anyway. We have all said that at some point and keep coming back for more. Stuart finished in 56:56 and was a fantastic 2nd M65!!!! Stuart, you will be back. Charlie McDougall made a return to cross country after many years or possibly a decade or so away from the muddy stuff. Charlie was just out to get on with it and finished in 60:23. Russell Couper was much further up the field than usual with his marathon training really making the desired difference. Russell finished in 63:22.

Scotland's true world class distance runner, Calum Hawkins won the race and also commented that he found it a real struggle. As I said after the race, nobody would find that course easy. He next faces a few of the Harriers at the London Marathon in late April where hopefully underfoot conditions will be better.

Well done to all the Harriers who made a bit of history participating in this record field. The fact that a Scottish Olympian has grown up with this event and won it again on Saturday proves the value of cross country running to runners no matter what your event is.

A huge thanks to all our supporters and photographers on the day and in particular to those who transported, assembled and dismantled the club tent which provided welcome shelter. A further thanks to George Stewart whose excellent photos I have cribbed from Facebook for use in the blog and in this album. There are also many hundreds of photos of the event on Bobby Gavin's That One Moment web site here.
Alan