KENT CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE – RACE 4
DANSON PARK
SENIOR LADIES & M70
I must admit when the sun started shining on Saturday morning it looked like it was going to be a pleasant enjoyable 3rd race for the ladies and Vet M70 at Danson Park on Saturday. However by lunchtime the clouds turned very grey and the wind picked up considerably and with that the temperature started to drop.
Numbers were considerably down on the average cross country meets not only for us Harriers, we, yet again!, could not manage to pull together a team of 6 due to a variety of reasons and commitments and it seems that many other teams were the same with a total of 83 ladies racing in the senior Ladies.
Danson Park is a huge venue however we were at the opposite side of the park to where we have been previously and the course was very uninspiring with 3 laps of a mainly flat course with long drags and a few slippy corners.
A slight downhill start led to a very fast off from the gun with newcomer Cathy Gill sprinting ahead to up to the front pack followed by Pru Clements, Jillian Holford, myself and Alison Beard. The course was very open and exposed and the wind was really against you on the long straights. Glancing up I could see a few deckchairs changing place and position ahead but I was trying to hold off Rachel Fagg from Tonbridge AC practically the whole race, it probably didn’t look it but I was pushing the whole time to try and get some distance between us only to be passed on the finishing straight to the line…gutted! Not even Ed’s shouts and digging deep made a difference, I had nothing left. It’s been a while since I have come close to beating her! Never mind…next time!
Obviously I was a long way off the front of the pack but I understand that Ashley Gibson of Tonbridge AC won by over a minute!
Results as follows:
1 00:17:11 ASHLEY GIBSON Tonbridge AC
15 00:20:05 PRU CLEMENTS
26 00:21:05 JILLIAN HOLFORD
30 00:21:29 CATHY GILL
42 00:22:37 LESLEY MERCER
62 00:25:00 ALISON BEARD
02 00:37:57 BRYON TAYLOR Tun W M V75
Well done ladies and Spud, once again, you are brilliant for your commitment on turning out on a very cold windy day and thanks to Cathy for your debut and giving it a try and enjoying it! No escaping now!
Thank you to Simon, Andy, Matt and Ed for your support, your shouts of support and knowing you are around the next corner make a huge difference.
CURRENT TEAM STANDINGS
SENIOR LADIES 3-TO-SCORE
1 Paddock Wood AC
2 Blackheath & Bromley Harriers
3 Tonbridge AC 28
7 Tunbridge Wells Harriers
SENIOR LADIES 6-TO-SCORE
1 Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC
2 Greenwich Tritons Triathlon Club
3 Cambridge Harriers AC
10 Tunbridge Wells Harriers
SENIOR MEN 6-TO-SCORE
1 Tonbridge AC
2 Medway & Maidstone AC
3 Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC
6 Tunbridge Wells Harriers
SENIOR MEN 12-TO-SCORE
1 Tonbridge AC
2 Tunbridge Wells Harriers
3 Cambridge Harriers AC
The next, and final meet for the Kent league is on:
Please note that timings of the races are earlier as there are only 3 races on this meet.
Sat. 13 Feb. 2016 Foots Cray Meadows – Cambridge Harriers AC
Sen & Vet Women 12:00 5000m
Men Veteran 70+ 12:00 5000m
Sen. & Vet. Men 12:30 10000m
Lesley Mercer
Ladies XC Captain