THE RUNDOWN – 20TH FEBRUARY: XC LEAGUE RACES, ILMINGTON 10K, BIRMINGHAM FESTIVAL OF RUNNING & PARKRUN
Ladies XC League Race – the last one!
Saturday saw the final race in the
Midlands XC league for the ladies XC team, who achieved a superb season’s best team placing of 10th overall in the very competitive Division 1, which looks like it’s more than enough to keep the Ladies in up in this Division for next season. Jane Evans led the team home coming 10th overall, and 2nd Masters Lady. She was closely followed by Flick Sharp, Jess Woolley and Amanda O’Leary, with the remainder of the team finishing close behind, with all the recent hard work and training clearly paying off.
Sadly Monica Green, Kathy Bailey, Lissy Calvert and Linda Whitehead didn’t make it to the race as they were involved in a car accident on the way there, ending up in a field after a car failed to stop at a junction and hit them. Thankfully everyone is OK, though understandably shaken – rest and recover well ladies x
| Name | Age Cat | Time | Position | Cat Position |
| Jane Evans | Masters | 00:25:21 | 10 | 2 |
| Jess Woolley | Senior | 00:26:39 | 32 | 16 |
| Flick Sharp | Senior | 00:28:31 | 61 | 30 |
| Amanda O’Leary | Masters | 00:29:49 | 79 | 28 |
| Rosie England | Senior | 00:31:23 | 107 | 44 |
| Kerry Thompson | Masters | 00:32:06 | 115 | 48 |
| Kate Leeson | Masters | 00:32:34 | 122 | 53 |
| Adeba Jama | Masters | 00:32:45 | 126 | 55 |
| Hannah Gibson | Masters | 00:32:48 | 127 | 56 |
| Jude Mansfield | Masters | 00:33:40 | 135 | 62 |
| Jemma Phelps | Masters | 00:37:22 | 154 | 79 |
| Sara Rowell | Masters | 00:40:56 | 162 | 85 |
| Sam Edgington | Masters | 00:43:58 | 168 | 91 |
Men’s XC Race – also the last one!
The final XC league race of the season at Newbold Comyn saw the men compete alongside the ladies. Unfortunately illness and injury depleted the squad a little but we managed to get a strong number out despite the wet and windy conditions! Chris Ashford powered through the mud to lead the team home. A special shout out to Richard Dixon who came out of semi-retirement to roll back the years and take on uni students a third of his age to come in as 4th counter for the team! Unfortunately we didn’t quite do enough to avoid relegation due to injuries and illness (we certainly would have had a fighting chance with our strongest team out for every race). Let’s look forward to being competitive in Division 2 next season!
Thanks to all that have raced this season, Sharpy
| Name | Time | Position |
| Chris Ashford | 00:39:13 | 60 |
| Chris Sharp | 00:39:46 | 70 |
| Christopher Thorley | 00:41:45 | 105 |
| Richard Dixon | 00:42:30 | 122 |
| Gregory Turner | 00:44:02 | 144 |
| Robert Mundy | 00:44:03 | 145 |
| Paul Baker | 00:44:19 | 148 |
| Paul Bentley | 00:48:19 | 179 |
| Pete Austin | 00:51:23 | 200 |
| Ian Voaden | 00:53:42 | 206 |
Meanwhile, over in Sutton Park, 4 of our runners competed in the 10k Birmingham Festival of Running in the wind and rain:. Lucy Chapman led the K&D contingent home in a PB time of 51:56, coming 92nd overall. Robert Stewart was next to finish, in a time of 55:58, and was closely followed by Tanya Cronin completed the 10k in 58:52, coming 195th overall and 5th in her age category. David Rose raced the half marathon distance, finishing in 1:40:26 and 55th overall.
