Birmingham Invitation Cross Country League

Northbrook, Coventry

Saturday 1st December 2007

B&R AC teams ride high in the league.

Above: Kevin Lanckham & James Hood racing up the slope at Coundon Hall Park

Another successful outing for our athletes as 17 ran to leave both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams well placed at the half way stage in the season.

Conditions were good underfoot despite heavy rain earlier in the week but a strong cold wind made it rather unpleasant for our supporters. With 18 clubs involved, many putting out 2 teams, 236 runners set out over the 10km course.

Left: Dave Kesterton approaches the U-turn around the hedge. Right: Rich Lomas impressively was 5th scorer in his first BLXC for B&R

As ever, Dave Kesterton was our leading man finishing this race in 9th place and only around a minute behind the winner. The ‘A’ team built on this great performance with good runs from James Hood (38th), Kevin Lanckham (45th), Ian Keyte (52nd), Rich Lomas (57th) in his debut race for the Club and Jamie Dancyger (61st). All 5 completed within a minute of each other to consolidate the team in 5th place on the day, and 5th overall just 72 points off third spot.

Left: Richard Dando led the B-team home. Right: Mike Hanson returned to the joys of cross country.

The first 5 back for the ‘B’ team also completed close together with less than a minute separating Richard Dando in his Birmingham League debut at 99th and Calvin ‘Cinders’ Scoltock (118th). In between those two, there were solid performances from Gavin Moorhead (101st), Mark Graham (109th), and Mike Hanson (making a welcome return to cross country 112th). Phil Anderson then kept up the good work by finishing in 146th place to leave the ‘B’ team 3 rd on the day and 4th overall. Again it’s close for a higher finish with 2nd spot being less than 100 points away.

Above: Phil Richardson (left) keeps a smiling Jimmy Atkins in his sights.

The Club’s remaining runners also went well with Jimmy Atkins (157th) and Phil Richardson (161st) continuing their own private competition which Jimmy now leads. Further back I managed 202nd, Eamon Thompson 210th and Ken Wood 227th.

Left: Eamon “off to buy spikes tomorrow” Thompson . Right: Ken Wood running through the second coppice on the Coundon Hall Park course.

Obviously everyone was concentrating on running because it was otherwise a largely uneventful day. There were no lost shoes, no one fell over, and there were no lost tent pegs although it did take about 20 minutes for 6 of us to put up the tent (the instructions suggest 20mins for ONE person). And who said men can’t multi-task???? 

Thanks for the encouragement from all our supporters, who ensured that we runners had no place to hide and take it easy. And well done to our photographers too – but I do wish you would warn us when you are taking a pic so we can be seen smiling rather than looking in great pain when we run!!!

Well done everyone!!

Len

Thanks to an injured Phil Scarr for taking the photos for the report - Phil

05/12/07

Men’s League Division 2

Individual Results

Team Results

League positions after 2 races

Click here for full results (pdf)