A trip to Brussels via Eurostar proved to be a successful sortie for club athletes Iona Lake and Ashley Harrell who were there to represent England in Sunday’s Lotto Cross Cup Series. The course laid out in the Park van Laken turned out to be a quagmire as it has done for the past few years.
Iona was first away in the Junior Ladies race over 4000m. Her first England appearance in Spain in mid November was tinged with disappointment when she twisted her ankle while warming up so was not at her best.
Happily on this occasion she got it right and she was delighted, after ploughing through the mud, to finish in a cracking 4th place, the second English athlete to cross the line.
Iona will have to limit her Christmas celebrations in favour of some solid training as early in the New Year she will be travelling to Edinburgh where – for the first time – she will represent Great Britain in the triangular match against the USA and Europe Select.
Ashley was the nominated 1st non travelling reserve for the Great Britain Under23 team that recently won silver in the European Cross Country Championships, so like Iona was anxious to make amends for his disappointment. Competing over a stamina sapping 10,500m course against a strong Kenyan contingent and the indomitable Ukrainian Sergiy LeBid Ashley finished in a splendid 12th position. This was arguably his best international appearance to date and a point proven when finishing just four seconds behind James Wilkinson who took individual silver in the European championship.
On the home front the club’s endurance athletes made their way to Shouldham Warren to compete in the Ryston Runners Cross Country Grand Prix.
Caitlin Turner made her mark in the Under 9 Girls 800m race when finishing in second place as did Catherine Longe in the Under 13 Girls race over 3000m. The City first victor on the day came when Megan Soanes was a worthy winner of the Under 15 Girls 3000m race quickly followed by Tasha Potgieter, Mabel Beckett and Emily Hoogkamer who filled the first three places in the 6500m Under 17 Ladies race.
Juliet Broster testing herself in the Seniors Ladies race also over 6500m was pleased to fill second position.
Luke Spear racing over 3km in the Under 13 Boys race came home in the runners up position. Ashley Waterson and Bruce Beckett filled the first two places in the Under 15 Boys 3000m race as did Sean Watson and Scott Greeves in the 6500m Under 17 Men’s event. Rick Ward cruised to victory in the Seniors Men’s 6500m race followed home in third place by Ollie Maskell.