Race Day 1 - Midland League Cross-Country
Hosted by Spa Striders, the first fixture of the Midland League Cross Country season (2019-2020) for the CLC Striders Ladies and Men’s teams took place in the rolling parkland at Burton Dassett Country Park on Saturday 9th November. In conditions that saw lashing rain combine with gusting winds and bitterly cold temperatures, the event demanded true grit and determination from all the runners. And the CLC athletes delivered in spades.
In the ultra competitive Division 1, the ladies came in 12th place overall on the day, with strong performances from their top four scorers. Liza Barry marked her return to this regional level of competition with a 38th place and a time of 31:11. Not far behind, Rachel Vines finished in 52nd place with a time of 31:45. Helen Knight was 60th in 32:22 and Fiona Brady-Miller was the fourth team scorer in 101st place and a time of 34:52. There were also brave runs from Nicola Weager in 128th place, Laura Daubney in 155th and Sarah Wilson in 180th.
Liza Barry leads the ladies home
Meanwhile, in Division 2, the CLC Striders men made a flying start, despite missing some of their seasoned competitors on the day. All six team scorers finished inside the top 100, with the top three all inside the top 30 – a really great achievement in the Midland League.
First home was Tom Kabala in 25th place and a time of 40:43. Only seconds behind him were Iain Porter in 27th place and a time of 40:48 and Louis Fievet in 29th place and a time of 40:50.
Dan Bazzard was 47th in a time of 42:52, Jon Howes was 84th in a time of 44:52 and Paul Lockyer was 96th in a time of 45:44. Overall, the mean finished 11th – a sign of just how strong the field was.
The other CLC men battling the elements on the day were Eoin McQuone in 168th, Tim Brock in 181st, Nick Ledwold in 182nd and Andrew Gage in 210th.