Stragglers find their feet in Nationals
Posted by Helen Davies on 25 February 2018
Written by Simon Webb
Many a seasoned Straggler has been heard to remark, usually from the warmth and dry of the Hawker Centre or a pub, often with beer in hand, that all cross-country runners should do Parliament Hill at least once. And so it was that 35 men and ladies (plus a number of juniors) ventured to North London for the National Cross-Country Championships and the opportunity to test themselves against the strongest competition of the winter, both in personnel and mud!
Those same seasoned Stragglers who were making their return to Hampstead Heath would later tell first-timers that conditions ‘weren’t too bad for Parliament Hill’, but this still meant numerous patches of thick, squelchy mud and some challenging hills.
First up (following the junior’s races) were 1113 ladies, with the Stragglers team (first 4 to score) showing the class which comes from a year in Surrey League Division 1, finishing an impressive 31st out of 112. Scoring runners were Sophie Biggs, Sarah Winter, Helen Davies and Karen Levene, full results can be found here.
After they’d churned the Heath up that little bit more, it was the men’s turn. The Stragglers finished a pleasing 76th out of 162 in a highly competitive field of 2328, with our 6 scoring runners Rob Wilcox, Oliver Garner, Paul Bowden, Donovan Duffy, Crispin Allen and Malcolm Davies – the latter two separated by just two seconds! Men's results.
With thousands of thirsty runners and a Scotland V England rugby international, the pubs of Kentish Town also had a very successful evening. After a tough but enjoyable day out at the Nationals, we move on to Richmond Park next Saturday and the Dysart and Ellis Cup, where our ladies team have a title to defend!
