From Athletics Weekly...
Forty years after an icy blizzard caused carnage at the 1972 National at Sutton Coldfield and 12 months after similarly dismal weather hit the 2011 races at Alton Towers, this year’s Saucony English National Cross Country Championships at Parliament Hill was bathed in glorious sunshine.
Ice cream vans did a roaring trade. As did autograph hunters due to the large number of former champions in attendance such as Basil Heatley, Ron Hill and Frank Sando – the latter being the National winner when it was first held at Parliament Hill in 1957.
With the backdrop of the Olympic host city, it proved a spectacular setting. And while the majority of finishers were humble club runners, the sharp end of the senior races included both 2012 Olympic and Virgin London Marathon hopefuls.
There were 1688 finishers in the senior men's race including a team of five from Keswick AC. Keith Gerrard of Newham & Essex Beagles took the win from last year's senior men's champion Steve Vernon of Stockport Harriers.
The first time Keswick AC have had a team at the National for some years, Steve, Ian, Chris, John and Simon were also each making their debut at the event, and each was equally in awe of the spectacle of over one and a half thousand spiked runners charging up the hill at the start, and of the atmosphere created by the numbers of cheering supporters that lined parts of the two-lap 12km course.
Athletics Weekly report here, and video footage of the senior men's race here.
Keswick AC report, and photos to follow.
Provisional results:
1. Keith Gerrard (Newham & Essex Beagles) -35:56
2. Steve Vernon (Stockport Harriers) -36:07
3. John Beatie (Newham & Essex Beagles) -36:13
166. Steve Hebblethwaite -40:57
568. Ian Davies -46:15
602. Chris Edis -46:41
647. John Beetham -47:11
1029. Simon Neville -51:46
1 comment:
Well done to all 5 of you. Great to see KAC entering a team, and some terrific results/times considering the level and scale of the event.
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