Closing date for Northern & National XC Championships

If you have not allready spoken to Steve Hebblethwaite so that you can be entered for the Northern & National Cross Country Championships, you need to do this immediately. The closing date for the Nationals is Wednesday 4th January. The closing date for entries to the Northern is Sunday 8th January. No entries after these dates are permitted and there is no entry on the day. Entry fees are £6 at both.

Details of the Northern Championships are on the NOEAA website HERE. The event is on Saturday 28th January at Pontefract Park, Wakefield. Carshare available from Keswick.

Details of the National Championships are on the ECCA website HERE. The Nationals are on Saturday 25th February at Parliament Hill Fields in London. Transport will be by train from Penrith. Trains depart at 08:00 and take just over 3hr. Return trains depart London at 18:30 for return to Penrith at 21:33.

The first four finishers score in the senior women's team competition and first six in senior men's at both events.

For all entry enquiries please contact ASAP stevenhebblethwaite@hotmail.com or (mob) 07854 643 274.

Christmas Handicap short video

For those that might be interested, I have put together a short video of yesterdays Christmas Handicap.
http://fromrecoverytobeyond.blogspot.com/
DaveT

Keswick AC monthly curry social III

A-curry-a-month continues tomorrow with a new venue. Come one, come all, your final chance in 2011 to get you a fix of some spicy curried grub, good company and a wide selection of imbibements with which to complement your victuals.

This month we will be partaking of the hospitality of The Royal Bengal on Central Car Pk Rd, Keswick, CA12 5DF. The table is booked for a quarter to eight, prompt.

Ping me an electronic mail, get on the blower or send me a "text message" to let me know of your likely attendance so that I might warn the restaurant of likely numbers.


stevenhebblethwaite@hotmail.com
07854 643 274

Great Langdale Christmas Pudding 10k

Saturday 10 December

427 people took part in the first of two runnings of the Great Langdale Xmas Pudding 10k on Saturday. The winner of the first race was Steve Littler (Wesham Road Runners) in a time of 32:33, with Lizzie Adams (Hallamshire Harriers) second overall and first woman in 33:17, and Ciaran Fitzpatrick (Manchester Harriers) third in 33:29.

11 Keswick AC members took part (see below), with Graham Airey and Rachel Slattery being first KAC man and woman respectively. Kim Clark was first FV55 overall, while Lesley Malarkey was first FV60.

14 Graham Airey (M) 37:53
23 Lee Newton (M) 39:19
24 Daniel Reed (M) 39:22
55 Quentin Merritt (M50) 43:29
74 Neil Elsender (M45) 45:23
120 Rachel Slattery (F40) 48:43
134 Chris Clark (M60) 49:32
163 Lesley Malarkey (F60) 51:13
171 Samuel Brewster (M) 51:44
174 Kim Clark (F55) 51:53
263 David Leary (M65) 58:39

See here for full results and here for photos.

Sunday 11 December

296 runners turned out on Sunday for Take 2 of the Xmas Pudding 10k. The winner was James Douglas (Border Harriers) in a time of 33:07, followed by Andrew Draper (Lytham St Annes) and David White (Helm Hill Runners). First woman was Kathleen Aubrey (Helm Hill Runners) in 39:30.

10 Keswick AC members took part this time around, with Rachel Slattery turning up for a second bite at the cherry – and beating her time of the previous day! John Curran first KAC man and first M45 overall, Sam Ayers was first KAC woman, third woman overall and second FV40.

11 John Curran (M45) 38:56
24 Samantha Ayers (F40) 40:34
46 Hazel Davies (F40) 43:54
49 Nick Burrus (M40) 44:28
67 Rachel Mellor (F) 46:30
69 Cath Burrus (F40) 46:32
70 Rachel Slattery (F40) 46:56
73 David Harrison (M50) 47:18
158 Kate Johnstone (F55) 54:34
159 James Johnstone (M60) 54:35

See here for full results.

European Cross Country Championships on TV

This Sunday there will be coverage of the 2011 European Cross Country Championships, which are taking place in Velenje, in Slovenia, with a 1hr 45min live programme on BBC 2.

Since the first edition of the Championships in 1994, Great Britain has won more medals than any other nation with a total tally of 80 individual and team medals, and field strong teams again this year.

Coverage starts on BBC2 at 12:30pm, in time for the senior women and men's races, while the full event, including the junior women, men, and U23 women and men's races is also being steamed live on the European Athletics website www.european-athletics.org. The Opening Ceremony will be broadcast from 09:30 GMT with the first race at 09:45.

English National Cross Country entries deadline 31st December

Those who wish to compete at the English National Cross Country Championships on Saturday 25th February 2012, should let Steve Hebblethwaite know before December 31st as teams need to be entered (by team managers) before January 4th.

Athletes of any standard can enter the National, there are no qualifying standards, entry is £6 for all age groups, club vests must be worn, and athletes may only compete in their own age groups. Categories as follows: U13, U15 , U17, U20, Senior.

The National is said to be the oldest XC event in the world, the inaugural event being held in 1876, and the highlight of the winter for many club athletes up and down the county. The 2011 National in February of this year was held at Alton Towers is Staffordshire. The winners of the senior titles were Steve Vernon (Stockport Harriers & AC) and Louise Damen (Winchester & Dist AC) heading fields of 1302 and 522 in the senior men's and women's races with 3970 competitors across all age groups.

The 2012 National will be held at Parliament Hill fields in London, a classic course considered by many to be the spiritual home of the event. Transport will be either by car on Friday evening train on Saturday morning. Please get in touch with Steve Hebblethwaite (as above) if you want to be entred for the event.

More details of the event including age categories, the race times, and past results can be found on the website of the English Cross Country Association HERE.



This photo pinched from the www.racemaps.org.uk review of the Parliament Hill course.

Cumbria AA 2011 County XC Champs, Fitz Park, Keswick -Sat 3rd Dec. Results, photo and video.

Full results, pictures and a video of yesterday's Cumbria XC County Championship event are now online. The club, and all volunteers who helped organise the races deserve congratulations for hosting a great event, and in particular those who braced themselves against the elements to marshall various points on the course.


Adrian Holliday of Tipton won the Senior Men's event with a strong run in heavy conditions posting 29:59 for the 9K over four laps. He has now been County Champion at u/11, u/13, u/15, u/17, u/20, and Senior, and will head a strong Cumbria team at the Intercounties at Birmingham's Cofton Park in March. He was followed by James Douglas (Border Harriers) in 30:33 and Ricky Lightfoot (Ellenbrough AC) in 31:11.


In the Senior Women's race over three laps of the same course Pippa Maddams gave an equally dominant display of running to win in 26:52 from Claire McKeown (Border Harriers) in 27:52 and Rhiannon Silson (Border Harriers) who clocked 29:07. Cumbria has not managed to field a full senior women's team for the Intercounties every year in recent years, and it would be nice to see them do so in 2012. Runners from Keswick AC would be certain to feature in this team.

Keswick AC won the team competition in the Senior Women, with Pippa, Sam Ayers (31:15), and Trudy Beetham (31:37) making up the scoring team. Well done to those, and to all the Keswick AC members who put themselves on the line yesterday.

Pictures are at www.athletesinaction.co.uk. Link HERE.

Video HERE.

Full results HERE.

Senior Women (6750m)

1. Pippa Maddams (Keswick AC) -26:52
2. Clare McKeown (Border Harriers) -27:52
3. Rhiannon Silson (Border Harriers) -29:07
4. Karen Bridge (Eden Runners) -29:57
5. Janet Kenyon (Unattached) -30:53
6. Sam Ayers (Keswick AC) -31:16
7. Trudy Beetham (Keswick AC) -31:37
8. Helen Winskill (Keswick AC) -32:22
9. Dianne Priestley (Kendal AAC) -34:04
10. Heather Eccles (Eden Runners) 34:26

Senior Men (9000m)

1. Adrian Holliday (Tipton Harriers) -29:59
2. James Douglas (Border Harriers) -30:33
3. Ricky Lightfoot (Ellenborough AC) -31:11
4. Chris Steele (Borrowdale FR) -31:30
5. Steve Hebblethwaite (Keswick AC) -31:40
6. Kevin Bell (Border Harriers) -31:40
7. Pete Harrison (Border Harriers) -31:49
8. Matthew Grieve (Border Harriers) -32:08
9. Carl Bell (Howgill Harriers) -32:35
10. Iain Quinn (Barrow and Furness Striders) -32:38

other Keswick AC:
12. John Nicoll -35:52
16. John Beetham -37:08
22. Duncan Overton -39:45
24. John Waite -42:45

Teams

Senior Men -Border Harriers
Senior Women -Keswick AC
U20 Men -Border Harriers
U17 Men -Kendal AAC
U15 Girls -Carlisle Aspatria
U13 Boys -Carlisle Aspatria
U13 Girls -Helm Hill
U11 Boys -Eden Runners
U11 Girls -Kendal AAC




All photos courtesy of www.athletesinaction.co.uk © athletesinaction