NYSD Cross Country - Norton - 19th February 2006

Blakeston School, Norton was the venue for the fifth NYSD cross country fixture on Sunday 19th February and 22 Harriers opted to make the journey. The turnout was down again in comparison to previous meetings, with injuries and prioritisation of other events taking their toll at this time of year, however there are still honours to play for in the final meeting, with the Harriers currently lying in 3rd position overall and the Under 13 boys needing to gain only 2 extra points on their rivals to take the title in their age group.

The youngsters were in great form, with the Under 13 Boys team being first away, covering 2.5K and again maintaining their top 2 team position, with Fergus Roberts taking 4th place, Marc Scott and Thomas Allen in 7th and 8th and Rob Scott in 21st position. The Under 13 Girls did not disappoint either, with Maddy Winzer showing even better form in 2nd place and continues to lead her age group, Amy Coulson in 26th and Kerry Robson showing determination to finish in 34th place.

Doug Roberts once again found the winning formula in the Under 15 Boys age group and finished in top spot; another excellent result for him. Unfortunately with fewer individuals being available for this meeting, there were no athletes in the Under 15 girls or Under 17 men’s races.

The ladies however, fielded a first-rate team of 7 athletes and took 3rd team overall, with Sarah Gregory injured and Katie Roberts unavailable. Jo Adams just gets better and better on the country, moving up to take her best place yet in 9th, while Heather Halliday once more won the ladies Vet 2 category and crossed the line in 12th position. Jessie Roberts also moved up the rankings to finish in 17th, Fiona Hughes showed her usual strong form in 26th and was followed home by Cara Penfold in 35th. Jenny Fenwick held on to take the tape in 50th place and Shirley Mathurin completed the course in 53rd position.

The men’s race also saw 7 Richmond and Zetland athletes make their way round the 9K course, whilst missing at least 3 of the top end runners. First home was Phil Fitzpatrick, with an excellent run in 16th place, with Shaun Purkiss close behind in 22nd and Paul Roberts in 26th. There were also solid performances from Chris Peacock in 42nd and James Brownfield-Pope in 58th. Neil Piper and Ray Robson swapped places several times on the way round, with Neil managing to stay ahead by just 3 seconds, finishing as 6th and final team counter in 89th position, with Ray in 90th.

RZH Results: Under 13 Boys – 4th Fergus Roberts, 7th Marc Scott, 8th Thomas Allen & 21st Rob Scott, Team 2nd. Under 13 Girls – 2nd Maddy Winzer, 26th Amy Coulson & 34th Kerry Robson, Team 6th. Under 15 Boys – 1st Doug Roberts. U17, U20, Senior & Vet Women – 9th Jo Adams, 12th Heather Halliday (& 1st Female Vet 2), 17th Jessie Roberts, 26th Fiona Hughes, 35th Cara Penfold, 50th Jenny Fenwick & 53rd Shirley Mathurin, Team 3rd. U17, U20, Senior & Vet Men – 16th Phil Fitzpatrick, 22nd Shaun Purkiss, 26th Paul Roberts, 42nd Chris Peacock, 58th James Brownfield-Pope, 89th Neil Piper & 90th Ray Robson, Team 4th.

NIA Indoor Event - Birmingham 26th February 2006

Ken Harker was on the indoor track for the last time before his trip to the World Indoor Masters in Austria in March. Sunday 26th saw him back at the NIA in Birmingham, with training partner James Wardman, both competing in the 800m, where they were both drawn in the same heat. They were involved in a slower, tactical race, where Ken finished 4th in a time of 2.02, while James placed 2nd and qualified for the final, where he finished 5th in an excellent time of 1.58.9.

Neil Piper on the Fells

Moving from the track to outdoor distance racing, which is where Neil Piper has been busy preparing for the Three Peaks in April; a fell race with cut-off times. He has already tackled two events, where he combines running and walking to cover the full distance; finishing “That’s Lyth” in South Lakeland in 5.36, which covers 22 miles off-road and “Rombald’s Stride” around Ilkley Moor, where he completed 21 miles in 4.26. These events are not for the faint-hearted either, as both include over 2000 feet of ascent for good measure.