Reebok X-C Challenge Series 2nd November 2002

Jessie Roberts

With the prolonged absence from racing, caused by the exceptionally bad weather, Paul Roberts of Richmond and Zetland Harriers elected to take daughter Jessie and son Douglas to compete in the £30,000 Reebok X-C Challenge Series on Saturday 2nd at Birmingham. Senneleys Park was very wet from the recent rains, and the stream that had to be crossed twice was more than ankle deep, but the hilly terrain meant that most of the 3K course was good underfoot.

Jessie was first to compete, in the under 15 girls race which Junior record-holder Emily Pidgeon of Gloucester AC and Non Stanford of Swansea Harriers turned into a procession from the start. Jessie ran intelligently; staying in the second pack, watching her racing line and keeping out of the muddiest patches until they wound-it-up, downhill to the finish. Jessie found enough of a sprint to finish in 7th place with a time of 13:29, against a National-class field, 61 seconds behind the winner but just a tantalising 11 seconds away from 3rd place.

Douglas competed in the under 13 boys race, against others nearly two years older than himself, and kept the family flag aloft (or competition alive - delete as appropriate) with a time of 13:15 to finish in 21st place over the same 3K course. Douglas also knows how to race; he employed similar tactics to his older sister and was only pushed out of the reckoning in the last kilometre in a much bigger field, finishing less than a minute behind the winner, Gregory Divall of Royal Sutton Coldfield.

Paul admits he was tempted by the prize money on offer to run in the Senior Men’s 10K but was equally aghast at the prospect of racing against eventual winner Cathal Lombard of Woodford Green, Mark Miles and sometimes NYSD competitor Dominic Bannister.