Chiltern League Tear Drop Lakes 9.11.19
Banbury Harriers AC took a small team to the second Chiltern League Cross Country fixture held at Tear Drop Lakes, Milton Keynes. The races included the UK Cross Challenge (national league) making it a big event. Heavy overnight rain made the course waterlogged from the start, and underfoot conditions grew steadily worse as the day progressed. The U11 race results are not separated for Division 1 &2, and with a tough incline and technical descent on the course, Ollie Lloyd Thomas 10th U11 Boy and Mollie Davis 9th U11 Girl started the day with some very promising results. The U13 Girls were 4th Division 2 team on the day led home by Isla McGowan continuing her great start to the season in 4th place, Charlotte Hall in a much improved 18th and Lottie Rands, another improving athlete, in 30th. U13 Boy Sam Davis looked very focussed on the start line, and showing some good judgement of pace ran himself into a very pleasing 4th place in Division 2. In the U15 Girls race Tilly Lainchbury found the conditions very energy sapping, but showed strength of character to finish strongly with a well deserved 4th place. U17 Georgie Speck showed great determination over a long, hilly and tough course for a track runner and finished a very tired 23rd place.
The rain started coming down heavily before the Senior Womens race, and the early section of the course was becoming increasingly boggy. Just 2 Harriers ladies braved the conditions with Ros Kelling in 23rd and first F55, and Lisa Ansell 51st. The U20/U17 Men followed the ladies race. Skip Snelson, in his first race of the season, didn’t panic after the front end of the race were sent the wrong way but set about making up ground again on athletes who had been behind him and showed great endurance in what were now very boggy conditions finishing 2nd U17 in Division 2. In the last race of the day and a field of 521 runners overall, Logan Kelling was first Harrier home in 61st, followed by Alfie Ratcliffe in 84th and Phil Coy 116th and 3rd M60.
Report by Ros
photo is of Mollie Davis
