2 November 2008

Bedford & County and Charnwood AC took the main prizes at the ECCA Cross Country Relay Championships in Mansfield on Saturday.  Neilson Hall anchored Bedford & County home in the senior men’s race with a swift 5k lap of 14:58.05 of the Berry Hill Park course to bring them home in 1:01:09.80.

Newham & Essex came through for silver in 1:01:29.20, with Morpeth Harriers & AC just seven seconds adrift in third. In the senior women’s race, Juliet Doyle brought home the bacon for a Charnwood AC with a solid 10:06.09 leg on the 3k course, for a total finish time of 30:43.65, 15 seconds clear of Havering Mayesbrook AC and a further 15 seconds on from bronze medal winning Kendal AAC.

The individual plaudits went to Steve Vernon (Stockport Harriers) and in-form Freya Murray (Chester le Street & District) who produced the day’s fastest legs with 14:51.05 and 9:47.40 in the senior men’s and women’s events respectively.

In the junior events, New Marske Harriers took the men’s crown with 27:19.65 on the 3x3k course and in the junior women’s race, there was a remarkable demonstration of the depth of talent at Aldershot, Farnham & District as their A and B teams took first and second place.

Additionally, of the top ten individual clockings, five were Aldershot, Farnham & District athletes, led by the day’s fastest of all, Olympic 1500m semi-finallist Steph Twell, who covered the 2.5k course in 8:00.45.

RESULTS

SENIOR  MEN

1. Bedford & County, 1:01:09.80
2. Newham & Essex, 1:01:29.20
3. Morpeth Harriers, 1:01:36.60

FASTEST LEGS
1. Steve Vernon (Stockport Harriers), 14:51.05
2. Mick Skinner (Blackheath & Bromley), 14:54.90
3. Adam Bowden (Harrow AC), 14:55.35

SENIOR WOMEN’S
1. Charnwood AC, 30:43.65
2. Havering Mayesbrook AC, 30:59.00
3. Kendal AAC, 31:15.80

FASTEST LEGS
1. Freya Murray (Chester le Street), 9:47.40
2. Sophie Morris (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow), 10:03.90
3. Faye Fullerton (Havering Mayesbrook AC), 10:04.15

For more information, see: http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/