28th March 2010

World Cross Country Report

 

28 March 2010

Junior women’s front runner Kate Avery, first senior women’s Brit Steph Twell and GB senior men’s leader Mo Farah recorded impressive top 25 performances for the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team  at the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March.

It was all the more significant with the Junior men’s and junior women’s teams finishing as top European teams in the overall standings.

Here’s how the days events unfolded:

JUNIOR WOMEN

Kate Avery (Robert Ashwood) and Emelia Gorecka (Mick Woods) led the junior women’s team to fifth in the team standings with notable performances in the first race of the day on a challenging course which comprised hard and soft ground, mud, sharp turns and artificial log obstacles.

Avery improved on her 25th place debut finish at the 2009 World Cross in Jordan to be first Brit home in 20th: She said: “I started fast and had a good race. At one point someone shouted ‘You’ve got six in the top 30’ and I thought ‘come on’!”

Debutant Gorecka, who is unbeaten in domestic cross country events since she started racing, said of her 23rd place finish: “It was amazing, I want to do it again. I’m really pleased with how I ran and I loved every second of it.”

Annabelle Gummow (Chris Wooldridge) wasn’t far behind in 30th, securing valuable points which added to the top five team finish: “It was a good run, and for my first time I ran a pretty well paced race.”

Hannah Walker (Mike Dunphy) finished the first lap in 41st place but ensured she moved up the field and added valuable scoring points coming home in 32nd place, fourth brit over the line and final scoring athlete.

She beamed: “I really enjoyed that, can’t wait to do it again! It was amazing to see all the other athletes from different countries and picking out which one I wanted to chase. It was inspiring.”

After a packed 2010 winter season Beth Potter (John Nuttall) ended on a positive performance with a solid race over the tricky course. Potter, who was 36th said: “It’s been a tough season so nice to end on a high. The race and course had a bit of everything so it was really challenging but great to run.”

Sarah Inglis (Steve Cottom) fell prey to the fast pace of the junior women’s field as they broke out of the pens and into a sharp turn. She finished in 56th place and said: “I went off too hard and wish I could re run the race differently. I’m disappointed but it will help me next time around at the Europeans next winter.”

 

JUNIOR MEN

Ronnie Sparke (Richard Thurston) opened the Junior men’s account crossing the line first out of the six Brits. The Woodford Green and Essex Ladies athlete returned to the World Cross following his 83rd place finish in Jordan and cemented a year’s worth of athletic development with a 41st place finish.

He said: “I ran with Tom most of the way and then started to push on alone. The turning point was when I saw Bob Ashwood (junior men’s team manager) who shouted to me to ‘be brave’ or ‘be confident’, something like that; which made me push further.”

He was followed home by European Youth Olympic festival 3000m champion Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins) and Tom Farrell (Andy Farrell), who had a great indoor season reducing Ian Stewart’s 3000m junior record by almost three seconds in February. They finished in 47th and 50th respectively.

Hawkins said: “My tactics were not to go out too hard and pick people off, I stuck to that and it worked for me. Usually at the end of the race I’m destroyed but I’m really pleased with that performance.”

Farrell noted: “I expected better but I’ve had a busy indoor track season and the last time I ran a cross country was November. I got a bit lost in the third lap. ”

Ben Norris (Andy McNeill) and Jonathan Hay (Mick Woods) were fourth and fifth for GB&NI  in 60th and 62nd overall while trials winner Richard Goodman (Geoff Williams) fell afoul of the notably awkward course which induced a 74th place finish.

Norris said: “That was tough. The start is the hardest because it’s hard to set your own rhythm. I enjoyed the race and it’s been a huge learning curve for me.”

Hay added: “I found it tough when I was left on my own. When Ben (Norris) went past I tried to latch onto him but he got away. I picked it up again and managed to do better than last year so I’m pleased.”

The team finished ninth overall with Kenya taking first.