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Noel Carmody

Weekly Update - 27th Nov. 2024

British Athletics Cross Challenge (inc. Euro Trials) Liverpool (Sat. 23rd Nov)

Holly Dixon finished in a fantastic second place in the Senior Women's - Short Course European Trial, a mere one second behind the winner, but with only the winner guaranteed selection for the senior mixed relay at the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey, Holly had to wait to see if she would be selected at the subsequent selection meeting. Unfortunately she was not selected.


Holly said "Really happy with my race at Liverpool Euro Cross Trial Short Course with a second place finish and only one second off the win. Sadly it seems for the first year a second place at the trials wasn't enough to earn selection, instead an athlete finishing behind me was selected. I'm really gutted after the performances I've put in since September over the cross and feel like my trial race really proved the shape I'm currently in. Even though it is hard to accept, I won't let this decision affect my love for the sport and racing. See you in 2025."

Kent Cross Country League, Swanley (Sat. 23rd Nov)

We had another good turnout from our young athletes in the final fixture in the Kent Cross Country League, reports Mark Newell. Charlotte Foster got things off to a good start for the club with a fine victory in the under 13 girls race. Leading from start to finish she crossed the line with a 14 second margin over the second placed athlete. Seren Yeatman (5th) and Lizzie Sanders (8th) completed the scoring team on the day.  The club won the overall under 13 girls team competition for the season as to Esther Yeatman, Daisy O'Brien, Saskia Moon and Ellie-Grace Upton-Lynch all finished ahead of Tonbridge AC's third finisher.

We had fantastic numbers once again turn out for the under 13 boys team. Herbie Tobin has been our top finisher in the previous three fixtures but had to settle for third on this occasion. Harry Carmody showed considerable improvement from previous outings to be first home for the club. 


In the under 15 girls age category, Celia Yeatman was first to finish in 8th position. Delilah Lester (11th) and Meredith Cummins (16th) completed the team on the day to place third. We only had a team of three in the under 15 boys race. Alex Van Den Berg-Hows was again first to finish for the club. Austin Richards and Monty Brown (who have compete in all four fixtures) had good improvements in their previous finish positions.

In the under 17 women's race, Emer Tynan was again second, but with a much closer finish to the winner than on previous occasions. Olly Buck repeated his previous performances to place second in the under 17's men's race. Olly Cook, in 8th and Thomas Ellis, in 18 had their highest placed finish of the season.


Amelia Lawrence secured her first victory of the season in the under 20 women's race. This placed her first in the overall standings for  her age group.


Team managers of our (young athlete) cross-country teams would like to thank our young athletes for representing Cambridge Harriers (and parents who make this happen) during this part of the cross-country season. 


South of Thames 5 Mile Cross Country, West Horsley (Sat. 23rd Nov)

This year’s South of the Thames cross country team race took place at West Horsley Place, near Guildford writes Peter St-Amour. A historic house dating back to 1425 and once owned by Sir Walter Raleigh’s son, he would have needed more than his father’s cloak to cover the puddles as the race began in the force of Storm Bert.

 

Fifteen Harriers took the start, a rather congested affair that funnelled quickly through a farm gate then ninety degrees right. Thereafter it was a pleasant journey around the grounds of the house, mercifully with some shelter from the wind behind hedgerows and trees. First home for Cambridge was Bobby Babaker in 8th, closely followed by Thomas Brooke in 11th, James Macdonald in 29th and Mattia Bernardi completing the four to score in 47th. In the men’s race it was a clean sweep for Belgrave Harriers taking the top three places, and Kent AC taking the next three. Bobby’s position was the only non Kent AC or Belgrave Harrier in the first eight.

 

Given the dominance of those two clubs, we did well to secure 6th place in the four to score Team competition, and placed 4th in the Men’s Brent Shield competition where the top eight score.

 

Team support was understandably thin given the conditions so no pictures of the runners to share. Instead, here’s what West Horsley Place looks like on a day when a storm isn’t blowing through the south of England. And yes, it is where they filmed Ghosts.

Battersea Park Running Festival (Sat. 23rd Nov.)

Advertised as officially the world’s flattest marathon & half marathon. After an initial out and back, the marathon route follows 11 laps of the park before finishing in the Millennium Arena. Two club members participated in the marathon. Jonathan Sargent in his debut marathon finished 53rd overall in 3:03:23. Theresa Massey recorded 4:21:00.

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