ECCA English Cross Country Relays – Berry Hill Park, Mansfield

Sam goes sub 22:00

There was unprecedented Grantham Running Club participation at the Saucony English Cross Country Relays on Saturday 3^rd November, with three teams apiece competing in the fiercely competitive Men’s and Women’s Senior races. The club indeed could have entered more teams such was the demand. Thankfully the gracious actions of some runners who volunteered to give up their place meant a ballot for positions for the maximum allowable three teams per club wasn’t required.

Berry Hill Park, Mansfield, has hosted the English XC Relays since 1989 and was thankfully the venue once again after a successful campaign to save the park from closure in July. The course is known for being a good test of cross country skills with a 2.5K long lap featuring a mixture of parkland and undulating woodland sections. The recent heavy rainfall of recent weeks meant the going underfoot was far more challenging than in previous years, with much of the course very muddy and deteriorating over the course of the day with over 700 teams taking part in the various age group races prior to the 350 entered to take part in the Senior races.

Great running by Michelle

The GRC women were first off at 1:50pm with three ladies per team each tackling a 3km long leg. The ‘A’ team saw Caroline Davis open with a solid 15:05.35. This was backed up with Michelle Parczuk running a fine 15:04.20 which brought the the team into the top 100. Michelle handed over to Sarah Chynoweth, who ran an excellent 12:51.70 to see the team finish in a very respectable 71^st position with 43:01.25. This was comfortably the best ever position by a GRC team at the relays, with neither the men nor women having ever finished inside the top 100 prior to this performance. The race was won by Aldershot Farnham & District ‘A’ in 31:09.

The women’s ‘B’ team saw Sylv Hull run 16:22.55, Sarah High 16:39.00 and Naomi Jepson-Rivers complete the team with 15:47.95 They finished 113^th (exactly the same position as the GRC women’s team finished in 2018) in 48:49.50. The ‘C’ team comprising Kate Marshall (18.15.75); Yvonne Buckley (21:24.30) and Tracy Webb (19:43.35) were the last finishers in 127^th place, but it should be pointed out that some 21 teams failed to finish the race on a day when conditions were very testing. 

Setting off at 2:40pm the Men’s Senior Race brought the day’s proceedings to a close with four runners per team each running a 5km leg. Jonny Palmer, making his XC debut for the club, ran a superb opening leg of 18:30.15 to set Grant Davies off in 65^th position. Grant backed this up with a fine 21:05:30. The team had dropped to 90^th position but Chris Limmer with 21:15.75 picked off some places to hand over in 84^th place. Phil Devine, also making his XC for GRC, ran 21:57.30 in questionable footwear to bring the team home 83^rd in 1:22:48. This was agonisingly close to a prized top half finish - it probably would have been if the twenty nine teams who failed to finish had managed to do so. Interestingly the team were only five places behind one of the region’s local giants Lincoln Wellington AC. 

Sarah runs fastest lap (12:52)

The ‘B’ team ran pleasingly strongly with all four members putting in excellent runs. Joaquim Jeronimo ran the first leg in 21:15.95. He was followed by Matthew Williamson (21:59.05); V60 runner Robert Howbrook with an awe inspiring 22:38:20; and Peter Bonner, who closed with 22:36:30 to see the team finish 114th in 1:28:29, just three places behind the ‘B’ team of the region’s other big hitters Notts AC.

The ‘C’ team performed admirably with Sam Jepson-Rivers clocking a very fine 21:58:55 before handing over to Jack Dodwell who equipped himself well with 24:11.95 and then Gav Meadows who ran a solid 23:04.20. It was a tough baptism for XC debutant Wayne Baxter on the anchor leg. Admitting to not staying upright in the toughest sections and lamenting afterwards that he should have worn Wellingtons, he did manage to finish in 30:14.60 bringing the team home 145^th in 1:39:29. The race was won by Leeds City AC ‘A’ in 1:05:14.

After the event Team Captains Chris Limmer and Sarah High were full of praise for the camaraderie shown and the support offered to all who ran. It is hoped this team spirit is carried forward to the forthcoming cross country fixtures over the course of the next few months.