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Club high-fliers on their marks
COLLECTIVE Harborough AC eyes will be trained on events across the grounds of Cofton Park, Birmingham, and the Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships on Saturday, March 13, as five members are in line to represent the Leicestershire team.
Scheduled to be screened live on Sky, the races will see them compete against the very best that Britain has to offer, as well as several household international names.
The event also doubles as the UK Cross Challenge Final and IAAF World Cross Country Trials, offering an opportunity for the club representatives to pit themselves against those vying for national selection.
Leading the picks is Hannah Eveleigh, who will turn out as part of the Leicestershire senior women's team, and for whom selection represents the culmination of a tremendous return to form over the past 12 months.
Eveleigh said: "It's a real honour to be chosen for the team, and a definite highlight in my running career so far. I'm just very excited to be lining up with some of the best runners in the county, and against the top cross-country athletes in the UK."
Alongside Eveleigh – racing in the women's under-20 event – will be Jessica Edge, who has been an ever-present throughout the local county schools league, looking completely at home across the fields and trails, and finishing a superb second overall in that series.
Having thoroughly justified her position in the team with some outstanding recent runs, Edge will race across a 6km course that winds around the picturesque and historical common on the outskirts of the country's second largest city.
In addition, both Emily Taylor and Sarah Ward have been selected as reserves for the under-17 women's squad, and both will hope to be involved on the day.
In the male ranks, the Harborough club's leading performer, and 2009 Harborough Mail Sportsman of the Year, Sean Fenwick will also be keeping his fingers crossed for a call-up as he heads the senior men's reserve list for the 12km equivalent.
For all five, inclusion in their respective teams underlines their terrific efforts throughout the cold, gruelling winter, and comes as recognition of their undoubted talent and ability.
Elsewhere, nine club athletes took part in another one of the highlight cross-country fixtures of the domestic calendar, competing in the National Championships on Saturday at Roundhay Park in Leeds, an event steeped in history, and with past winners including the likes of athletics legends Brendan Foster, Dave Bedford and Paula Radcliffe.
A combination of testing courses – with steep hills and muddy conditions – not to mention the cream of English running talent, made this a true test of ability and running character.
In the under-13 girls' event, Bethany Ellis was unfortunately forced to retire with cramp. However, Martha Clapp faired better, showing significant improvement from the previous year's equivalent event to finish 127th in a race of well over 400.
Emily Taylor produced the highest finish position on the day for a Harborough athlete in the under-17 women's race, coming home in 120th place, from a field of 189.
Matt Driver marked a successful return from injury with a top-200 finish in the under-20 men's event, while Jake Watson was the sixth highest under-17 men's finisher from a Leicestershire club, and in 226th position overall.
The Club's cross-country captain, Will Clapp, led by example, returning first for the senior men in 533rd overall, followed by Adam Brooks in 753rd, Graeme Rolfe in 1,166th, and club chairman Martin Hughes 1,246th in a finishing list of more than 1,400.
Commenting after the event, Clapp said: "All the junior club athletes who finished have at least one more year in their respective age categories, so as long as they keep up their training they should all be able to look forward to further improvement in their positions next year.
"Everyone who competed today can be very proud of their efforts – travelling all the way to Leeds to race against some of the best in England.
"The club has had an excellent cross country season: winning the men's second division in the Derby Runner League Series; county team medals for the veteran men; and an individual age-group league win for Karen Brooks in the North Midlands League.
"The cross-country racing and
training should stand all our athletes in good stead as thoughts begin to turn to both the track and field season, and more road racing."
In the last race of the Derby Runner League Cross Country Series, held on Sunday, a nine-strong turnout from Harborough AC tackled the Sinai Park course through decidedly inclement conditions.
To the backdrop of Sinai Park House – noted for its ghost sightings – an intrepid club contingent sought to exorcise the demons of one of the later cross-country races of the season, and to cement the overall team position near the head of the series' league two.
First home on the day was the ever-consistent Martin Gore, in 16th place; closely followed by Ady King (22nd) and Hugh Delargy (23rd).
Richard Bufton, Shane Edge and Nick Johnston rounded off the team group, but the success of secured promotion to league one for next season was somewhat overshadowed by an uncomfortable recurrence of Matt Driver's recent ankle injury that saw the youngster fail to complete the course, and end his day with a journey to the local hospital. All at the Harborough club wish him a speedy recovery.
Meanwhile in the women's race, Jo Johnston and Lin Farrow finished their respective seasons with typically robust performances in incredibly muddy underfoot conditions.
In further Harborough AC news, Sarah Ward underlined her credentials with a tremendous showing for third place in the Independent Schools Athletics Association National Cross-Country Championship, representing Northamptonshire Grammar School.
In the third and final race of the Wellingborough Multi-Terrain Series, Chris Beasley placed 30th in 47:09, with Vicky Sewell showing good form for 85th position overall.
On the roads, Dave Waddington also continued his encouraging preparation for this year's London Marathon with a strong run for 144th in the 2010 Ivanhoe Challenge 30km race in Stamford in 2hrs 16mins 27secs, from a start list of more than 600.
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Weather for Market Harborough
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
