Markfield XC & Leeds Abbey Dash

Dom & Jennie steal the show!
In excellent running conditions, no wind & about 10^oC, the Club’s contingent of 17 were well to the fore at South Charnwood School in the second race in this winter’s Derby Runner XC series. It was two relative newcomers to the Club, Dominic Sharman & Jennie Laing, who starred with Dominic finishing 25^th in the men’s race and Jennie, making her debut for the Club, a superb 6^th in the women’s race.
In the men’s race there were excellent team performances & top 100 finishes in a really competitive field from Simon Hackett (53^rd), Shane Chapman (64^th), Paul Chapman (90^th), Andy Orme (94^th) & Colin Mee (100^th). Simon Reynolds, making his debut as a 2^nd claim runner for the Club, was next across the line in 149^th place followed by the ever improving Steve Fowler in 230^th & the consistent Adrian Middleton, who completed the team scorers in the men’s race in 234^th place. There then followed three of the Club’s MV60’s Malcolm Moore, Tony Phillips &, making a welcome racing re-appearance, Steve Tempest who finished in 269^th, 277th  & 322nd places respectively.
In the women’s race Sam Skidmore, making an excellent XC debut, was next to finish after Jennie in 111^th place followed by the battling Inge Moore in 155^th. Linda Tempest, after some recent intensive training, ran well on her comeback for 189^th place with Cath Johnson completing the Club finishers in 192^nd.
This approximate 5.5 mile course is one of the most popular in the series & to avoid some of the bottlenecks experienced last year there were two separate races with the women starting 10 minutes after the men. However, with over 360 in the men’s race & 200 in the women’s race there was inevitably some minor hold ups & loss of rhythm as the leading women caught the slower men.
Much further afield Louise Insley was mixing it with the country’s elite & 9500 others in the Age UK Leeds Abbey Dash. Part of the Run Britain Grand Prix Series with significant prize money available to British runners, Louise ran well to finish 5^th in her age group in a chip time of 38.14.