When the leaves turn to brown and the days get shorter runner’s thoughts turn to cross country and Sunday at Anslow, for members of South Derbyshire Road Runners, was the start of what will be a busy and competitive cross country winter. There was a terrific turnout of 39 runners from the Club for this, the first leg of the Derby Runner League. On a day of many terrific performances it was Chris Pearson who led the men’s team home with a brilliant 2nd place finish. Chris, one of the Club’s strongest runners, has raced sparingly on the road this season so it was a real bonus to see him run so well here. Ross Clarke, fresh from a sub 3 hour performance at the recent Chester Marathon, ran superbly for 6th place with ultra-distance man Andy Windle in 8th and the Club’s man for all seasons, Mark Harriott shaking off any fatigue from the Chester Marathon to finish strongly in 11th. Rich Miller, a day after a half marathon, ran well for 14th place with Andy Alsop in 26th, Nathan Holmes in 30th and Men’s Team Captain, Andy Orme in 35th giving everything to complete the team finishers in the men’s race.
Matt Long raced strongly to finish in 51st with debutant Dave Green showing well in 59th before a close battle between Ross Ballinger in 64th and another debutant, James Cox in 65th. Barry Saunders another recovering from a gruelling autumn marathon finished in 71st before the inform Paul Glover in 74th, Chris Elsegood in 85th, Joe Baldwin in 94th and Adrian Leigh in 95th crossed the line. Gary Price collected the 104th place finishing token before Mark Murkin in 113th, second claimer Mitch Newman in 126th and debutant Mark White in 131st completed the Club’s finishers in the men’s race.
Another making her racing debut for the Club was Abbie Van Djik and a couple of weeks after winning the Chester Marathon she showed her pedigree here by finishing in a superb 2nd place in the women’s race. A true measure of her performance is that overall she was the 3rd finisher for the Club. The resurgent Christina Hawtin and Ellie Evans finished in 4th and 5th places with Tracey Glover in 11th completing the team finishers in the women’s race. Solid support was provided by another with the Chester Marathon in her legs, Katie Dennis in 12th, ironwoman Lisa Wright in 18th and Becky Moult and Nikki Reeves in 27th and 28th respectively. Sarah Walters ran strongly for 65th place as did Becky Leneghan in 76th and Emily Atkins in 87th before Anna Casey in 97th, Shannon Hurdman in 98th and the determined Pauline Cooper in 112th completed the Club’s finishers in a very competitive women’s race.
