SELCCL Race 1 (Heaton Park) Race Report

We returned to Heaton Park for the first race of the South East Lancashire Cross Country League (SELCCL) of the 2013/14 season.

The SELCCL attracts a smaller number of clubs when compared with the Manchester Area Cross Country League (MACCL), however the Harriers were well-represented in both the senior ladies’ and senior mens’ races.

The ladies’ race set off at 1.50pm, with four Harriers present in the line-up. The course was slightly shorter than the MACCL race a few weeks previously, however it was equally tough, with the descent through the wooded area in the Dell Gardens being particularly churned up in places. The first Harrier home was Emma Rettig in 35:21, closely followed by Emma Bedford in 36:00 and Steph Goodchild in 37:12. Ruselle Meade did exceptionally well on her cross country debut, coming home in 49:00.

2.30pm saw the start of the men’s race, which was actually a slightly longer course than the MACCL race a few weeks earlier. The fact that fewer runners took part in the SELCCL race did nothing to change the feeling of being an extra in a remake of Braveheart; there were a couple of shouts of “CHARGE!” as we descended down the first hill to add to the authenticity. Nobody appeared to be carrying any 13th century weaponry though, which is certainly an advantage when running in a cross country race.

The smaller field meant that there was much less in the way of flying elbows and jostling for position in the early stages of the race. The openness of the “Papal field” allowed some room for overtaking, however the lack of shelter at this section of the course meant that runners were faced with a deceptively strong headwind. A narrow and steep ascent through an area of woodland opens up onto a more gradual climb towards the highest point of the course, after which there is a comfortable section of level ground. The course narrows again as it negotiates two sections of woodland, the latter of which is the aforementioned Dell Gardens; the respite that this downhill stretch provides is tempered by the need to be on a constant lookout for exposed roots, branches and calf-deep mud. A level section along a metalled path leads onto the final part of the course, a relatively steep climb back up to the start. Of course, we got to enjoy all of this twice more before the finish!

David Garner led the men home in 41:41, chased by Mark Griffiths in 42:19. Next in was yours truly in 43:32, finishing in wide-eyed fear that Tom Hyde would sprint past me at the death. As it was, Tom finished a few seconds behind in 43:45, on his return from injury. Next up was Richard Brailsford in 44:42, then Rob Kedian in 48:54 and James Gu in 50:46. Paul Cooper was the second veteran home in 51:32, knocking over a minute off his time from the shorter MACCL course. The impressive veteran performances continued with Geoff Cotterill, who shaved a mere four and a half minutes off his time from the MACCL to finish in 52:47. Elder statesman Jon Paramor followed with another significant improvement, finishing in 54:04 – the cheerleaders didn’t put him off as much this time! Jon was closely followed by Steve Symons in 54:41, which left Ian Manners to bring up the rear in 57:27.

The decent turnout was mirrored “in the stands”, with some vocal support along the finishing straight and a splendid selection of post-race refreshments on offer. The only problem on the day was the fabled Harriers tent, which was enjoying its trip to Heaton Park and steadfastly refused to go back into its bag! We managed to get it sort of packed in the end and in doing so saved JP from spending a night under the stars.