Midland Cross Country Championships
27-Jan-07

Telford Athletic Club's senior womens team produced one of their best ever team performances ever to dominate the final race of the Midland Womens Cross Country League at Stafford Common and retain their Midland League title. On a difficult muddy course Telford packed their first 4 runners into the top 6 places to win with just 8 points, from their first 3 scoring runners. Going into the final fixture Telford held a mere 6 point lead over second placed Loughborough University, who are one of the strongest university teams in the country attracting leading international athletes from throughout the country.

Claire Martin in her first race for 3 weeks after a virus, returned to winning ways as she came home to win in 21.12, with her Telford AC team mate Kim Green second in 21.39. Louise Taylor made a welcome return to action to finish 5th in 22.39. Louise has made an incredible improvement over the last two years as she finished 26th in this same fixture in 2005. Hayley Jennings who is a recent addition to the strong Telford squad, celebrated her first opportunity to be part of the scoring team was 6th in 22.50. Julie Kirby was the next Telford runner home in 16th overall and the second veteran in 24.04. Cheralyn Evans was 35th in 25.56, Lisa Blagden 53rd in 28.01 and Jane Hailey 68th in 30.06.

Telford scored an incredible 8 points with Loughborough University second with 39, Birmingham Rowheath 3rd with 61, Birchfield Harriers 4th with 67. Telford also won the veterans team event on the day with 104 points ahead of Halesowen and Stratford.

This gave Telford a final points total from all 4 races of just 54 points, one of if not the lowest ever winning team total. They scored 91 points when winning last year excatly the same total as LOughborough had when finishing second this year. Birchfield finished 3rd overall with 207, Solihull 4th with 294, Tipton 5th with 327 and Birmingham Rowheath 6th with 395. Telford now join an elite group of just 4 clubs, Charnwood, Birchfield and Loughborough who have ever won the league twice in succession.

Telford came away with the veterans team trophy as well for the very first time winning the league with 649 points ahead of second placed Halesowen with 735 and Amazing Feet of Kidderminster 3rd with 843.

Claire Martin retained her individual league title that she first won last year. Her Telford Ac team mate Kim Green was again the runner up. A tremdously consistent performance from the Sutton Hill runner who won the title in 2005 and then has been runner up for the last 2 years.

Birmingham Cross Country League
Cheltenham 17-Feb-07

Telford Ac completed their cross country league season as they finished 7th in the final Birmingham and District Cross Country League Division One meeting held at Cheltenham that put them 8th overall in the final league table.This is the 3rd year that Telford AC have been back in Division One after being promoted after winning Division 2 in 2004.

On an undulating but fast parkland course Chris Davies continued his comeback with a comfortable 5th place in 30.53 behind the winner Matt Lole of Coventry. Chris Rimmer, former Shropshire junior champion from Bishops Castle, who is currently studying at Pymouth University, ran his first race since th Shropshire Championships in January, was the second Telford man home in 21st, 32.12. Will Joyce one of Telford's most consistent performers this season was the next man home in 37th, 33.22. Greg Wilson, from Wrockwardine Wood, Telford's British Over 50's champion was 45th in 33.50. Telford's scoring six were completed with Ioan Ilie 72nd in 35.15 and Rick Hailey 77th in 35.26. Paul Williams was 104th in 38.05 whilst Malcolm Dawes was 117th in 40.08 and Alan Hodgkiss was 141st in 50.02.

Telford finished 7th on the day with 257 points behind winners Tipton who regained the league title in fine style, from last years champions Birmingham University. Tipton who were one point behind Birmingham before the final race but won impressively with just 67 points to Birmingham's 129.

Divison One Results from the final race with overall league table positions in brackets.

1. Tipton               67  League Total 321 (1st)
2. Birmingham Univ     129               382 (2nd)
3. OWLS ( Leicester)   164               805 (4th)
4. Loughborough Univ   180               532 (3rd)
5. Coventry            208              1072 (6th)
6. Cheltenham          245               983 (5th)
7. Telford             257              1308 (8th)
8. Severn              262              1172 (7th)
9. Halesowen           284              1326 (9th)
10. Stoke               415              1516 (10th)
11. Wolves and Bilston  431              2075 (12th)
12. Rugby / Northants   532              2273 (13th)
13. Birmingham Rowheath 580              2033 (11th)

The league will reorganise next season from 4 Divisions to 3 Divisions so no teams are to be relegated to Division 2 this year.

Inter Counties Cross Country Championships
24-Feb-07

Kim Green ran the race of her life to finish a magnificent 7th in the National Inter Counties Cross Country Championships at Wollaton Park, Nottingham on Saturday. With her Telford and Shropshire colleague Claire Martin finishing a superb 9th giving Shropshire 2 in the top 9 for the first time in living memory. The most prestigous race in the domestic cross country calendar, the inter counties, attracts county representative teams from throughout the UK and was televised live on Sky. The Under 20 races were also trials for the GB teams for the World Cross Country Championships to be held in Kenya, later in March.

The senior womens race was dominated by top GB international Hayley Yelling, who like several others including Shropshire's Claire Martin had their preparation hampered by being stuck in traffic as they approached the venue. Yelling,running for Middlesex, 6th in this years European Championships led from the off to record a record equalling third inter counties title in 29.33. Louise Damen from Hampshire was second in 29.54, with Hatti Dean of Oxfordshire third. Dean and Yelling both members of GB's team for the forthcoming World Champs in Mombasa.

Yelling was especially impressive as she made light of the very muddy conditions made worse by heavy rain throughout the 2 previous days, as she added to her previous titles in 2003 and 2005.

Shropshire supporters had plenty to shout about as it quickly became clear that both Green and Martin were heading for the top 10. Martin who started the quicker was always in the top 10, but the real surprise package was Kim Green, who moved through steadily to finish an amazing 7th. Infact on the final run in on the 8 kilometre course she edged into 5th but just slipped back to 7th over the final few strides. Her finishing time of 30.49 was the same as 6th and just 2 seconds behind 5th. This follows up an excellent season that has included silver medals in the Midland Championships and in the Midland womens league and shows a vast improvement on last years 41st and a 27th the previous year. The Sutton Hill based athlete is delighted with her current form especially as she is in a high mileage phase of training as she builds up to the London Marathon in April.

Claire Martin, although slightly disappointed to be 9th, is still recovering from a virus that kept her out of action for 3 weeks, still recorded her best ever inter county performance and has the satisfaction of knowing that she has beaten 5 of the girls infront of her at some stage this season. Claire also had the satisfaction of finishing 3rd overall in the UK Cross Country Challenge, the country's prestigous competition, that has been incorporated into 5 top class races throughout the season.

It really was a special day for Shropshire, for one of the smallest counties to provide 2 runners in the top 9 is unbelievable. Sian Davies 68th and Julia Leventon 73rd both ran well to get inside the top 100 in this prestigous race as Alison Tickner 215th, Jean Turner 255th and Ann Thorpe 264th completed the team that with 6 to score finished 14th, the best Shropshire team result of the day.

Shrewsbury AC's Mike James, England international fell runner led the Shropshire team home in the senior mens race finishing 45th, 3 places higher than last year, behind winner Frank Tickner of Avon and Somerset. He was well supported by the Telford AC quartet of Wayne Dashper 116th, Chris Rimmer 134th, Will Joyce 158th and Greg Wilson 171st, Wilson and Joce both some 20 places higher than last year. The team was completed by triathlete Mark Griffiths, Telford Harriers making his debut in the Shropshire team in 260th and Colin Lancaster of Telford AC 279th. The team were 21st beating several strong counties such as Merseyside and hosts Nottinghamshire.

Alison Lavender, the Oswestry Olympians athlete from Pulverbatch, the recently crowned Shropshire Schools senior girls champion was delighted with her 33rd in the Under 20 womens race, as she has another year in the same age group.

Richard Hemmings, the Shropshire schools senior boys champion, from Adams Newport ran a strong race in the Under 20 mens age group finishing 40th, again with another year in that age group. Neil Roberts from Much Wenlock was Shropshire's only other in that age group finishing 151st.

Telford AC's Kelsey Collins led the Shropshire Under 13's home also getting into the top 100 in 95th, with Harriet Grandfield, from Thomas Adams School, Wem 157th and Chloe Murphy, TAC 215th the first 3 Shropshire scorers.

Cerian Lancaster, from Little Stretton gained her first ever top 100 finish at these championships in 95th in the Under 17 womens age group, she also has another year at this age group. Oswestry's Kate Keenan, who has really burst onto the county scene this winter was just outside in 118th. The team were 36th.

Interestingly Cerian also had the rather distinction of probably being the only athlete at these championships from any county who also had her mum and dad also competing for their county age group teams. Mum Anne was 264th in the Shropshire senior womens team and dad Colin and her coach was drafted in as an 11th hour reserve for the senior mens team and finished 279th. Quite an achievement.

Josh Ogden the Oswestry Olympian who has won the North Wales League title this season led the county Under 17's team home in 100th, one of only 10 Shropshire athletes to get in the top 100 on the day. James Wallace, from Bridgnorth AC was the next scorer in 180th with Chris Carter, from Telford AC was next in 214th. The team finished 33rd.

Alex Russell, from Telford Ac was the first under 15 boy home in 140th, with the Oswestry pair of Toby Blake,225th and Rowan Dell,241st the next finishers.Bridgnorth AC's Rhiannon Linnington Payne, winner of this winters Shropshire YA cross Country League title led the under 15 girls home in 112th, ahead of Nicole Hilliker 138th and Jenny Young 189th. The team were 34th.

Oswestry's Ryan Stokes was delighted to be the first Shropshire finisher in the under 13 boys race with Ryan Heath, 21 seconds behind in 190th and Bridgnorth's Huw Bevan 205th.