NEHL Wrekenton, 25th September 2021
It was cross-country, Jim, but not as we know it! **
Instead of spikes, mud, wellies, coats and bobble hats, it was road shoes, sun-cream and shades for the start of the 2021 North Eastern Harrier League season at Wrekenton! The ground was dry and rock-hard; the long, cut grass at the start and finish area could have been harvested for hay and the hundreds of runners created a massive dust cloud as they descended the hill on the soil and gravel path. The heat also played a part, and I, for one, have never sweated so much at a cross-country event (Note to self: Sauvignon Blanc is not the ideal way to rehydrate). Still, it was good to be back!
Late withdrawals due to illness and Track and Trace isolation requirements depleted the Claremont teams, though Lena still turned up to support. Also, Ari Hodgson turned up to give it a go despite being under the weather, but sensibly decided to call it a day half-way around. There were still enough of us to put out full teams with a couple of reserves – and fewer runners means more cake for the rest of us. It was also good to have Grace Scott representing us in the Junior events after an absence of a couple of seasons.
** Younger readers may need to look here to get this reference.
| Under 13 Girls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Runner | Time |
| 52 | Grace Scott | 15:18 |
| Ladies & Over 65 Men | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Runner | Time |
| 33 | Sarah Kerr | 29:44 (Medium pack. Actual time 27:24) |
| 118 | Julija Stoniute | 32:49 |
| 138 | Liz Denyer | 33:26 |
| 160 | Maria Duenas | 33:54 (Medium pack. Actual time 31:34) |
| 290 | Marie Slack | 39:11 |
| 298 | Gill Milne | 39:40 |
| 318 | Bill Milbourne | 40:31 (Over 65 Men) |
| 364 | Kenny McCormick | 45:01 (Over 65 Men) |
| Men | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Runner | Time |
| 182 | Anthony Liddle | 41:58 |
| 214 | Sonam Wangdi | 42:53 |
| 222 | Tom Tinsley | 43:05 |
| 317 | Dean O’Brien | 46:01 |
| 346 | Jamie Harding | 46:52 |
| 355 | Duncan Scott | 47:14 |
| 360 | Howard MacLennan | 47:23 |
| 467 | David Devennie | 53:45 |
Thanks to Lena, Gill and Maria for adding to my efforts with the camera, and, of course, to the excellent Stuart Whitman Photography and Geoff Fenwick for allowing free use of their photos:
