‘On Camp with Kelly’ athletes were in fine form at the first big cross country race of the season in Gateshead on Saturday 15 November as the McCain UK Cross Challenge 2008-09 got under way.
David Forrester (St Helens Sutton - pictured right) was a convincing winner of the Junior men’s 6.7km race, clocking 24:29 to finish 17 seconds ahead of Tesgai Tewelde of Eritrea with Phillip Berntsen in third a further four seconds back.
After the race David said: “I felt really strong, I’ve been training really well, doing a lot of miles and I just wanted to get out and compete. I want to go and win the European Cross Country - that’s my focus. I need to do a bit more speed work between now and then but so far, so good.”
Emma Pallant (Aldershot, Farnham & District - on picture above) made it a Junior double, taking the women’s 4.4km race in 16:22 from Lauren Howarth and Emily Pidgeon, who both clocked 16:31. Emma’s club mate and fellow OCWK athlete Louise Small was fourth in 16:34 while Katie Knowles (Bristol & West) took eighth in 17:16, Laura Weightman (Morpeth) was 13th in 17:48 and Jess Burns (City of Plymouth) 14th in 17:52.
The Under 17 women ran with the Juniors and Kate Avery (Shildon - pictured above) was the first athlete home in that age group, finishing seventh overall in the race in 17:12 and beating the next Under 17 finisher by nearly a minute. Kate also won Under 17 women’s race at the Birmingham Cross Challenge meeting on 25 October.
The fourth victory by an ‘On Camp with Kelly’ athlete came in the senior men’s one lap race where James Brewer (Cheltenham & 
County - above centre) won in a tight sprint finish from fellow OCWK athlete Ricky Stevenson (New Marske Harriers - above right), with both given the same time of 4:49. Third placed Gareth Turnbull from Ireland was just one second behind.
In the Senior women’s 8.1km race, won by reigning European Junior Cross Country champion Steph Twell in 26:46, Hannah England (Oxford City AC - pictured right) finished 17th in 29:03, Charlotte Best took 20th in 29:29 and Hannah Brooks (Crawley AC) was 25th in 30:10.
Charlotte Best
Hannah Brooks
‘On Camp with Kelly’ athletes were also to the fore at the Saucony Cross Country Relays on Saturday 1 November. Charlotte Purdue and Emma Pallant, with the second and fifth fastest 2.5km legs in 8:05.30 and 8:17.70 respectively, led Aldershot, Farnham & District to the gold medals in the Under 20 women’s race. Also clocking fast legs were Stevie Stockton from Vale Royal (8:27.30), Katie Knowles from Bristol & West (8:37.70) and Suzi Boast from Bedford & County (8:41.20). Louise Small anchored the Aldershot, Farnham & District Under 17 women’s team to victory with the fastest leg of the day in that age group - 8:27.15.
Aldershot were equally dominant at the Nike ERRA Road Relays on 18 October, with Charlotte Purdue clocking the second fastest and Emma Pallant the sixth fastest legs – 13:54 and 14:21 – over the 4.3km course to lead the team to victory. Louise Small was again the fastest in the Under 17 race, her 13:05 for the 3.9km course anchoring the team to gold.
Also at the Saucony Cross Country Relays, Ricky Stevenson clocked the fastest leg in the Junior men’s race with 8:44.60 over the 3km course and this performance helped his New Marske Harriers team to a surprise victory. Mitch Goose clocked the third fastest leg with 8:57.60 and his City of Norwich team, which also included 800m specialist Rick Ward took second place. Ross Murray was fourth fastest with 8:59.35 and Simon Horsfield eighth fastest with 9:06.05.
Ricky was also in good form at the ERRA Road Relays, clocking the seventh fastest leg in the Senior men’s race with 17:09 for the 5.8km course.
Photos Mark Shearman
