ECCA National Cross Country Relay, Berry Hill Park, Mansfield

Below: Steve Sharp makes new friends in mid-field. Nick Goolab - up to 16th - and a fraction faster than Nick was Simon Jones. By the time Phil Wicks had finished his stint we were in 8th - same as last year. Photos by Alan Mead.

Nightmare on Berry Hill

When we discovered that of the 208 teams entered for the senior men's championship at Berry Hill, Mansfield, we had been designated team no. 13, we laughed. "Unlucky for some," we said, "but not for us!" The talk was of teams that were likely challengers for the title and whether we could get the better of Bedford & County AC, a feat, we felt, that if achieved could earn us the win. But some evil Hallowe'en witch was at that very moment concocting a spell to thwart our hopes … and when the starter fired his gun she cast her curse down on the assembled field to cause mayhem.

The start area seemed a little narrower than normal as the organisers had tinkered with the take-over arrangements. As a result the eager first leg men were packed ten deep or more. There were numerous pushes and shoves and on the front rank, down on the deck went Sharpy. An attempt to get to his hands and knees failed as a man behind ran over him. A second crack at getting up was no more successful, a hurdling runner's knee striking him in the back and expelling every last gasp of breath; but up he got, eventually, in his own words, “stone bonkers last.” Certainly he had, perhaps, a hundred men ahead of him.

“I did bring a few others down,” he later related to his team mates, as if that was some saving grace. “Yeah”, muttered Phil with a grin, “not the right ones though.” Not the right ones indeed, for most of the likely contenders were already well to the fore as the multi-coloured stream of vests were now strung out over more than 200 metres as the leaders entered the narrow paths in the woods. We say ‘most’ because although Sharpy ploughed on manfully, receiving apologies from unfamiliar rivals as he overtook them (“Sorry I trod on you mate!”), Blackheath continued to languish down the field, ending the stage in 44th – and look what they achieved.

Nick Goolab anxiously looked down the field as the leading runners were away on the second stage. City of Norwich headed the charge with New Marske Harriers ahead of Morpeth … and then Bedford; no slip-ups for them then. Our man eventually got called into action in 34th place. Surely we can justify a time 30 seconds faster for Stephen Sharp, a margin that would later have put us well into the medals – but staying on one’s feet is all part of the game.

Nick gained eight spots with a time right on a par with last year's – but charging through the field was Mike Skinner for the ‘Heathens’ rising 37 places with the day’s fastest of 14:47-odd. That’s a super time which features well up the all-time list on a course that some feel is somewhat longer than of yore.

Enter the fray Simon Jones. With a professed dislike of cross country, a new training regime which involves plenty of it seems to be paying dividends. Our forward momentum was maintained with a time a fraction quicker than Nick’s and by the end of his two circuits of the park we were up to 9th.

Bedford were now the owners of an unassailable lead and had the reliable Neilson Hall to maintain it, but the race for the lesser medals was far from over as the field was closing up. It would be nice to record that our own ‘Wicksy’ the wizard, who does all that we ask of him except walk on water, was able to counter that wicked witch’s spell, but there were some other aces taking over in the pack ahead of him. Overall, Russell, Hudspith, McLeod … all were equally intent on grabbing some hardware for their clubs. Phil gave it everything – probably more than he should have done over the first lap – and it was a gamble that didn’t pay off. Several of the teams ahead of him were pulled back but he was unable on this run to convert seconds gained into more than one place.

It really was a great effort from all four of the Belgrave lads who never gave up on the task – but the result was the same as last year – 8th. Well done to the Bedford Boys - to retain this title is something special.

1 Bedford & County AC 1:01:12.75; 2 Blackheath & Bromley H 1:01:35:65; 3 Bristol & West AC 1:01:37.15; 4 Morpeth H & AC 1:01:39.50; 5 Derby AC 1:01:42.10; 6 Tipton H 1:01:44.35; 8 Belgrave H 1:02:00.40; 164 teams started, 151 teams finished

Fastest: M Skinner (Blackheath & Bromley H) 14:47.90, 2 S Overall (Blackheath & Bromley H) 14:58.30, 3 M Goose (City of Norwich)14:58.50.

Belgrave: S Sharp (34) 15:56.80, N Goolab (16) 15:24.65, S Jones (9) 15:24.20, P Wicks (8) 15:14.75.