European Champion Clubs Cup Half Marathon, Lisbon, Portugal

Long, hot and hilly in Lisbon

Entry to this race was earned through winning the AAA Half Marathon back in March and in extremely hot and sultry conditions Belgrave’s road runners placed 9th in their first foray onto mainland Europe in many a year. Lee Hurst and Charles Herrington made strong starts but it was the men who showed a little more respect for the conditions who came through as the race wore on. Knut Hegvold judged it to perfection while Will Cockerell, emphasising his great form by being first Belgravian home, wondered if he might have set out just a tad too gently. Roger Alsop was third man in for the Bels while Alaster Stewart, returning from injury, closed in the team.

The course was very hilly and reportedly over length, each member of the team being some 4 or 5 minutes slower than expected - even the great Antonio Pinto only ran 70:00!

1 J.Moyren (Vodaphone Guadalajara) 65:13; 32 W.Cockerell 73:01; 34 K.Hegvold 73:53; 36 R.Alsop 74:19; 42 A.Stewart 75:12; 48 C.Herrington 76:46; 56 L.Hurst 79:48. Teams: 1 GDR Corforlimpa 20; 2 Carabinieri Bologna 30; 3 Maratona CP 56; 9 Belgrave H 144.

Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.