SEAA Cross Country Champs., Hillingdon House Farm, Uxbridge
Above left: Catherine Bryson approaches the hill in 8th place. (photo by Alan Mead) Right: Soon after the start of the Men's 15km Race (photo by Steve Wicks)
We were unable to field a full women's team but Catherine Bryson gave our supporters plenty to cheer about, always involved in the action towards the front of the 8km race and eventually placing 8th.
Phil Wicks makes history
Only four other Belgravians have ever won the Southern Cross Country Championships - Bert Footer in 1933, Tom Carter in 1946, Len Herbert in 1947 and Gerry North in 1967 - but none of them have ever won it twice like Phil Wicks in 2007 and now again in 2009; and who is to say that he will not do it again.
It was a mud bath! Eight earlier races had churned up the going until it had the consistency of porridge and then around 700 senior men took to the fields of Hillingdon House Farm to contest the 15km event.
Phil led for virtually the entire race. Bedford's Neilson Hall kept him company for the first lap but then Phil was away and up to 60m clear on laps two and three until Windsor's Benedict Whitby made terrific inroads over the latter part of the race, cutting the margin to a mere 5 seconds by the end.
It was always going to be an unpredictable race with the heavy going and waterlogged sections. Some took to it better than others. James Kelly admitted that he just couldn't seem to get his legs going in the mud and Mark Pollard was unable to get near his superb 7th place of 2008 - but Simon Jones, in spite of swearing that he hates cross country, held up well for 28th. As might have been predicted, the ever-present Will Cockerell and Pete Willis filled out the team, although veteran Mike Trees held an impetuous forward position early on before sinking back through the field.
The Bels were disappointed not to win a set of medals but had underestimated Winchester & District AC who leapfrogged over favourites Newham & Essex Beagles and Bedford & County to win, leaving the Bels fourth team for the second year in succession. But there was consolation in being second at 12 to score and retaining the Odling-Smee Trophy as first Surrey club to get nine men home. It was also great to have no less than fifteen men in action in this gruelling event - there were times a decade ago when we could get nobody to turn out for the "Southern".
Men's 15km. 1 P Wicks (Belgrave H) 51:08; 2 B Whitby (Windsor SE&H) 51:13; 3 N Hall (Bedford &C) 52:00; ... 28 S Jones 55:15; 40 M Pollard 56:01; 41 J Kelly 56:09; 80 W Cockerell 58:01; 84 P Willis 58:25; 99 M Byansi 59:19; 106 J Fairbourn 59:38; 115 M Trees M45 1:00:03; 124 L Eguia 1:00:14; 126 K Hegvold M45 1:00:27; 231 M Humphrey 1:05:05; 237 T Weeks 1:05:17; 338 R Norville 1:09:37; 455 T Hadfield 1:15:15; ... 672 finished.
Teams 6 to score: 1 Winchester & Dist 162; 2 Newham & Essex Beagles 201; 3 Bedford & County 210; 4 Belgrave H 274; 5 Kent 339; 6 Harrow 361; 7 Aldershot F&D 390; 8 Herne Hill H 393; 9 Thames H&H 505; 10 Woodford Gn EL 518; ... 52 teams closed in.
Teams 12 to score: 1 Bedford & County 990; 2 Belgrave H1075; 3 Winchester & Dist 1482; ... 13 teams closed in.
Oddling-Smee Cup for first Surrey club to finish twelve men - Belgrave Harriers.
Women's 8km. 1 K Sparke (Woodford Gn EL) 31:50; 2 F Fullerton (Havering M) 32:14; 3 N Sykes (Bedford &C) 32:20; ... 8 C Bryson 33:14; 89 M Heaton 38:23; 218 J Beecroft 45:19; ... 311 finished.