Surrey County Cross Country Championships, Lloyd Park

At last another Senior Men's team win in the 'Surreys'

A thrilling race at Lloyd Park saw three Belgravians storming away on the first lap with a now healthy but far from racing fit Phil Wicks initially taking up his customary position in the lead. But Phil came up against a very fit Paskar Owor and the ever-strong James Kelly who gave him no quarter. On lap two the two leading Aldershot boys slowly worked their way nearer to the front and it was at that point that Paskar decided that some serious pace had to be injected to ensure an individual Belgrave win. With the leading group now blown apart Paskar cruised on for the win - the second time he has taken this title. The talented youngster Ian Bailey of AFD worked hard to pick up both James and Phil over the second half of the race but with three in the first four and backed up well by Will Cockerell and two guys who share over 100 years between them - Knut Hegvold and Mike Trees - we had 22 points in hand over a slowly strengthening Hercules Wimbledon and a slightly weaker than normal Herne Hill.

It was our first County Cross team win since 1996 ... and before that 1967! It has been a long slow process working back towards the win with a series of: 1st, 3rd, dnf, dnf, 5th, dnf, 13th, dnf, dnf, 7th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, and now 1st.

Not a lover of the mud but well used to English conditions, James Kelly recently found muddy conditions much to his advantage in Spain when he beat European 34th placer and club mate Alberto Lozano de Pedro by a minute and a half. The Spaniards of course rarely see the stuff.

Great credit to Phil Wicks, taking some tough hits for the team in these glutinous conditions. He's pleased to be back in a racing singlet once more - and we're delighted. Good luck to him in his comeback.

Senior Men. 1 P Owor (Belgrave) 41:28; 2 I Bailey (Aldershot F&D) 41:37; 3 J Kelly (Belgrave) 41:56; 4 P Wicks 42:25; 19 W Cockerell 46:01; 26 K Hegvold M50 46:44; 30 M Trees M50 46:56; 40 R Maddams 48:20; 87 M Foord 52:52; 93 A Luce M40 53:26; 150 finished.

Teams: 1 Belgrave H (1, 3, 4, 19, 26, 30) 83; 2 Hercules Wimbledon AC (7, 9, 11, 22, 27, 29) 105; 3 Herne Hill H (8, 13, 16, 20, 24, 28) 109; 15 teams closed in.

Senior Women. 1 G Bruinvels (Aldershot F&D) 30:57; 17 T Heaton 35:13; 59 V Goodwin 40:11; 115 finished

U13 Boys. 1 H Boyd (Guildford &G) 14:26; 33 M Nehaili 16:52; 75 finished.

Middlesex Cross Country Champs., Wormwood Scrubs, 5 January 2013.

Senior Women. 1 T Jones (Belgrave) 32:59.

Buckinghamshire Cross Country Champs, Campbell Park, Milton Keynes, 5 January 2013.

Senior Men. 1 TBeedell (Chiltern) 40:06; ... 8 M Taylor 42:20.

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