James MacDonald won the Club 7.5 for the second year running with Andy Whelan, making his first ever cross country appearance, in second place. James and Andy broke clear from a group of Dartford Harriers after the first small lap and ran the next two large laps together before James put the hammer down in the last lap to win by a minute. Steve Groom ran a well paced race to work his way through to 6th and the club bronze medal. Fourth Cambridge was another new member, David Worden in 11th place. A strong team performance but in the recently inaugurated team competition we lost out to Dartford Harriers (3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th) by just a single point.
The women’s race was won by Anoushka Johnson (yet again) with Chloe and Sally Haffenden in second and third places. First Cambridge lady was Megan Williams finishing just clear of Sue Dixon.
It was another excellent turnout: a starting field of 85 included 17 of our men and 6 of our women. As usual the event was well supported by Dartford Harriers and Bexley AC, but there were also runners form many other clubs who have come less often in the past; it was a pleasure to welcome members of Medway & Maidstone, Beckenham, Orpington and many others to our clubhouse for cake and bacon rolls after the race.
Remember the next and final one of these races for the season will be on 17th February, and this year we have a new competition! The Joyden’s Wood Trophy will be awarded to the club runner with the best overall performance over all three races. Currently it is all to play for: Christian Poulton leads Steve Groom by a tiny margin with Mark Penny not far behind.
The recent rain had left the course nice and muddy as was testified by the footware left outside the clubhouse looking more like shapeless lumps of mud than shoes. In the circumstances it is hardly surprising that when Jon Hunter of Bexley got home and started to wash the mud off he discovered that they were not his shoes at all! Please check yours once you have got the mud off, perhaps you have his and he has yours?
