Inter-counties 2008
By James Kelly
After a wild and windy week, it was with some relief that the competitors chosen to represent their county in the Intercounties/UK World Cross-Country Trials arrived at Wollaton Park, Nottingham to find conditions ideal for distance running. The 10-race programme featured fascinating races in all age groups, and also featured a select group of Cambridge University Hare & Hounds destined to rise to prominence, both during the race and in their future careers.
Tim Pattison was first up, representing Cheshire in the U20 Men's Championships. Refraining from his usual aggressive start, Pattison instead chose to establish himself in the second pack, focusing on establishing a good rhythm and gaining familiarity with the course. Before he knew it, he found himself inside the top-15 and gaining all the time on the handful of athletes who had found the pace in the lead group to be a little too hot. With a strong second half of the race, Pattison climbed into the top 10, and his customary sprint finish ensured a fantastic 8th place finish for the fresher. David Forrester (Merseyside) ran an elegant race to reinforce his recent English Schools win with the title of Intercounties Junior Champion.
Next to represent the Hareys (and their county) were Charlotte Roach (Cheshire), Helen Rollins (Leicestershire), Polly Keen (Hampshire) and Jane Mackey (Berkshire), racing in the Senior Women's Championship. Roach, recovering from a heavy cold, nevertheless rose towards the front of the field after an impressive start. However, she acquired a rather large stick as a new appendage, impaled on one of her spikes. So disruptive was the stick that she was forced to stop and remove it. With her rhythm broken, she was unable to catch the lead pack and therefore settled for 31st position, an impressive debut in the Senior category. Rollins continued her recovery from long-term injury with an evenly-paced effort that saw her finish 61st, solidly in the middle of the field. Mackey (228th) confessed that she found the race to be hard work, but should be pleased regardless with the mental strength that she applied to fight through the difficult spells. New Ladies' Captain Keen, a late addition to the Hampshire squad, was disappointed to find that her county was unable to field a full scoring team. Hampered by a cold herself, she was forced to withdraw partway through the race. Laura Kenney (Warwickshire) used a blistering last lap to claim her first Senior title and book a place at the World Cross-Country Championships in Edinburgh.
Anna Anderson (Lancashire) was next to take to the course, racing in the U20 Women's classification. Showing the same poise that she demonstrated at Varsity and BUSA, she positioned herself towards the front of the field and matched the relentless pace of the leaders. Her 18th place finish, behind winner Laura Park (Cumbria), reinforced the incredible consistency that she's shown throughout the season.
The final H&H competitor of the day was Owain Bristow (Oxfordshire), who contested the Senior Men's Race alone after James Kelly (Surrey), like Keen, suffered the premature onset of the captain's curse. Bristow, who looked upon the race as an opportunity to chase adults rather than noisy schoolchildren, found his legs to be fairly unresponsive and ultimately came home in 136th. The race was won by the in-form Tom Humphries (Staffordshire) ahead of Phil Wicks (Surrey). Two members of the victorious Glassworks Gym team to win Chariots of Fire, Mike Skinner (Kent) and Andy Vernon (Hampshire), booked places in Edinburgh. Perhaps the club's second place finish wasn't so bad after all!
With Intercounties came the end of the cross-country season for the Hareys. Having begun back in September, the club members have developed a great kinship for the mud and rain, but many will be looking forward to the transition to the firmer footing of the road and the track.