Sunday 5-Feb-2012 at 11am

There was an improved longer 2-lap course for 2012, distance 5.19 miles (8.35k) by Les' GPS.  Conditions were better than on the same day in Warrington.  No mist, no snow on the ground.  The surface was sightly soft on top and frozen underneath.

Well done to all who represented the club.  Particularly, well done to Tracey Hart who did her first Club cross country race!

Please note that the date of the 6th and final race at Birchwood Forest Park has been provisionally changed due to circumstances beyond the League Organisers control.  Watch this web site for details.

Many thanks to Liz & Kit Whitfield for recording the first finishers before they had to leave, and to Steph Charman & Julian for doing the rest.  Also thanks to Steph for her encouragement!

Steph Charman was also taking photos.

Results courtesy of Julian Spencer.

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Individual results

Full results are available on Steve Saunders' web site - follow the link to "X-Country".

Pos	Name	Pos	Name
2	Graham Houghton (29:45)	8	Alison Draper (37:49)
20	Chris Millington (32:08)	9	Karon Forster (38:05)
24	Stephen Pilditch (32:30)	41	Tracey Hart (56:52)
26	Colin Martin (33:02)	58	Total  (10 in 2011)
46	Julian Spencer (34:37)	42	Anne Hewitt (56:55)
47	Dave Hudd (35:01)
165	Total  (65 in 2011)	19	Janet Robertson (Helsby)
56	Brad Ehlen (35:39)
61	Andy Garnett (36:46)		42 women, 4 Striders
80	Mick Charman (38:41)		(25 women last year)
81	Geoff Read (38:45)
87	Dave Thompson (39:46)
111	Barry Allman (50:02)
114	Les Hewitt (57:11)
41	Jim Dawson (Warrington RR)
	114 men, 13 Striders
	(64 men last year)

Team results for this race

Men		Ladies
Club	Score	Club	Score
Liverpool RC	59	Warrington RR/Helsby RC/Lymm	16
Liverpool Running Bugs/Roby/Picton	83	Skelmersdale BH/Parbold Pink Panthers	19
Penny Lane Striders	98	Liverpool RC	22
Spectrum Striders	165	Penny Lane Striders	47
Warrington RR/Helsby RC/Lymm	250	Birkenhead AC/Pensby RC	56
Birkenhead AC/Pensby RC	264	Spectrum Striders	58
Skelmersdale BH/Parbold Pink Panthers	375	Liverpool Running Bugs/Roby/Picton	incomplete
Newburgh Nomads	incomplete

League standings after 5 races

Best 5 of 6 races to count

Men		Ladies
Club	Score	Club	Score
Liverpool RC	37	Warrington RR/Helsby RC/Lymm	37
Liverpool Running Bugs/Roby/Picton	37	Skelmersdale BH/Parbold Pink Panthers	35
Spectrum Striders	29	Spectrum Striders	29
Penny Lane Striders	27	Penny Lane Striders	25
Warrington RR/Helsby RC/Lymm	17	Liverpool RC	23
Birkenhead AC/Pensby RC	13	Birkenhead AC/Pensby RC	16
Newburgh Nomads	11	Liverpool Running Bugs/Roby/Picton	12
Skelmersdale BH/Parbold Pink Panthers	9

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Race information

Don't forget - it is a rule that you wear your club vest in this league.

This is race 5 in this winters North West Sunday Cross Country League.  It is organised by Liverpool Running Club.  The course in 2012 was extended to 5.19 miles (8.35k) as measured by Les' GPS, and was still 2 laps.

The terrain of this race is the easiest of the 6 in this league, so if you want to try your first ever cross-country this could be the race for you.  The course is pretty flat and is suitable for spikes or studs.  If it is dry, you might even cope in road shoes.

Race venue:  Walton Hall Park Sports Centre, Walton Hall Avenue (the A580), Liverpool, L4 9XP.  Car parking is at the Sports Centre. 

The easiest route by car is as follows:

• follow the M62 towards Liverpool, leave at J6
• turn north onto the M57
• leave the M57 at J4
• follow the A580 towards Liverpool for about 3½ miles
• the entrance to the Sports Centre is on the other side of the dual carriageway on your right.

The cross country start & finish are on the fields behind the Sports Centre.  Showers & post-run refreshments are available inside the Sports Centre.

There are currently no directions on Steve Saunders' web site.  To see details of the league, go to that web site and follow the link to "X-Country".

Please try to run & support the club teams if you can.  You don't need to register for races in this league, just turn up and run!  Remember, even if you are not a counting runner, you can still push other clubs runners down the finishers list and increase the other club's score, so you do make a difference to the result.  It's free to enter and you get free butties & a cup of tea after!

However it would help if you would let Julian or the Cross Country Secretary know if you are intending to come so that we have a good idea of numbers as we need to ensure that we have a full ladies and men's team.

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2011 race on Sunday 27-Feb-2011 at 11am

Congratulations to Spectrum Ladies who have now won this league.  The Ladies team have won all 5 races so far and they cannot now be caught.  Well done to all Spectrum Ladies who have raced this season:

• 5 races:  Liz Whitfield (won all 5 races), Claire Andrew (second in all 5)
• 4 races:  Karon Forster (third counter in all 4 she ran), Steph Charman
• 3 races:  Anne Hewitt
• 2 races:  Alison Draper, Pauline Welsby, Donna Hinsley, Debbie Read, Beth Shortt, Emma Johnston

The men finished a good second place behind a very strong Liverpool RC team.  They are now second overall behind Liverpool RC after 5 races, with one race to go.

Chris Millington's son Jack was taking photos at the race.

Results courtesy of Julian Spencer.

Individual results

Pos	Runner	Pos	Runner
1	Graham Houghton (25:27)	1	Liz Whitfield (27:28)
4	Neil Crompton (26:55)		(28:23 in 2010)
11	Chris Millington (27:41)	2	Claire Andrew (28:14)
13	Neil Garnett (28:11)	7	Karon Forster (32:08)
17	Mike Welsby (28:31)	Total	10  (8 in 2010)
19	Stephen Pilditch (28:35)	11	Donna Hinsley (35:31)
Total	65 (47 pts in 2010)	18	Debbie Read (39:34)
21	Colin McDonald (28:58)
23	Steve Martin (29:24)
27	Jim Dawson, Warrington RR		5 ladies ran in a field of 25
28	Julian Spencer (29:58)		(23 last year)
	(28:41 in 2010)
31	Mark Fairhurst (30:27)		16 men ran in a field of 64
33	Andy Gaskell (30:30)		(90 last year)
35	Graham Driver (30:51)
43	Alex Farmer (31:44)
47	Rob McHarry (32:56)
51	Geoff Read (34:05)
59	Neville Griffiths (36:38)

Team results for this race

Men		Ladies
Club	Score	Club	Score
Liverpool RC	33	Spectrum Striders	10
Spectrum Striders	65	Penny Lane Striders	31
Penny Lane Striders	160	Liverpool RC	33
Newburgh Nomads	217	Warrington RR	37
Birkenhead/Pensby	255	Skem/Parbold	37
Skem/Parbold	(4 men)	Ford/Roby/Picton	59
Warrington RR	(3 men)	Helsby RC	78 (1 lady)
Ford/Roby/Picton	(3 men)	Birkenhead/Pensby	94 (1 lady)
Helsby RC	(2 men)	Newburgh Nomads	(no ladies)

Full results are available on Steve Saunders' web site.

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2010 race on Sunday 31-Jan-2010 at 11am

Results are available on Steve Saunders' web site.

Race report, from Julian:

"Another good run for the Club today with 23 of 113 runners in the field.  Spectrum had the first runners home in the men’s and ladies race again, with Nick Jones and Liz Whitfield.  The ladies team won yet again and the mens team were second.  Overall the ladies have won all 4 races and the men 2 so we are 1st overall in the women’s and equal 1st in the men’s.

This morning I did get at least one last minute appeal, 'is the race off with the snow?' but sadly for the appellant there was hardly any snow in Liverpool…  The course was ideal for very fast running as it was either frozen solid or firm with no slippery, muddy puddles so that you probably could have run in road shoes."