South of Thames 7.5-mile cross country championships 2019
Camilla Barden had a superb race.
Belles
The Belles have had a fine record in this six to score race over the last few years medalling in all eight races since 2011, and winning no less than four times. However, this year it was not to be. With the race so close to Christmas, injuries, illness and work commitments all reduced the team to just four runners, Camilla Barden, Mimi Corden-Lloyd, Ellen van der Verden and Vicky Goodwin, who had flown over from Switzerland to run.
Lloyd Park is noted for its mud, and with heavy overnight rain to add to what seemed incessant rain throughout autumn it certainly didn't disappoint, with runners having to splash through a huge puddle very soon after then start and very slippery conditions particularly at the top of the course. Luckily, the rain just about held off for the duration of the race. All four Belles wisely started cautiously with Camilla and Mimi together in the low thirties on the first lap and Ellen and Vicky a little further back.
Camilla is a wonderful find for the team, she is new to club athletics, this was only her third ever race, but she is eager to learn and improve, this she is doing every times she competes. She started to move through the field from midway through the first lap and carried on throughout the race with a storming last lap finishing a fine 18th at the end.
Mimi ran a very sensible and steady race maintaining her position on every lap. She coped with the difficult conditions very well looking very strong and at the end was really pleased with her run finishing in 33rd place.
Ellen (pictured in the gallery relishing her sprint finish) enjoyed her race too. She suffered a troublesome injury in the late summer so has only recently managed to get back to full training. This was her first race this winter. Here she seemed to revel in the conditions using her strength to great affect. She finished in 57th place, higher than in the same race a year ago.
Vicky has had a catalogue of injuries including a persistent achilles problem so was very pleased with her first race this season, the November league race at Mitcham Common. She ran two very controlled laps with no ill affect but then decided to call it a day given that the Belles had insufficient numbers for a scoring team.
l-r: Nick Buckle, Andrew Cumine, Ben Hurley, Ollie Young, Matt Edgar.
Bels
The men’s team was left severely depleted after a series of injury and holiday-related dropouts in the last few days before the race, but it was a gritty bunch who did turn up to help the club to an 8th place team finish.
Matt Edgar trailed by Ollie Young and Ben Hurley.
In 16th overall, Paskar Owor was first Bel home for the men, followed by Andrew Cumine returning to fitness after a thankfully shortish injury break. Next home was Matt Edgar, in probably his breakthrough race for the club, powering past skipper Nick Buckle in the last lap. Captain Buckle has struggled with niggly injuries and illness in the weeks leading up to this race, so we’re grateful that he turned out at all. Just behind Nick was Ben Hurley, about a minute ahead of a determined Ollie Young to complete the scoring six.
James Morris and Rob Norville also put in gutsy runs for the club.