• Press Report 7th January 2008

     
    Ilford Athletic Club's cross country captain Darren Bottrill continued his recent confident form with an excellent run in Saturday's Essex County Cross Country Championship as he led the men's squad home on a notoriously tough and demanding 12k course. With top contenders Rob Nixon dropping out on the 1st lap due to breathing difficulties and the inform Malcolm Muir sidelined due to a heavy cold the Cricklefields based club were unable to close a team for the first time in many years. Nevertheless as well as Bottrill's pleasing 41st placing, Andy Catton and Neil Crisp can also be happy with 68th and 77th respectively. Club Coach Steve Cheal was the only other stalwart making the trip and his 150th place out of 157 finishers was a testament to his determination to finish. Gareth Riddell (Basildon) secured an excellent victory from Thurrock's resurgent Andrew Livingstone with pre race favourite, Adrian Mussett of Colchester, back in third.
    A top quality women's race saw Bedford and County's Jo Wilkinson representing Thurrock Harriers getting the better of last years winner Faye Fullerton with her Havering team-mate ,Alexa Joel, back in third. Ilford's super veteran Bree Nordin was characteristically unhappy with her result but her 32nd place out of  80 finishers speaks for itself. Dianne Crisp is another who should take heart from her 54th place which again shows her progress this year. 
    Another high class field toed the line in the U20 men's competition where Ilford's Carlos Pinilla seemed unaware that the championships were over a shorter distance than he was accustomed to racing and started much too slowly. He nevertheless picked up the pace to work his way through to a fine 6th as Southend's international Adam Hickey took the honours.
    Liam Leddy continues to gain experience in the U15 boys race running a controlled 36th place out of 41 starters. Similarly Ali Jave-Gauioui is another learning his trade and after a baptism of fire at Hockley a couple of weeks ago settled into a solid 27th place in a high class U17 boys race.
    In the Under 13 boys race Thomas King, improving with every outing, showed that he has some great potential when recording 21st place out of 42. In the same race track exponent,George Hadler, continues to build his winter strength with 37th place.
     
    The holiday period has naturally brought a comparatively lean period of road racing for Ilford AC athletes but nevertheless Abdi Berleen has been putting some recently discovered training methods to the test. At the Witham Boxing Day 5 a euphoric Berleen reported his best time for the distance since 2005  with 31.13. but followed this up with a disappointing 40.36 at the New Year's Day Serpentine 10k placing 51st. Keith Ennis weighed in with 43.17 for 100th and Steve Cheal clocked 47.19 for 169th in the same race. John Warminger featured in the over 70's finishing the event in 76.36. In the previous Last Friday of the month 5k the partnership of Neil and Dianne Crisp were once again going through their paces clocking 18.22 and 23.15 in this ever popular event.