Essex XC Champs – Hadleigh 06/01/2013  

Essex County Cross County Championships

Mud Mud Glorious Mud was the order of the day at the Essex County Cross County Championships in the water logged Hadleigh Country Park on Saturday 5th January. Ilford AC fielded 16 gutsy runners in 5 of the 10 races and achieved some stirling results in what is considered to be the most challenging of cross country courses. With spikes and laces tightly fastened the Ilford AC Senior Mens Team took 8th place, finishing just 6 points behind Havering Mayesbrook. In the gruelling 3 lap 12K senior mens race Malcolm Muir boldly charged home in 51:14 holding of Billericay Strider Crispian Bloomfield for 16th place. Other team scorers were Stephen Philcox ( 55:27), Peter Clinch (57:46), Kevin Newell (58:44), Paul Holloway ( 60:12) and Terry Knightley (61:08). Sam Rahman (62:08), Neil Crisp (64:20) and Stephen Parker ( 70:27) completed the senior mens squad. In the 8K 2 lap Senior Womens race Jenni Sheehan was first through the liquid mud for Ilford AC finishing in 64th place in 48:58. Nicola Hopkinson finished hot on her heals in 49:32 and Vet 70 Pam Jones finished strongly in 61:10. The 8k Under 20 mens race saw Alex Richards slosh home in 37:03 and in the 5K Under 17 mens race Tom King took 17th place in 20:36. Ilford AC young runners Harry Martin and Jack Maher boldly took on the Under 15 Boys challenge, finishing superbly in 19:06 and 20:03 respectively.