Press Report

Torrential rain greeted Ilford AC’s athletes in the third round of the Essex Cross Country League hosted by Southend AC on a classic waterlogged course at Hockley Woods on Saturday.

The junior section featured 3 athletes who had all easily qualified for the Essex Schools cross country championships in their respective district races the previous week. At Claybury and with 8 to qualify Mo Swamad sped through to a superb 2^nd place with Liam Leddy 6^th out of 73 runners in the age group. Elsewhere at Hylands Park Chelmsford Alex Richards finished 6^th in years 8 and 9 combined.

This week Swamad had arrived too late for his Under 15 boys race so stepped up to compete with the under 17 men. It was very much a learning experience for the talented Ilford junior who finished up in 23^rd place. In the under 13 boys race Alex Richards was only 30 seconds off the winner finishing in an excellent 12^th place. Liam Leddy ran strongly for the under 15 boys battling the very muddy and slippery conditions to finish 30^th.

A high class field of 137 competitors in the senior men’s race won by Basildon’s Mark Sanford saw Malcolm Muir once again emerge as the top Ilford runner in 15^th. Matt Maple and veteran Andy Catton worked with each other on some of the hills before Maple finally got away to finish in 46^th with Catton only just adrift in 54^th. Youngster Iain MacDonald paid for a very fast start slipping back to 71^st. Neil Crisp was next home in 73^rd with John Mackenzie having an excellent run in 81^st to close the men’s scorers. Martin Clarke fought off the effects of food poisoning earlier in the week to record 92^nd with club coach Steve Cheal and hurdler Pete Whiting both putting in valiant efforts to come 124^th and 135^th respectively.

The women’s race saw yet another different winner in series as Chelmsford’s under 20 athlete Frances Cliffe saw off the challenge of Colchester’s Danni Tatum. Ilford’s Bree Nordin was top lady 45 of the day finishing in 19^th place overall as indeed was Pam Jones in the 65 plus category in 52^nd position. Sally Gillam and Dianne Crisp had an interesting battle with Gillam just having the better of things in 43^rd just 2 places ahead of Crisp.

Ilford now look forward to the Essex veterans cross country championships to be held at Claybury next Saturday which will be followed by their annual presentation disco at Cricklefields Stadium. The club is also starting a new Road and Cross Country running section under the banner of Ilford Harriers which aims to encourage all runners in the community regardless of standard to participate in the sport. Groups will be meeting at Cricklefields on Wednesday evenings at 7pm from 6^th December onwards. See the club website www.ilfordathleticclub.org.uk for further details.