• Press Report 5th January 2009

     
    Ilford Athletic club completed their Essex Cross Country League program with the 5th and last match of the series taking place at Chingford on a very cold Saturday afternoon. The course set by Orion Harriers proved difficult as the normally boggy conditions froze over to produce some treachorous rutted sections, probably the worse conditions for cross country running.
    Nevertheless some 20 athletes from the Cricklefields based club braved the elements to produce some good results. Once again George Hadler and Thomas King both shone in the Under 13 boys with Hadler again improving his best mark for the season with 13th and King not far behind in 18th out of a field of 31 runners. Omar Rashid flew the flag for the club in the under 17 boys and although trailing the field in 19th has undoubtedly learnt from this season's experience and will undoubtedly improve next year.
    Malcolm Muir led a squad of a dozen Ilford men home in 13th place with 2nd claimer Ray Dzikowski guesting in 42nd. Undoubtedly Ilford's run of the day came from track and field captain Matt Maple who returned to form placing 62nd following a troublesome foot injury. Everpresents Neil Crisp 67th, Abdi Berleen 71st and Andy Catton 76th closed the team to a respectable 7th place out of 22 competing men teams. Darren Bottrill, not having trained much recently, led the "B" squad home in 79th with Chris Togwell another returning from injury in 104th just getting the better of Steve Parker 106th. Club President John Mackenzie ran well in 113th ahead of Henry Ricketts 125th with Robin Davis closing in 143rd.
    Ilford ladies just managed the 4 runners required to complete a team with Lindsey Barker leading the way in 25th. Women's captain Dianne Crisp was next home in 28th from Victoria Morgan who had an excellent run in 37th. Carol Muir placed 62nd to close the women to 8th place out of 16. Bree Nordin, not competing in this match, emerged as the top woman over 45 of the series. The Club are now preparing for next Saturday's Essex County Cross Country Championships to be held at Basildon's Gloucester Park.
    On the road Keith Ennis ran well in the New Years Day Serpentine 10k in Hyde Park to record 41.37 which was good enough for 71st place in a large field of over 400 runners.