Richard Goodman, 23, and Hannah Viner, 20, faced tough
opposition in the Middlesex senior cross-country Championships at Hillingdon.
But they came away from hard-fought races with gold and silver medals
respectively.
"I was nervous going into the race because I had spent
a week in bed with flu during the holiday period," said Goodman.
"Chris Smith of Thames Valley Harriers made it tough from the start; he is
a world-class mountain runner. It was a struggle to break away on the second
lap and made for a good workout," Goodman reflected. He had stretched his
lead to 22s by the end of the 12 km course.
Viner's opposition in the 8 km women's race included the UK's
fourth-ranked marathon runner, Tracy Barlow, also from Thames Valley. “I decided to take the race on from the start
so I hit the front straight away,” Highgate Harrier Viner reported. “I
felt good going up the first hill so I tried to build up a lead. By the time we
came down the hill again I was 30m ahead of Barlow. But I have been nursing a slight
hamstring niggle and it started to trouble me so I relaxed a bit. Barlow caught me on the steep incline on
the second lap and then gradually built a lead. I just tried to keep her in
sight to the finish.”
Other community
placings in the Middlesex Championships included Maayan Radus, fourth in the U13’s;
Rachel Ayrton, fifth in the U20’s; Matti Harris, 16th in the U15's; and
Tal Pelmont, 18th in the U17's. Jessica Hurley placed sixth in the U17 event of
the Hertfordshire County Championships.
Ellie Edwards, 20,
began her season with a 60m heat victory in the Sale Harriers Open Meeting at Sportcity,
recording 8.02 seconds.
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