Goodman gains his GB vest

Richard Goodman has secured his GB team place for next weekend’s European Cross Country Championships in Toulon, France. Shaftesbury Barnet star Goodman was third Under 23 finisher in the combined senior / Under 23 selection race at Sefton Park, Liverpool. He completed the muddy 9.8 km three-lap course in 30:49, six seconds behind Under 23 victor Jonathan Davies.

“I was slightly disappointed in that a couple of basic errors may have cost me the race," Goodman explained. ”I did not have enough to eat beforehand, and so my blood sugar levels were probably too low. Also, the early leaders set a furious pace and I made the mistake of going with them. So I really struggled over the last third of the race, and I only lost the Under 23 lead in the last few hundred metres.

“On the other hand, I achieved my main objective of earning my GB vest, and I'm really looking forward to the Championship race next weekend. Training has been going well, with quality taking precedence over quantity, and I'm really happy with where my running is right now."

 

Goodman wins again in the London Colleges League

St Mary's University student Richard Goodman extended his run of victories to five, finishing 59 seconds clear of the field in the London Colleges League at Wimbledon Common. Unbeaten so far this season, Goodman will contest the European Under 23 Cross Country Trials at Liverpool this weekend.

Fine performance in London Youth Games

City of London schoolgirl Lia Radus placed fourth out of 181 competitors in the Under 15 cross-country championship at the London Youth Games at Parliament Hill. Attracting over 100,000 entries in 31 sports, the London Youth Games is Europe’s largest youth sports festival.

Same again for Goodman

Cross Country

Richard Goodman extended his recent winning run with a 19 second victory in the second fixture of the Start Fitness Metropolitan League at Stevenage. Goodman's next major target is the European Under 23 Championship selection race in Liverpool at the end of November.

Goodman's promising season start continues (published in JC on 30 October)

Richard Goodman has maintained his promising start to the cross country season with clear victories in the London Colleges League at Parliament Hill and the North of Thames Championships at Kingsbury. His 78 second victory in the latter race, which he completed in a fast 23:47 for 5 miles, indicates that he is approaching the form that brought him the Inter Counties title last year.

Goodman said, "In both outings I sat in early on and then tested myself by pushing hard on my own. I am now focusing on the European Under 23 Championship selection race in Liverpool at the end of November. 

 

"Looking further ahead to the track season, I have learned that I need to take things a bit more easily in training. Then hopefully I can achieve the breakthrough performances that fatigue and injury have prevented in the last few years."

 

Pleasing performances for Goodman and Kastor

Deena Kastor improved the American Masters Marathon record by almost a minute, recording 2:27:47 at the Chicago Marathon. Kastor, 42, finished seventh woman overall and top American. It was Kastor’s first sub 2:30 clocking since 2006, the year that she won the London Marathon. California-based Kastor said, “I was struggling by mile 23, but still kept up the sub 5:40 miles I needed. Now I’ll take a two week break, and then decide whether to aim for the Olympic Trials”.

Richard Goodman took a 26-second victory in the first Metropolitan Cross Country League race at Claybury Park, Woodford Green. The St Mary’s University student recorded 24:36 for the 8000m course.

Goodman, 22, reflected, “I hadn’t been sure of entering because of a slight injury worry, and then I had a further concern when I put my foot in a pothole half-way round. But I managed to pull away to run the last lap on my own, and it was pleasing start of the season for me”.

World 5K Masters record for Deena Kastor

Deena Kastor, 42, tied the US and World 5K Masters record of 15:48, winning the women’s Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose 5K and placing third overall.

“I felt really good about the race,” said Kastor, “I came out here and gave it my best. There was not one point on the course I could have pushed harder to get a faster time.”

Kastor set the World Masters half marathon record of 1: 09:37 in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia event last year. One of the world’s greatest Jewish athletes, she won the Olympic marathon bronze medal in 2004 and the London Marathon in 2006.