Law Trust Cross-Country League Round 4 & IOM Championships

Posted on By Anthony Brand

The local cross-country season reaches its climax on the afternoon of Sunday 15th January with the fourth and final round of the Law Trust sponsored Cross-Country League.

The event also doubles as the Isle of Man Cross-Country Championship for 2023, with medals at stake in all age groups (except the short course race which is non-championship but still part of the league). This year’s event is hosted by Western AC and will be based at QE2 School in Peel.

There is a team element to the championships event, with teams from clubs or schools competing for team medals in each category. Club members should wear club vests. All the medals for the Championships will be presented at the same time as the League awards – the date of the awards evening to be confirmed.

The under-nine and U11 races use the school field only. The races for all ages from U13 upwards also use the school field, but then take the runners onto adjacent farmland which is undulating with some short sharp ups and downs. Unlike in recent years, each full lap takes the runners back round the school field, so the lap is longer.

Strictly no dogs are allowed on any part of the course. Spectators are asked to keep the course clear during the races.

The timetable is as follows:

12 noon to 1pm – Registration
1.00pm – U9 boys – 1 small lap – 800 metres
1.05pm – U9 girls – 1 small lap – 800 metres
1.10pm – U11 boys – 2 small laps – 1,660 metres
1.20pm – U11 girls – 2 small laps – 1,660 metres
1.30pm – U13 boys & girls & Short Course – 1 small lap, 1 large lap – 2,960 metres
1.30pm – U17 men & women – 1 small lap, 2 large laps – 5,160 metres
1.40pm – U15 boys & girls – 2 large laps – 4,300 metres
1.40pm – U20/senior/veteran women – 3 large laps – 6,500 metres
2.10pm – U20/senior/veteran men – 1 small lap, 4 large laps – 9,560 metres

If you have not yet competed in the series you will need to enter online by midnight on Friday – the link is https://manxfellrunners.org/iomxc-entry-2022-2023. There are no entries on the day. If you have not already paid for this round you need to do so by bank transfer (details on the entry form), or by cash or by cheque payable to IOM Athletics Association at the school between 12 noon and 1pm on Sunday.

If you have already entered and paid for the series and have your race number there is no need to attend the registration desk, just go to the start line five minutes before your race wearing your number to the front. If you have lost your number and need a replacement (for a small charge) there will be a separate desk at registration at the venue.

Here is the course map and route information.

David Griffiths
9 January 2023

Law Trust IOM Cross Country League 2022, Round 2 – Results

Posted on By Anthony Brand

It was a case of ‘as you were’ at the second round of the Law Trust Cross-Country series at Crossags on Sunday 6th November, with the same two senior winners and many of the age group athletes also repeating their opening round wins.

Incessant rain over the preceding weeks ensured that the 201 competitors encountered traditional cross-country conditions of mud and standing water, but at least the weather was pleasant on the day.

Hannah Moore has enjoyed a wonderful year in various disciplines of endurance athletics, and continued in the same vein with a second impressive win in the three-lap women’s race. Her pace judgement was excellent, holding back on the opening lap on which she held fourth place as she adjusted to the testing underfoot conditions. By lap two she had taken a narrow lead from Jess Bryan and Laura Dickinson, but a really strong hill ascent on the final lap helped to stretch her margin of victory to 23 seconds.

It was good to see the ever-cheerful Jess Bryan returning to racing action after a little time out, and she ran strongly all the way to take second place. Not far behind came cross-country regular Laura Dickinson who always goes well especially in tough conditions. Becky Watterson moved up from the short course to take fourth, followed by Amber Carridge and first junior Mia Dunwell.

Mark Burman, who had never previously won a cross-country league race, took his second narrow victory of the season, but left it late. Orran Smith led almost throughout the four-lap race, stretching his lead to around 12 seconds by midway round the third lap. The gap had halved as the athletes splashed their way through the flooded lower fields on the final lap but it looked as if Smith would hang on. But on the concluding short lap round the campsite field Burman found a final kick and emerged onto the finishing straight just in front to take victory by three seconds.

Chris Killey has become an extremely consistent cross-country exponent and demonstrated his ability with an excellent third-place finish. Not far in arrears was Alex Bell who is focusing more on middle-distance these days but is still very useful over the country. Matt Callister and Paul Sykes were in close company in fifth and sixth places.

The U15 age group started alongside the seniors and raced over two laps, and newcomer Harris White made a terrific debut, winning by one minute from Harry Kinley. Holly Salter was also extremely impressive in the girls’ race, as was Abi Clayton who finished second.

The U17 and U13 age groups, along with the short course competitors, started together, completing one short lap before heading out onto the full course. At that point the U13s and short course competitors ran one lap, the U17s two laps. The quality in the U17 Men’s race was again a delight to see, with the leading runners all likely to do very well in off-island competition later in the winter.

Sam Perry took his second win of the series, looking a real class act as he smoothly negotiated the tricky conditions. But only 23 seconds adrift came Charlie Teare with probably his best run to date, and he is also maturing into an extremely fine distance runner. Gethin Owen had beaten Perry in the Ramsey road race a few days earlier, but had to settle for third place this time, and Dom Dunwell was only six seconds down in fourth.

Maddie McMullan took the U17 Women’s victory from Lottie Stennett, both working hard throughout.

Harry Stennett continues to dominate the U13 boys’ category and he was superb once again as he glided to victory. Zac Woodward was second, and then just two seconds separated the next three competitors Timothy Perry, Illiam Thomas and Max Hammal. The U13 girls were much closer, with Olivia Martin winning by four seconds from Millie Lunt, followed by Amelie Geldart and Faith Teare – the leading four separated by only 12 seconds.

Ste Quayle won the men’s short course race, with Gail Sheeley first home in the women’s race. The first three in the women’s race are all former Island Games athletes from different disciplines, with high jumper Hollie Quaye second and thrower Joanne Schade third.

As usual the U11 and under-nine races produced fast and furious action, with the elder age group completing three laps of the campsite field and the younger ones doing two. Seamus Hall and Eve Martin dominated the U11 races as they had done in the previous round, but Cam Eyres, Gabe Campbell, Poppy Clayton and Bella Quaye should also be very proud of their performances.

In the under-nines Leighton Curphey repeated his victory in the opening round over Elliott Barron, but there was a new winner in the girls’ race with Xenia Munoz-Fite running brilliantly to win from Evelyn Stubbs. All the youngsters did very well.

Here are the full results

  • Grateful thanks go to the officials from Northern AC, IOM Athletics and the many volunteer marshals.
  • Thanks also to the landowners at Crossags for the use of the pavilion and the fields.
  • Round 3 takes place at a brand-new venue at the Horses Home on Richmond Hill on Sunday 4 December, with racing getting underway at 1pm.

www.thelawtrust.com

David Griffiths

8 November 2022

 

 

 

Law Trust Cross-Country League Round 2 – Sunday 6th November

Posted on By Anthony Brand

It’s just over a week until the second round of the series to be hosted by Northern AC at Crossags Farm in Ramsey. Details of timetable, course maps and general instructions will be posted next week.

Please check the timetable carefully when it is published as it will differ from Round 1. Each host club organises its own timetable best suited to course length etc.

Important entry information is as follows:

1 – Entry is online only. If you are one of the 269 people who entered prior to the first round (whether or not you actually ran), and you have paid in advance for the full series, you do NOT have to do anything this time or for the remainder of the series. Just turn up on the start line a few minutes before the start time of your race wearing your race number which you already have. If you have lost your number you will need to attend the registration desk at Crossags between 12 noon and 1pm on the day for a replacement. There will be a small charge.

2 – If you have already entered but only paid for the first round, you will need to make payment prior to racing. You can pay online (preferably), or by cash or cheque (payable to IOM Athletics) at the desk on race day between 12 noon and 1pm. See the link below for payment details. As above, keep your number from the previous round.

3 – If you have already entered and paid, but did not run in the first round and have not collected your race number, these can be collected from the desk between 12 noon and 1pm on race day.

4 – If you are not one of the 269 who have already entered, you need to follow this link to enter online. Entries will close at midnight on Friday 4th November and no entries will be available after that. Details of how to pay are on the link. You must collect your race number from the desk between 12 noon and 1pm on race day. https://manxfellrunners.org/iomxc-entry-2022-2023

Thanks once again to Manx Fell Runners for allowing us the use of their website to host the online entries.

2022/23 Law Trust IOM Cross-Country League Round One – Port-e-Chee

Posted on By Anthony Brand

The new Law Trust-sponsored cross-country season began on Sunday 16th October in perfect autumn conditions at Port-e-Chee Meadow in Douglas. This opening round was organised by Manx Harriers.

A total of 212 competitors, ranging in age from seven to 70-plus, made a fine sight as they took to the rugby fields and the adjacent farmland in good underfoot conditions.

We enjoyed a real glimpse into the future of Manx athletics with the performances of some of the athletes in the younger age groups. Under-17s Sam Perry and Gethin Owen, and u20 Ryan Corrin, led all the seniors for two laps of the main race of the day and clearly demonstrated what quality athletes they are.

The u17s raced over two full laps of the course, a distance of 6,000 metres, while Corrin tackled the full three-lap distance of 9,000 metres for the first time. They were all well clear of leading senior Mark Burman during his first two laps.

Experienced campaigner Burman took the lead on the third and final circuit, but Corrin rallied superbly to finish only three seconds down on the winner. He pulled away from a challenge from third-placed Nick Colburn in the final straight. Burman was delighted to win, acknowledging that he had to work very hard to first catch and then hold off his younger rival.

Chris Killey continued his fine year with an excellent fourth place just ahead of Nhlanhla Nzama, with Alex Bell in sixth. He was followed by the second junior Charlie Swales with one of his best runs to date.

The aforementioned Perry and Owen were the stars in the u17 race, the former winning by a margin of 18 seconds, and the race was packed with quality with all eight athletes running with real class. Corbyn Schade was impressive in taking third place ahead of the ever-consistent Charlie Teare, with Dom Dunwell and newcomer Oscar Gaylor also looking very strong.

There were new names in cross-country at the head of the two-lap women’s race which is always good to see. Hannah Moore is a quality all-round endurance athlete as she demonstrated with victory in her first cross-country race since her schooldays. She came through strongly on the second lap to win by the convincing margin of 52 seconds.

In second place was Amber Carridge, who looks to be a very good athlete to add to her other sporting talents. She overhauled Laura Dickinson near the end to take the runner-up spot. Veteran 55 athlete Gail Sheeley looked to be back in good form with fourth place ahead of race-walking specialists Erika Kelly and Mia Dunwell – the latter running in the junior (u20) category.

The u13 boys and girls, and u15 girls, ran alongside the older short course competitors, and this race showcased the talents of Harry Stennett. He beat all the senior athletes to lead his race home, holding off a strong late surge from short course winner Ste Quayle who saw for himself how good the young Northern AC runner is. Max Hammel was impressive with second place in the u13 boys’ race.

Holly Salter has been running consistently well for some years now and won the u15 girls’ contest with an excellent run, with Abi Clayton also going very well. The u13 girls’ race was won by another league newcomer Amelie Geldart who looks to have plenty of promise.

The women’s short course race was won by Becky Watterson who continued where she left off last season. This was her first serious race since the birth of her second child six months ago and was a great comeback.

One of the best runs of the day came from Cai Lewis who looked very good indeed in winning the u15 boys race by a big margin. Victory in the concurrently-run u17 women’s race went to Maddie McMullan who is always so consistent.

The two youngest age groups are the under-nines and u11s, and they had begun the afternoon’s entertainment. Seamus Hall and Eve Martin were the star turns in the elder age group race run over two laps of the main field, each winning by big margins. Several athletes were transitioning into this age group with its longer distance, and all did very well indeed.

The under-nine races over one lap were much closer, Leighton Curphey winning a very exciting boys’ race by just one second from Elliott Barron with Jack Teare third. This should be a great contest as the season goes on.

Maisy-Jo Faragher ran a great race to take the girls’ honours by seven seconds from Alice Quirk, who was just one second clear of Xenia Munoz-Fite.

The full results are here

  • Grateful thanks go to the team of officials who worked so hard to set up the infrastructure for the season, and to all those who assisted at the venue on both Saturday and Sunday.
  • Thanks also to Douglas Rugby Club for the use of their clubhouse and car park, and to the farmer for use of the fields.
  • Round 2 takes place at Crossags Farm in Ramsey on Sunday 6 November with racing getting underway at 1pm.

David Griffiths
18 October 2022

 

Law Trust IOM Cross Country League Round 1 – 16/10/22

Posted on By Anthony Brand

Entries have now closed for the first of four rounds of the Isle of Man Cross Country League, sponsored by Law Trust, which takes place at Port-e-Chee Meadow near Braddan Bridge on the outskirts of Douglas on Sunday afternoon. This round is organised by Manx Harriers, with race HQ being at Douglas Rugby Club. The first race gets underway at 1pm.

The course is largely on agricultural grassland which is fairly flat with one hill on each full lap. The senior races will be run over slightly reduced distances for the first round, with mileages likely to increase later in the season.

The senior, veteran and junior men’s race will be over three full laps of the course, a distance of approximately nine kilometres. The senior, veteran and junior women, and under-17 men, will race over two full laps, a distance of around six kilometres. Click on the links for full details of all race distances from under-nines upwards together with the course map.  The minimum age for competitors is seven years on the day of the race.

All competitors must make arrangements to collect their race numbers from the Sports Institute (upstairs room) at the NSC from 5.30pm to 7.30pm on Friday. If you cannot attend you should arrange to have your number collected for you. Anyone who has not yet paid for their entry by bank transfer must pay when collecting their race number on Friday. Payment can be made by cash, or by cheque payable to IOM Athletics.

There is a large parking area at Douglas Rugby Club which should accommodate everyone on Sunday. An alternative is to park in the vicinity of the NSC and to walk up the road from Quarter Bridge.

Timetable and approximate distances are as follows:

12 noon – Course open for inspection

1.00pm – Under 9 Boys, 900 metres (1 short lap)

1.05pm – Under 9 Girls, 900 metres (1 short lap)

1.10pm – Under 11 Boys, 1,800 metres (2 short laps)

1.20pm – Under 11 Girls, 1,800 metres (2 short laps)

1.35pm – Under 15 Boys, Under 17 Women, 3,900 metres (1 short lap, one large lap)

1.37pm – Under 13 Boys and Girls, Under 15 Girls, Short Course, 3,000 metres (1 large lap)

2.10pm – Under 17 Men, Junior/ Senior/ Veteran Women, 6,000 metres (2 large laps)

2.10pm – Junior/ Senior/Veteran Men, 9,000 metres (3 large laps)

 

Please report to the start line of your race at least five minutes before the start time. Spectators please keep off the racing line and obey Instructions from marshals.