Waveney Valley Athletic Club’s cross-country season got underway, with the first fixture of the Suffolk Winter League, at Framlingham recently. The course, lived up to its tradition as being the most challenging, especially as it was extremely muddy and slippery underfoot, especially on the areas around the moat of the castle, where many runners fell victim to the treacherous ground conditions, not many managed to stay upright. Despite the conditions, it proved to be a very successful race, as Waveney’s combined men’s and ladies A team finished in second place overall, and the B secured 13th place.
As well as the club’s regular runners, there was many new members making their debut in cross country running, also several second claim members were running for the club, which resulted in a good turn-out of twenty two runners in the senior race.
Carl Prewer, Paul Whall and Kevin Sharman who run for Lowestoft R.R on the road, switched to Waveney colours for cross country, and all three made light work of the slippery underfoot conditions with Carl leading the way, finishing in fourth place overall, with Paul and Kevin not far behind in 6th and 13th place respectively.
Other notable performances, Robert Cheverton clocked 29:40 in crossing the line in eighth place and first in his age group V55. Bill Kingaby who has been picking up awards in his age group on the road, carried his good form to the cross country picking up first place in the. V60 age group.
The men’s A team were second overall, just twenty points adrift of Ipswich Harriers, and the B team finished in the creditable position of fourteenth overall.
It is really marvellous to see the club’s ladies section thriving. Lots of new members have been keen to compete on the road and in off-road events, and their enthusiasm paid dividends with the ladies A team taking third place overall, and the B team also did extremely well taking eighth place overall.
Next fixture in the series will be on Sunday 2nd December at Sutton, Woodbridge, and with only a few points separating the top teams it is vital that the club has another good turn-out to maintain their good start.
Waveney’s runner’s results:
4th Carl Prewer 28:54, 6th Paul Whall 29:17, 8th Robert Cheverton 29:40, 13th Kevin Sharman 30:15, 33th Paul Sullivan 32:42, 58th Tim Earl 34:30, 73rd Catherine Rickett 35:36, 84th Alan Fairs 36:25, 86th Bill Kingaby 36:39, 89th Alan Bradley 36:51, 124th Kevin Booth 39:29, 127th Nigel Herrod 39:38, 138th David Mower 40:45, 139th Anne Millett 40:47, 147th Sarah Bradley 41:54, 159th Tamsin Desborough 43:00, 162nd Ailsa MacDonald 43:08, 165th Emma Locker 43:34, 174th David Pimlott 44:43,
191st Michaela Gooch 48:11, 202nd Rosie Grieve 49:44, 216th Angela Mower 58:48.