A STRONG team of Kenilworth Runners travelled to Coventry on Saturday to take part in the Birmingham League XC Division 1 event.
A total of 31 runners enabled Kenilworth to secure a sixth-place team position on the day and they finished ninth ou of 16 overall after three events.
Paddy Roddy led the team home after finishing 22nd overall in a front end dominated by Loughborough and Birmingham University students. The other team counters were Andy Siggers (47), Phil Gould (53), Matthew Elkington (61), Stephen Page (66) and Kev Hope (67).
Such was the strength of Kenilworth that the amazing record by Stuart Hopkins of running in all of the Birmingham League XC races and being a Kenilworth Counters for the last nine years finally came to an end after coming home eighth for his club.
It als proved to be a busy weekend for Spa Striders at the third and penultimate race in the Midlands League.
A total of eight runners took on the relatively flat and fast cross-country course at Crypt School in Gloucester.
Susie Stannard placed herself among the leaders in a high quality field and finished in an impressive time of 24.52 to claim 40th position overall and 11th in the masters category.
Kate Gadsby also ran well to finish in 25.47 and take 17th in the master section, while Caroline Whitehouse (26.51) helped the women take third in the masters team event.
Fiona Edwards’ time of 26.32 placed her within the scoring team for Striders ladies to take 13th out of 35 teams.
Elsewhere, it was a successful morning for the Spa Striders men’s and women’s teams at the ‘Not the Roman IX’ race which was hosted by Stratford Athletics Club.
The undulating 12km course, which takes in the infamous Loxley Hill and finishes at the NFU Mutual HQ in Tiddington, is always a popular early fixture in the annual race calendar.
A total of 32 Stiders took part with Kevin White leading the men home in a time of 44.34 to take tenth position, while Paul Edwards (44.42) finished close behind in 12th and Steven Taylor (48.37) helped the team finish third in the team event.
In the ladies race, Clare Hinton was first Strider home in a time of 49.29, which saw her take sixth female overall and first in the F35 category.
Carolyn Wilkinson was next to finish in a time of 50.48 to win the F45 age category and Caroline Whitehouse helped the ladies take first place in the team prize.
