Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton was the superb venue for this year’s 5 and 7 mile event. The 7 miler started at 1400 hrs with the ladies’ 5 mile race starting at 1300 hrs. We had one lady Rebecca Raper in the 5 miler and 3 men to fly the Red and White flag-Ross, Simon and me.
It’s a strange thing but this is the top XC event in the Midlands yet only 185 entered and only 139 ran in the men’s event. This is less than in a division 3 B’ham league XC race. Over the years I can count on one hand the number of times MF had had a team in (6 counters needed) and yesterday only 13 teams had 6 or more runners. Also Cov Godiva had nobody running at all! Believe it or not I’ve been a MF counter in the past but we only had 6 runners.
Just don’t get it and never did. In fact in recent years Martin Smith and I have often been the only regular MF runners.
Anyway the course was easier than at Leamington the other week and was mud free, grassy, quite a few lengthy slopes but not like Beacon Hillat Newbold Common. Plus a jog along a disused railway line made it a good course. It was like Leam with 1 shorter lap and 3 large ones. So as usual I had laps 1 and 4 to myself- cannot stand crowds anyway.
Many times Simon Brown and Ross Cooper passed me as in lapping me or going up the slopes as I was coming down next to them. The friendship from all the runners was great and the marshals did a great job and were full of encouragement.
When I apologised for keeping them out a bit late they wished that more runners of all abilities had entered. Nice one I thought.
Good reception and prize giving and Guinness in the bar at the Wolverhampton and Bilston track Stadium afterwards made for a great occasion.
Dare I ask that MF have a team next year? Ross will anyway-won’t you Ross!
Massey results:
Ross Cooper 47.14
Simon Brown 48.43
Dave Phillips 80.36 (sweeper-and that’s official)
Rebecca Raper 58.53
Winning mens team: Notts AC.
Full results on: www.midlandathletics.org.uk
Race report by Dave Phillips.