Race Report by Martin Smith
Gloucestershire Cross Country League – First Fixture – Bourton-On-The-Water – Saturday 15 October
The Gloucestershire Cross Country League has four fixtures and is a good warm-up league for the Birmingham League/Midland Women’s League races.
Entry is on the day and clubs are from Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire (Kenilworth and Leamington take part).
Although Saturday was a sunny autumnal day the course outside Bourton-On-The-Water at Little Rissington was one of the hardest courses I have ever run – even harder than Malvern Common.
Bourton Roadrunners always put on an exacting course – this was a new course over 9.3km of farm fields (the cattle had been moved !) but had 5 inclines – the fifth being the hardest ! After that it was downhill to the end of the lap which was the only level field !
Luckily it was only 2 laps.
For those new to cross country do not be put off as the next fixtures are easier – next one on Saturday November 5 is at Gloucester round playing fields – both the men and women ran there last year.
Details on the website – www.athletics4u.co.uk.
199 Martin Smith – 45.29
217 Graham Patton – 48.22 – first over 75
240 ran in the Men’s Race
147 ran in the Women’s Race