Nopesport

0007 Day 1 - Short Race.

16 seconds, that was the gap dividing the top senior, Helen Winskill, and the top junior, Mhairi Mackenzie, NYT. Luckily for Andy Kitchen, who has put up a prize of £100 for the first junior to win a UK Cup race the result was in Helens favour.

It was a fairly damp and very muddy race over an area not used since 1978. Cannop Ponds was a gently sloping area with mixed vegetation and a moderate track network. A lack of details caught many runners out while a number of bingo controls meant no one had a perfect run.

In M21E Steven Palmer made his comeback to win by 3 seconds from Matt Crane. Andy Etherden and Matt Speake raced into 3rd and 4th. Top Junior was Mark Nixon in 10th, 30 seconds ahead of Graham Gristwood. In M18E Scott Fraser was best although he was beaten by 6 M20's leaving him some work to do in Day 2 to make sure of a JWOC place.

In the girls course Hannah Wooton took 3rd place and Kim Buckley was third senior. Heather Monro made her first competitive race since the World Championships. Having not run all winter she 'jogged' around to 6th place showing that her cross training has not left her behind.
W20E was obviously headed by Mhairi and second junior was W18E winner Cerys Manning. Next up was Lizzie Adams another W18 only 2 seconds behind. Suzy Robertson beat Alison O'Neil by 3 seconds to claim 2nd W20 place.

results here