Gwent League #1, Cardiff: senior men and women

The weather defied the predictions of the forecasters. By contrast, Bristol & West AC Senior Women & Men met expectations!

The women’s race was off first and it was clear that Cardiff AAC with their 4 stage National Relay gold medal team running would take some beating. Such is our strength in depth that only 21 points separated the clubs with Cardiff taking the honours. The B team finished 5^th overall & 1^st B team, the C team 12^th and first C team and before any other B team, the D team 27^th and first D team notably safely in front of the Cardiff B team, & F team 86^th out of 105 club teams competing. Individually, the team was boosted by Kate Maltby appearing like manna from heaven finishing third. Natalie Griffiths ran possibly her best Gwent League in 9^th place with fast finishing Izzy Talbot-Price in 11^th. Elaina Gard (17^th) & Catie O’Donaghue (19^th) both had good runs thereby making up the A team. Katrina Entwhistle, recovering from a back injury, led the B team home in 21^st place, followed by evergreen Clare Jolliffe (28^th & 1^st W45 &W50), Julia Belyavin (30^th & 3rd W40), Alice Doggrell (35th & 6^th W40) & Ellen Harrison (39^th) back after her ankle injury. Hannah Dyer had an excellent run to lead the C team home in 51st place. Emma Clarke (56^th), birthday girl Emma Jolliffe (59^th), W40 Hannah Williams (72^nd) & Charlotte Bermingham (136) completed the team. The D team was made up of W50 Rosey Mushens (146) returning after over a year of injury, Ali Hurford  (155)“fresh” from managing her army, W45 Julie Ilogue (163) making her league debut, W45 Emma-Jane Orchard (195) and Harriet Middlesbrough (209). Finally, in 243rd place (2^nd W65 & 1^st W70) was the club’s over 70’s star Ann Docherty. 388 women completed the race.

The men similarly had a team full of Cardiff AAC stars to contend with and with 5 in the first 8 it was clear that Cardiff would take the A team honours. However, like the women the men have strength in depth so the A team finished 2^nd, the B team 6^th overall and first B team, the C team 13^th overall and 1^st C team, the D team 35^th & first D team, the E team 39^th and first E team & the F team 96^th & 3^rd F team. Cardiff’s B team languished in 58^th place out of the 125 club teams competing. Jack Millar & Andy Chambers, both of whom were pleased with their runs, were our first finishers in 5^th & 7^th position. Maciej Bialogonski, fresh from a marathon 13 days before & a half marathon 6 days before finished a commendable 13^th, while Felix Rusby made a notable debut for the club in 26^th & super vet Graham Breen in 27^thand 2^nd M35 & M40. The B team was led home by orienteering international Ben Mitchell (29^th) with Olly Sheppard (36^th), Pete Bains (43^rd), and  Rob Farley 62^nd, who suffered from a lack of spikes, making up the team. Ben Malliphant (64^th) and Andy Drake (76^th), both of whom who ran a half marathon 6 days earlier, were first finishers for the C team followed by Darren Garmen (88^th & 10^th M45), Keiran Batty (93^rd) & Jo Lyne (102nd) making his club debut. The D team comprised Sam Bentley (111^th),  Bill Hull (150th & 23^rd M45), Sam Johnson (155^th), Jack Longstaff (165^th) making a welcome return after a prolonged injury & Jon Bennett (174^th) with Brad Clarke (178^th) making his club debut, Michael Chandler (185^th),  Mark Taylor (197 and 37^th M45), Matt Burden (211) & Peter Tang (224^th) making up the E team. For the F team Jon Goodland finished 234th & 2^ndM60, Tariq Kurd 286^th and Nick Crewe 392th. There were 511 finishers.

Finally Dave Bedwell (1^st) and Tom Burgess (14th) formed the 2^nd place M65 team.