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MASTERS ATHLETICS SUMMER 2013.
Teams Crawley 30; Woodford Green & Essex Ladies was 6th in the Liddiard Cup race on the 24th of
31; 3 South London Harriers 33. November and in the 2nd team home also and 27th of
68 in the North London Cross Country Championships
The first Over 60 runner in the race and 26th in October).
overall in 38:52 was STEWART THORP of I still, I suppose, like to think of myself as a general
Oxford City AC which was the winning 60 age athlete rather than a master'
group team
She added ' The trouble with master’s athletics is
He said "I used to dabble in athletics but only really sometimes you don't actually have all the best people
took it seriously when I joined Oxford City when I was there.'
55. John Exley is the 'Guru' there.' He added ' I quite However, she also remarked "It is nice to win a medal
enjoy the National events when you are up against the but it does not always mean you are the best. There
best and whoever turns up." was a lady in my age group who was not here and
might have beaten me.'
LUCY ELLIOTT went into the lead in the Southern Her job is interesting "It gives me flexibility with my
Veterans 40-49 race after the short lap and going down training which is good. I organise corporate events and
the hill and won eventually by a wide margin from Julie conferences, so it is not a 9 to 5 job. I have got that
Briggs and Clare Elms, like Elliott a W45 runner with a opportunity to train which is nice'
'great' master’s record. 'I like cross-country racing. In the winter it is a good way
of getting in a bit of extra running.'
First six of 75 finishers 1 Lucy Elliott (Winchester & Regarding things like the Liddiard Cup race for women
District AC) 24.56; (W45), 2 Julie Briggs (Arena 80) "I always enjoy it but it was a bit wet this year.'
25.42; 3 Clare Elms (Dulwich Runners) W45;26:04, 4 'Probably the biggest satisfaction for her was:-"In my
Anna Critchlow (West 4 Harriers) 26:39; 5 Vicki Clark early 40's I got inside 37 minutes for 10k and I did that
(Arena 80) 27.05; 6 Linda Jackson (Woodford Green & a few times."
Essex Ladies) 27.06. First 3 teams Arena 80- 17; 2 Fiona Kennedy first started running at 35 but before
Dulwich Runners 28; 3 London Heathside AC 49. that it was aerobic. She was always and active person.
"John Flavey got me started. I am really glad he did as
Remarkably, Lucy Elliott, was a W45' when she was before that I never actually enjoyed running. Running
third in the Southern Counties Championship Senior gave me an extra dimension to my life I would not have
Women’s Championships at Brighton early in the year. had otherwise, and I have made lots of friends through
Lucy bridled against being a veteran competitor till she it."
was into her 40's and she has been British Masters
Cross country Champion for two years. She ran for a
strong Shaftesbury Barnet athletics team before going BMAF CROSS
to Winchester and running well for them.
She claims three of her best performances as coming COUNTRY
18th in the World Cross Country 1997 and winning the CHAMPIONSHIPS
Inter-Counties cross country Championships in 1995
and 1997. Words: Mel James
However prior to the Southern Vets at Claybury things Pics: Dave Hewitson
were not an easy road as she explains
"I am getting back into it really, after a bit of an 'Iffy' “A great day of racing produced at
summer with a kidney infection that put me out for a Herrington Country Park.”
while. I think I probably had the infection all summer
and I did not know it but once it got into my kidneys it This year’s championships took us north to Sunderland.
was serious and I ended up in hospital.' Herrington Park is a beautiful country park, transformed
'I have been training quite a few weeks now. I feel I am from an industrial area, (a former Durham coal mining
getting back to where I was last year now." site) to a venue now used for various sports and even the
About her Winchester & District club she said "We are occasional rock concert.
building up hopefully, not quite got the team
Shaftesbury had but getting there. In a couple of years The North of England had seen lots of snow in the preceding
we should get a solid team together. " weeks and it had once again been forecasted as a possibility
Lucy Elliott appears to enjoy her racing "I am quite for the area on this weekend.
happy although, I have had injuries but nothing major. I
don't do a lot miles. Consistency is the name of the Fortunately the snow held off, but we were left with an
game and to not overdo things." extremely cold wind blowing across this exposed “hour glass
Although Mary McCarthy, who was 17th was the first shaped” 2k lap course. The BMAF course chosen was much
W50 category in 28.21, ahead of her in 15th place was flatter than the course used for the English National
the first W55 runner Fiona Kennedy of Ealing &
Southall & Middx AC in 28:02.
FIONA KENNEDY:- John Flavey, her husband runs
for Ealing said to me that Fiona liked to race in
open competitions rather than masters races (She
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