Page 9 - BBHAC Winter 2017-18 Gazette
P. 9

Athletics Report  9








        Harriers in Chingford whilst the
        others headed to Parliament Hill
        for the London XC Champi-
        onships. Blackheath were sadly
        unable to win the away match
        in darkest Essex and injuries
        and illnesses deprived the team
        of a full scoring complement in
        North London. This was not to
        be repeated the following week
        at the South of the Thames 5
        mile XC in Beckenham as a
        scoring quartet snuck into the
        top half in 19th out of 40 teams   The leading senior athletes…enough for a footie team.
        to round off the calendar year.
                                fourth in the latter, to cap off   however, as the regional and
        Scarcely had the fireworks   a good few months charging   national 12 stage relays loomed
        stopped ringing out when the   through the garden of England.  in the run-up to Easter. The
        first major test of the year began              biggest challenge was getting
        in the form of the Kent XC   The team was brought back   12 men to commit to two races
        Championships. On a bitterly   down to earth with another   away from home within three
        cold day at Brands Hatch 12   mob match defeat to Ranelagh   weeks of each other. A desperate
        men battled the winds on the   in Richmond, but, with the   scramble created a team for the
        exposed course for yet another   National XC on the horizon,   Southern qualifying of the mass
        fourth place finish in the six to   the climax of the season was   relay, but the beast from the east
        score category.         on everyone’s mind. This was   made the whole effort moot.
                                evidenced by a strong turnout as   Fortunately, Blackheath were
        After the disappointment of   21 Heathens decked themselves   invited to the National Road Re-
        defeat to Beckenham in the mob   in mud amongst the staggering   lays anyway and responded with
        match in our own backyard, a   2328 finishers in the senior   its best performance in years.
        hardy few braved a near-logisti-  men’s race at Parliament Hill to   Consistently strong runs from
        cal nightmare and driving rain   collectively deliver a fine per-  each of the 12 gave a strong
        to take on the best of the South   formance to cap the main cross   finishing position of 32nd. This
        of England in the SEAA XC   country season in style. Fine   final performance summed up
        Championships. On the gruel-  runs from Ross Braden and Will   the entire season as we got a
        ling 15km course the scoring   Ruiz led the scoring six home in   team out at almost everything
        six defied all of the problems in   25th out of 162 teams.   we entered, all characterised by
        the build up to come 17th out of                bloody minded determination
        55 teams.               Possibly because of the fine   and a willingness to get stuck in
                                collective effort in the National   regardless of the weather, op-
        A day of reckoning was to arrive   the final mob match was under   position or logistical problems.
        at the next race: the final Kent   resourced against South London   Long may it continue!
        League at Sparrows Den. Black-  Harriers and they retained the
        heath consigned the long run of   trophy despite coming to Hayes.   Dan Kennedy
        fourth places to the past with a
        win in the four to score category   The end of the cross country
        and third in the 12, giving us   season didn’t mean the end of
        third overall in the former and   the winter team’s challenge,
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