National - Cross Country Championships - Alton Towers on 23/02/2008 10 Km (Senior Men)
What a great day to be a runner!, the National Cross Country Championships for 2008 took place on pasture land just outside Alton Towers and it was a magnificent spectacle. A team of 9 senior, two under 20 and one under 17 men competed for Wallasey A.C., Ann & Bob Brimage also assisted as race officials and where would we be without the organisers and helpers. The race was well organised and presented a challenging course with good views across Staffordshire, all in all it made for an exciting event.
First off was Connor McArdle, supported by his family, he finished his race against strong opposition in 17:42 for 212nd place.
In the under 20 race Steve Lampkin running his first cross country race finished 189th with Matt Williams was not far behind in 191st.
The recent mild weather meant that the course, although soft underfoot in some places, was not particularly muddy but it did include a long hill which became steep at the top end, forcing many runners to walk the last few yards. Wallasey's men finished 64th out of 99 complete teams in the 6 man event, Tony Barbat, Steve Wilkinson (cross country debutant), Greg Jones, Phil Cuthbert, Pat Riley and captain Dave Walton were the counters. The men's team also finished 32nd out of 40 in the 9 man event Stan Williams, Frank Gower and Rolf Westrum making up the next 3 runners. This result is the men's highest placing for many years.