Ampthill X/Country Trophy

Sunday 22 October 2006

On Sunday, 22 October Ampthill & Flitwick Flyers proudly presented the Ampthill Trophy.

Billed as a cross country curtain raiser, this annual favourite drew hardened souls to Ampthill Park from far and wide.  Also, a spot of rain overnight encouraged moist conditions underfoot and, despite a grim forecast, the showers stayed at bay.

At 10:20, with marker flags in place and a squadron of well-briefed marshals, Race Starter Andy Atherton sent the junior athletes on their way.  There was the inevitable frenzy of elbows as the juniors looked for an early advantage. Riverside Runners' Tom Stead (U13) might not be tallest of athletes be he more than made up for this with a convincing run (8:03) that netted 1st U13 Boy, with Jack Benedikter (Luton AC) as runner up . Not to be outdone, Sarah Pike (Stevenage & N.Herts AC) battled with Jade Nettleton to finish as 1st U13 Girl.  The 13-17yr old juniors went on to complete a second lap and it was pleasing to see a fluent Richard Pawlak (Peterborough AC) finish first in 14:48, tracked by runner up Daniel Woodgate (Luton AC) who beat many juniors that were two years older. First U17 Girl was Alice Middleton (Biggleswade AC) in 18:11, with Juliet Colley (Bedford & County) only 6 seconds behind.

For the Main Race (8K) the Flyers welcomed the return of GB Marathon star Huw Lobb and Claire Pusey (Burnham Joggers) was back to defend the Ladies title that she won in 2005.  At 11am Race Starter Andy Atherton called his charges to the line and released them to tackle the traditional 2-lap course.

The throng surged away, left around a coppice and then athletes settled into their stride as they descended into a valley to join the main course.  At the front Huw Lobb and Neil Miller (Bedford & County) ran shoulder-to-shoulder demonstrating the finer aspects of cross country technique.  The pair stuck together for the first lap and then Lobb grabbed the

opportunity to open a gap that was to prove decisive.  The Men's Race was a much closer affair than 2005 with Huw Lobb recording 28:19, but Miller (28:37) always remained a danger and Peter Bridger (Luton AC) finished 3rd (30:01). Veteran prizes were collected by Alun Sainsbury (MV40; Dacorum & Tring AC) with spring chicken Geoff Newton (Tadworth AC) who punched ten years above his weight to finish 1st MV50 and MV60.

In the Ladies Race Claire Pusey (33:33) retained the Ladies Title to record a victory over Jackie Cooper (34:55) of Newbury AC, with Anna Litchfield in 3rd (36:49). Carole Cooper (Bedford Harriers) collected the FV45 prize and Margaret Chew (Stopsley Striders) was rewarded with 1st FV55.

Matt Jones (32:58; 11th) flew the flag for the Flyers with an accomplished run and dependable Vicky Adams (42:45; 11th) led the AFF Ladies Team home.

In the team competition it came as no surprise that a Bedford & County combo (Huw Lobb, Neil Miller & Jonathon Roots) collected the Men's Team Prize, while Debbie Bryant, Zoe Dawson and Natalie Darlow (Biggleswade AC) did well to beat a Bedford Harriers trio.

Race Director's Report

The main topic of the race officials during the past week has been what the weather would do for race day. In the end it was just right, the park was relatively dry underfoot and we were blessed with a not-too-chilly and mostly dry morning for the race, almost perfect for a late-October cross-country event.

In the senior race Huw Lobb made it two years in a row with a winning time of 28:19, but he didn't have it all his way as Neil Miller (also Beds & County) kept him honest and it was only in the second lap that Huw pulled out a lead to win by 18 seconds.

We ran an under-13's race for the first time this year and it was good to see a group of enthusiastic youngsters competing. I spoke to several Dads who were running the main race with their children in the junior event, so this format seems to be a great way to encourage the whole family to get involved in running.

I would like to say a big thank you to all those who gave their time to plan and organise this event. The course is tricky to marshal as the route twists and turns through the park, with the main race being two full laps 'and a bit'. However, all the competitors were directed to run the correct distance and were encouraged by a large group of enthusiastic marshals. Thanks also to the County officials who joined our team to check that everything was running smoothly. I must also not forget thanks to the 'back-room-boys' who handle the late entries, results and manage the Race HQ - thanks to you all.

All the feedback on the day was very positive, so it seems that the formula is right with a course that is challenging and an event that is well organised by the 'Flyers.

Jeremy Bell

Race Director

 

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Prize Winners Picture Gallery 

Junior Race

Race No. Posn Forename Surname Club Age Cat Time Award
535 1 Tom Stead Riverside Runners MU13 8:03 1st U13 Boy
536 2 Jack Benedikter Luton AC MU13 8:51  
516 3 Sarah Pike Stevenage and North Herts AC FU13 9:46 1st U13 Girl
532 4 Jade Nettleton Unattached FU13 9:59  
531 5 Charlie Nettleton Unattached MU13 11:00  
533 6 Nicholas Lawson Ampthill & Flitwick Flyers MU13 12:01  
505 7 Richard Pawlak Peterborough AC MU17 14:48 1st U18 Boy
513 8 Daniel Woodgate Luton AC MU15 15:10  
522 9 Jethro Warren Wellingborough School MU15 15:34  
514 10 Tom Mead Luton AC MU15 16:35  
521 11 Lewis Gore Wellingborough School MU15 16:37  
529 12 Matthew Fellows Wellingborough School MU17 16:51  
526 13 Ruben McNeil-Walsh Wellingborough School MU15 17:18  
528 14 James Westley Wellingborough School MU17 17:40  
520 15 Ankur Khajuria Wellingborough School MU17 17:56  
527 16 Alex Hokey Wellingborough School MU17 18:05  
523 17 Cameron Elison Wellingborough School MU15 18:09  
506 18 Alice Middleton Biggleswade AC FU18 18:11 1st U18 Girl
524 19 Peter Holley Wellingborough School MU15 18:15  
515 20 Juliet Colley Bedford & County AC FU17 18:17  
525 21 Simon Leisten Wellingborough School MU15 18:46  
530 22 Katherine Mackay Riverside Runners FU17 18:51  
510 23 Jack Pitts Luton AC MU15 18:56  
501 24 Bruce Harrison Royston Crows MU15 19:18  
537 25 Paul Spicer Stevenage and North Herts AC MU15 19:20  
509 26 Karen Meadows Stevenage and North Herts AC FU15 20:33  

Senior/Vet Race

Race No. Posn Forename Surname Club Age Cat Time Award
100 1 Huw Lobb Bedford & County AC M 28:19 1st Male
7 2 Neil Miller Bedford & County AC M 28:37 2nd Male
107 3 Peter Bridger Luton AC M 30:01 3rd Male
72 4 Simon Coombes Leighton Buzzard AC M 30:38  
106 5 Tom Bradford Hook Norton Harriers M 30:46  
33 6 Alun Sainsbury Dacorum & Tring AC MV40 31:45 1st Male V40
17 7 Trevor Watson Unattached M 32:42  
124 8 Gary Cook Unattached M 32:43  
132 9 Daniel Poulton Stevenage and North Herts AC MU20 32:51  
112 10 Matt Whiting Unattached M 32:55  
103 11 Matt Jones Ampthill & Flitwick Flyers MU18 32:58  
19 12 Andrew Houghton Unattached MV45 32:59  
65 13 Andrew Clancy Wootton Road Runners MV40 33:04  
133 14 Claire Pusey Burnham Joggers FV35 33:33 1st Female - 1st V35
143 15 Alaistair Fadden Bedford Harriers AC MV40 33:39  
110 16 Richard Mcguirk Unattached M 33:45  
6 17 Adam Searle Royston Crows M 34:06  
141 18 Darren Scott Stopsley Striders MU20 34:29  
109 19 Shehzad Syed Unattached MU18 34:30  
122 20 Peter Benedickter Luton AC M 34:37  
86 21 Stephen Penny Biggleswade AC M 34:42  
30 22 Jackie Cooper Newbury AC FV40 34:55 2nd Female
98 23 Jonathan Roots Bedford & County AC MV40 35:12  
94 24 Paul Douglas Leighton Fun Runners M 35:47  
39 25 Neil Adams Riverside Runners M 35:50  
45 26 John Franklin North Herts Road Runners MV40 35:52  
71 27 Damien Pitts Biggleswade AC M 35:59  
92 28 Geoff Newton Tadworth AC MV60 36:14 1st Male V50 - 1st V60
148 29 Gavin Elliott Biggleswade AC M 36:18  
66 30 Richard Harrison Royston Runners M 36:21  
10 31 Paul Wilkerson Bedford & County AC MV50 36:27  
5 32 James Farmbrough Unattached MV45 36:35  
111 33 Martyn Annetts North Herts Road Runners MV40 36:42  
130 34 John Timoney Unattached MV40 36:44  
20 35 Anna Litchfield Bedford Harriers AC FV35 36:49 3rd Female
82 36 Johnny Spinks North Herts Road Runners MV40 36:52  
41 37 Andrew Moore Bedford Harriers AC M 36:59  
58 38 Dave Whatton Northampton Road Runners MV40 37:09  
36 39 Nick Brown Unattached M 37:11  
4 40 Jose Jaime Gauiria Velez North Herts Road Runners MV45 37:12  
114 41 Max Woods Unattached M 37:14  
32 42 Percy Dolrick Team MK M 37:23  
80 43 Rick Frolich Muddy Mucky Munkeys MV40 37:24  
131 44 Joe Horsman Bedford Harriers AC MV45 37:25  
144 45 Tim Hunt Ampthill & Flitwick Flyers MV45 37:42  
134 46 Duncan Hooker North Herts Road Runners MV45 37:57  
136 47 Jeff Hanson Unattached MV40 37:58  
28 48 Debbie Bryant Biggleswade AC FV35 38:00  
91 49 Ken Prior Biggleswade AC MV55 38:09  
13 50 Tony Barnes Bedford Harriers AC MV40 38:22  
123 51 Andrew Reid Stopsley Striders MV50 38:27  
105 52 Steve Cliff Unattached MV45 38:46  
56 53 Daniel Bell Unattached M 38:53  
12 54 Lindsay Lister Riverside Runners FV40 38:55  
47 55 Tom Francis Unattached M 38:57  
104 56 Neil Tyler Unattached M 39:07  
108 57 Philip Farley Unattached MV40 39:12  
83 58 Timea Latinovics Wellingborough & District AC FV40 39:39  
54 59 Brian Layton Tring Running Club MV50 39:44  
60 60 Derek Myall North Herts Road Runners MV60 39:51  
89 61 Ash Voralia Unattached M 39:52  
145 62 Paul Sweetman Unattached M 39:53  
140 63 Jeremy Trumere Unattached MV40 39:55  
24 64 Rob Morgan Biggleswade AC M 39:56  
3 65 Mark O'Dell Unattached M 40:28  
63 66 Nick Tillett Ampthill & Flitwick Flyers MV45 40:34  
2 67 Zoe Dawson Biggleswade AC F 40:40  
42 68 Ashley Yeates Unattached M 40:43  
27 69 Simon Baker Unattached M 40:44  
38 70 Tracey Patmore Riverside Runners FV35 40:52  
53 71 Mark Ingledew Bedford Harriers AC MV45 41:15  
29 72 Lindsey Morgan Biggleswade AC MV45 41:21  
16 73 Stephen Warne Unattached MV45 41:32  
127 74 Graham Taylor Unattached MV45 41:42  
78 75 Carol Cooper Bedford Harriers AC FV45 41:56 1st Female V45
23 76 Natalie Darlow Biggleswade AC F 42:00  
1 77 Lee Brodie Wellingborough & District AC M 42:04  
147 78 Peter Johnson Unattached MV45 42:07  
59 79 Geoff New Shenley Striders MV40 42:14  
73 80 Paul Carter Unattached M 42:18  
142 81 Jurgen Stetter Unattached M 42:34  
138 82 Vicky Adams Ampthill & Flitwick Flyers F 42:46  
31 83 Ian Guest Unattached M 43:00  
55 84 Paul Barton Unattached M 43:11  
137 85 Joanne Harbon Unattached FV40 43:21  
68 86 Danny O'Halloran Unattached M 43:22  
87 87 Margaret Chew Stopsley Striders FV55 43:23 1st Female V55
46 88 David Ross North Herts Road Runners MV45 43:35  
135 89 Geoff Courtney Unattached MV60 43:38  
102 90 Ashley Taylor Unattached M 43:40  
118 91 Sharon Nettleson Unattached F 43:41  
67 92 Barry Onwuchekwa Unattached M 44:07  
99 93 Mathilda Scheuber Stevenage and North Herts AC FU18 44:11  
128 94 Paul Holmes Bedford Harriers AC M 44:22  
11 95 Paul Brooks Luton AC MV40 44:46  
26 96 Ian Cousins Stopsley Striders MV55 44:51  
116 97 Ellis Gingell Unattached MU20 44:58  
69 98 Dennis Cannon Fairlands Valley Spartans RC MV65 45:01  
22 99 Andy Butler Unattached MV40 45:05  
77 100 Den Bowman Unattached MV40 45:26  
125 101 John Adam Leighton Buzzard AC MV60 45:34  
35 102 Paul Blunt Unattached M 45:46  
139 103 Lawrance Proctor Stopsley Striders MV55 45:53  
146 104 Vickie Lemasurier Unattached F 46:20  
44 105 Ian Mcintosh Unattached M 46:26  
25 106 Paul Edwards Unattached M 46:30  
126 107 William Billington Bedford Harriers AC MV65 46:41  
8 108 Paul Barret Unattached M 46:48  
117 109 Jon Mackay Riverside Runners MV45 46:54  
119 110 Deborah Lawson Ampthill & Flitwick Flyers FV45 47:20  
40 111 Mark Bichener Unattached M 47:22  
97 112 Mike Turner Liverpool Harriers MV65 47:27  
52 113 Judith Ingledew Bedford Harriers AC FV40 47:45  
115 114 Stephen Gingell Bedford Harriers AC MV50