A group of eight Cornwall AC cross country runners made the long trip to Sefton Park, Liverpool last weekend to compete in the latest round of the UK Cross Challenge.

Our Under 13 Boys trio of Callum Jones, Tom Rawet and Sam Heslop-George got the club off to a good start, as they continued their personal battle, which has taken them to the top of the Westward League this winter.  With ‘wins’ for both Callum and Tom over recent weeks, today was Sam’s turn as he saw off the challenge of his rivals to lead them home, in a fine 17th position.  Tom chased him all the way before falling back in the last section, eventually claiming 27th place, whilst Callum fought gamely, despite suffering from a severe stitch, finishing 31st out of a top class field of 78 athletes.  Had there been a team event, they would have claimed top spot, as they currently do in both the Westward and South West Leagues.  Sam tells me his recent good form is down to eating a dozen onion bargees before a race and having travelled up with him I can vouch for that!

Tom, a part of the club's strong Under 13 Boys squad

The Under 17 race produced another close battle between James Waldie and Ryan Cleave. Smarting from a below average performance in the previous week, Ryan was determined to get back to form.  James, however, was having nothing of it.  Famed for his usual fast start, James shot away, with Ryan trailing at times by a good 15 seconds. Over the next 5 kilometres Ryan gradually clawed most of the deficit back but James isn’t known as a hill specialist for nothing and on the few inclines he pulled away again.  The finish was a long, almost imperceptible descent, followed by a 250 metres fractional rise to the line.  James struck early, opening up 10 metres with a fierce sprint but the straight was deceptively long and in a last desperate effort, Ryan drew level and claimed ‘victory’ with a dip that would have graced many a sprinter.  Their finish positions of 52nd and 53rd respectively only went to underline the national quality of the field of 105 runners.

A determined Ryan in action

...and his close rival, James

If that wasn’t class enough, the Under 20 Mens’ race, which also doubled as the UK Trials for the European Championships, attracted a field of 150 of the country’s best.  Matt Cleave and Chris Dobson have been competing against each other for seven years now and there has rarely been much between them.  Chris prefers the track but he recently put one over on Matt at the Mike Sully Cross Country races in Bristol, so it was always going to be close and Matt had to fight all the way to maintain the gap he opened up in the first quarter of the race, crossing the line in67th position, with Chris just five places further back.  Both found the length of the race, at 6.7 kilometres and the conditions, which became quite heavy, a real challenge but they will be pleased to have run on the course which will be the venue for this season’s English Schools Championships in March.  Both boys were delighted to get the better of arch rival Phil Norman, their North Devon rival.

Matt, striding out over the country...

...with Chris never far away