Bingley ladies managed to field teams at both XC championship events on Sat 16 Mar. The British Masters Athletics Federation (BMAF) was in Sunderland and more locally the YVAA event was in the pleasant surroundings of Wentworth Castle, nr Barnsley. The clash was unfortunate, or fortunate, depending on your point of view. We, being Mary Green, Alison Mark s, Marisol Carerra-Vivar, Pauline Smith and myself, Becky Weight were happy to be at Wentworth Castle.
It was still chilly and grey when our race (5.6km), 83 ladies and V70 men, set off. Two laps on an open grassy course, mostly good running with only a few muddy sections after the overnight rain, with an uphill pull to the finish. Marisol, having done a full family morning before the event, only just made it, and gave the field a 300m start collecting her number from Mike Smith as she ran through the start. Mary (22.28, 3FV50) was our first finisher in 18th overall with Pauline Munro, ex-Bingley, first in 18.30. Mary was followed by myself Becky (27th, 23.23 2FV55), Marisol (32nd, 24.10, 11FV40), Alison (36th , 24.29, 7FV45), and Pauline (66th, 28.30, 5FV60). Mary & I collected individual medals for 3rd FV50 and 2nd FV55 and with Alison we got silver in the F45-54 team with Holmfirth in first place. Alison couldn’t remember the last time she had done such a short race and Pauline enjoyed the race and was glad not to have got lost. Our M60-69 team won their race (M50-69, 10km, 82 runners) with Gerry Bell (33rd 44.13, 3M60), Bryan Parkinson (40th, 45.07, 6M60) and Peter Ellerton (61st, 49.46, 4M65). Their race was won by Paul Stephenson (M50) of Pudsey & Bramley in 37.42. Graham Watson was 11th overall and 2nd M45 in 39.39 in the M35-49 10km race, with 48 runners, and won by Richard Harris (M40) of Rotherham Harriers in 35.05. Full results are on the YVAA site.
