Off Track Distance Races
The first race in the West Yorkshire Cross Country League took place yesterday at Cleckheaton. The weather was good, the course not too muddy and it was great to be back cross country racing after 18 months. City of York Athletic Club completed three teams in the younger age groups with the under 13 girls winning the team event as they were led home by Lucy Gilbertson in 2nd place with Isabel Madden in 6th and Annabelle Coxon 19th completing the team. Both the under 15 girls and boys teams came 3rd as they were led home by William Chalk in 8th and Katarina Savkovic in 9th place. The leading runners in the senior races were Therese Jansson in 25th and Steven Asquith in 21st place, unfortunately the club didn’t have enough runners in these races to complete a team.
Another group went to the NYSD League at Middlesbrough, also a very good course and good running conditions. The Under 11s were led by Hannah Lovett in 3rd, and with Brodie Barrow 9th, Sophia Horsfall Samb 10th, Katie Lawrence 25th they were 2nd team. The Under 13 girls won the team, meaning we won the West Yorks and the NYSD on the same day. Aimee Keefe was 4th, Kate Setchell 6th, Emily Rycroft 11th and Emily Lawrence 13th. The Under 13 Boys also had good runs with Conal Cairns 4th and Tom Mitchell 6th, both doing their first cross country race.
The club also had 7 runners taking part in the London Mini Marathon which brings together the best junior runners from all over the country to run the last 2.6k of the marathon course. Lottie Langan was the leading runner from the club as she came 7th in a time of 8.48 in the under 15 race as she helped the Yorkshire team win the team event. Other runners from the club who took part were Gianluca Mastrolonardo (24th in 7.41) and Charlie Wright (41st in 7.56) in the under 17 race. Isaac Stabler (22nd in 8.18), William Keens (52nd in 8.35) and Amy Kennedy (37th in 9.16) in the under 15 races with Daniel Campbell (27th in 9.03) in the under 13 event.
Four of our members ran the London Marathon. James Tucker completed his first marathon in 3.06.08. Alison Deane and Wesley Possible ran together and completed the course in 3.23 whilst Tony George ran 3.38.05.
Six of our members did parkrun on Saturday with Emma Ballantyne being first lady at Pontefract in 19.57