Newport Harriers
Gwent League

Gwent League Cross-Country
Blaise Castle, Bristol, 6th March 2010

Senior Men (212 starters) – Magical Mystery Tour winds up in Division 2

We knew it would be relegation but Newport’s senior men went down with flourish and adventure in the final race of the Gwent League season. With the men’s race due to start at 12.05 p.m. the day started early – Dave Griffiths travelled en famille, and Dave Proffitt drove up with Assistant Team Manager Colin Bradley for company.

Meanwhile Darryn, Stuart, Jonathan, Steve and young mascot Shane squeezed into the Skoda Estate. We hit the M4 full of high hopes, then it was passports out as we crossed the Severn Bridge and entered foreign territory. At this point the Skoda was heavily dependent on our navigator Stuart Pearce who merrily directed us onto the M49 and then the M5. The route seemed unerringly different to last time but Stuart was undaunted as Bristol lingered further and further behind us. Then Glastonbury beckoned, full of hazy memories, and the sights of Exeter loomed just over the horizon. Something was seriously amiss with our route when, at long last, navigator Pearce finally remembered he had a SatNav on his mobile phone which confirmed the worst – miles in the wrong direction, 40 minutes from our destination, with the race due to start in 35 minutes. Jonathan received a worried phone call from coach Geoff Brimble who had put out an All Points Bulletin, while Darryn managed to shave ten minutes off the journey time with some judicious speed management. Just when we thought we might make it in time, Stuart had an urge to expose himself on the motorway verge, but a few shakes later we were back en route, arriving at Blaise Castle five minutes before the gun. Everyone bundled out, then Darryn had to park a half-mile away and sprint back just in time for the starter’s pistol.

With all the excitement of the journey out of the way, the race itself was a pleasant affair – a brisk Spring day over a fast course which had been gratefully shortened from the previous year. Johnathan Morgan (10th) secured our first top ten position for 12 months, and Steve Wadley (78th) joined him in the top 100 for his highest finish in living memory. Darryn McAtee trailed Stuart Pearce and Dave Griffiths as the race unfolded. He overtook Stuart at the end of Lap 1, then caught sight of Dave 100 metres ahead and used the next two laps to close the gap before surging past with 440 yards remaining. So it was Darryn (106th), Dave (110th), then Stuart (123rd). All credit to Dave who has been running with an injury for the whole season. Stuart as ever ambled his way through the mid-section of the race and faced up to the prospect that he still can’t beat Darryn over gruelling cross-country terrain. Dave Proffitt bank-rolled the team during the pre-race registration then completed the team effort in 157th place.

So our relegation was confirmed despite our team performance today being our best of the season, coming 7th among the Division 1 clubs. Our two ever-presents were Dave Proffitt and Darryn McAtee. In the final individual standings our top runner was Johnathan Morgan in 81st, though this would have been far higher if he had run in the first two races. Then came Steve Wadley (98th), Darryn McAtee (103rd), Dave Griffiths (149th), Dave Proffitt (172nd) and Stuart Pearce (194th). By a strange mathematical quirk, Darryn (37th) leapt ahead of Steve (41st) in the M40 standings, while Dave was 34th in the M50 final standings.

After the race a rueful Colin Bradley commented: “So we’re relegated. They say it’s not over till the Fat Lady sings, but unfortunately I heard her doing a chorus of Coming Round The Mountain half-way round Lap 2. On a positive note, I may have persuaded her to run the 3000 metres for us in the Midlands League this summer”.

Senior Men Division 1

Senior women (125 starters) – Saxena pips Loudon in final race-off

Prior to today’s race, Ann Saxena and Rhian Loudon had competed in all of this year’s fixtures and it was two victories apiece in their personal duel. Also, in the individual standings Ann started the day one place and one point ahead of Rhian, so it was all to play for as each vied for the accolade of being Newport Harriers’ top cross-country runner for 2009-10. Good friends off the course but fierce rivals on it, Rhian set off swiftly and established a 30 metre lead over Ann. However, Ann relied on her strength over the 2-lap course to finish ahead of Rhian by two places and a mere six seconds, such is the narrow margin between glory and despair.

In Division 2 Newport remained in 8th place where they have been pretty much located all season. In the final individual standings Ann Saxena was 20th and Rhian Loudon was 21st, and they could really do with some team reinforcements for next season. In the M45 category standings Ann just missed a medal in 4th place, but she has recently edged into the M55 category where she start as a strong favourite for 2010-11.

Senior Women Division 2