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| The start of the Manx Gas Cross Challenge was delayed by 15 minutes on Sunday; it could in past have been for many reasons, but not due to the numbers of athletes entering. It was the biggest entry seen in a local cross country race for over fifteen years, 129 to be exact, and when has a junior man won the overall Senior race if ever? and can anyone remember when we had ten females entered in the ladies race. All this on a sunny but windy afternoon on the Port St Mary golf course, The pre-race favorite for the Senior men’s race was new resident Paul Sheard from Pudsey and Bramley athletic club, but he was shown a clean pair of heels by 18 year old Manxman Keith Gerrard, Gerrard and Sheard came through on lap one together but on lap two Keith had pulled clear and when’t on to win by 50 seconds with Sheard second. The top five place were filled by senior athletes Gianni Epifani, Darren Gray and Nick Percival who respectfully finished in that order after a race long battle. Its been many a year since a veteran didn’t feature in the top five so it was no surprise to see Murray Lambden finishing sixth overall but first in his class with Peter Kaneen who won the 20k walk at the NSC in the morning second and Paul Curphey third. The run of the day came from 50 year old Dave Newton who came home in tenth place overall beating many half his age, but we must also remember that Dave in the not to distant past won many a local cross country race along with many Manx Championship titles. Cal Partington was the pre-race favorite for the Ladies event and after lap one was well in the lead but due to a stomach upset had to stop, allowing Diane Lawrence to lead the race but Lawrence was being pulled back by Julie Harrison who used her superior speed over the latter stages to win from Lawrence with veteran Lady Lynne McAvoy third and Wendy Ross fourth. There was a incredible finish in Short Course race between Robbie Lambie and newcomer Richard Cooil there sprint finish was so intense that both athletes when’t the wrong way, both collapsed to the ground before the shouts of the crowd pointed out there mistake, with Cooil responding the quickest to take the win from Lambie with Alan Corkill and a very slow starting Raymond Cox fourth. Marie Latham came home in tenth place overall to win the Ladies short course event with female motorcyclist Gail Musson second and Nicola Kennaugh third. The junior races all had very large entries, in the under 11 boys race Dean Kinley was in the lead but turned towards the finish to early before being told to go back by the marshall, he went from first to third but he showed tremendous determination to sprint past Philip Knox and Jack Callaghan to win with Knox second and Callaghan third. The boys thou could not match the oustanding Lauren Whelan she won the under 11 girls race by over a minute beating all the boys in the process, with last years under 9 Champion Emily Ashe moving up an age group second and Danielle Ross third. The eagerly awaited under 15 boys clash between Lancashire inter county representative Ryan Fairclough who had moved up from under 13’s, Track star Ben Brand and Isle of Man Champion and also Lancashire representative Andrew Newton. The race started very quickly with Brand moving to the front with Newton tucked in behind and Fairclough a little behind, on the turn for the start of the last lap Newton had taken a small lead over Brand with Fairclough still in contention just behind. But as the athletes reappeared over the brow of the hill Brand was sprinting clear followed by Fairclough with no sign of Newton, then the much improved Lee Butterworth appeared in third place, talking to lads at the end they said Newton pulled up injured, so first blood to Brand but will he cope on the muddier and tougher course’s as the winter draws on? Jordan Cain was the only athlete to carry on his winning ways from last season in winning the under 13 boys, from Castle Rushen High school student Tom Bateson with Michael Callister third. Another really good race to watch was the under 13 girls race with four girls battling it out in close company over the country. The eventual winner was Bronwen Kaneen who was just that little bit stronger than Nicola Cooil who was second with Sammy Callaghan third and newcomer Sophie Knox fourth, Sophie’s sister did a littler better in the under 15 girls race coming second to the very much improved Ciara Kaneen who is reaping the rewards of working with Chris Quine's Development Squad, third was Emma Latham. Making it the only family double on the day was the youngest member of the Kaneen family Sinead who had a good win over Alice Ashe in the under 9 girls with Alexandra Ross third and Sophie Black fourth. Lots of new faces from the southern area in the under 9 boys, but it was Isle of Man champion Eric Kelly who won with four seconds to spare over Jack Garret and unrelated Kevin Kelly third. Two brothers from Ballakermeen High School dominated the under 17’s event with Aaron Whipp just getting the better of brother Ashley with Josh Masterson third. Dawn Georgeson had to work very hard to beat newcomer Stephanie Lace in the girls under 17 event, and I have a feeling that if Lace becomes more involved in sport, she could by next April be number one. So ended a really exciting first round, don’t forget round to is at Noble Park in Douglas not Ramsey as advertised, a big thanks to Port St Mary Commissioners for the use of the golf course on the day and to all the hard working local official who very much enjoyed working with the large entry. Roll on 9th November. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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