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Ashdown Forest Cross Country, 29 January 2012
Lewes AC take the lead in the Sunday XC League
With one event still to go Lewes AC now lead the six event league. On equal points with Hailsham Harriers after the fourth event Lewes now lead the league on 9 points to Hailsham’s 13 going into the last event at Snape Wood near Wadhurst. With a record turn out of 36 Lewes AC runners at the tough 5 mile Ashdown Forest course on Sunday Lewes won the 10 team event with some great individual performances.
The course first took a deceptively easy small loop around the heather on grassy tracks before plunging into a long descent down a slippery clay track criss-crossed with stream gullies. After that the runners splashed through a ford and then engaged in a series of successive climbs, each more sapping than the last, till eventually they arrived exhausted back at the start. If all of this wasn’t enough it was bitterly cold with a cold wind and temperature never going above 4C.
First Lewes male runner in third position overall and first over 40 runner was Robbie James in a time of 28mins 56secs. Also third in the women’s category and the first Lewes women was Maria Judd in a time of 35mins 26secs. John Lowden was first over 50 male coming in 12th in a time of 33mins 12secs with Simon Thomas close on his heels as the second over 50 runner finishing in 13th position in a time of 33mins 21secs.
Alf Pollard was first in the over 65 category coming in 73rd overall with a time of 42mins 01secs and Anita Amies won the women’s over 55 category coming in 86th overall in a time of 45mins 26secs.
Lewes packed eight runners in the first 20 to score massive points for the club and helped to secure the victory going into the last event in two weeks time.
Whilst the league is essentially club against club there are also awards at the end of the season for age group categories. There are many Lewes AC runners well placed to receive awards in a number of age groups. Leading the way in the female over 45 age category are Carole Water, Catherine Swinson and Maria Judd. The last race will decide final positions. In the over 55 category Anita Amies is well placed for an award as is Sally Norris in the Senior Women category and Stephanie Crespin in the over 35 category.
Not to be out done the men are also well placed for awards with Mathew Homewood currently leading the men’s over 40 category and Jon Lowden well placed in the over 50 category. Both Bob Hughes in the over 60 category and Alf Pollard in the over 65 category are also in with a shout of winning an award at the end of the season.