Davies thrives in Qatar heat
STOCKPORT’S Andrew Davies played “Mr Cool” in the hot environment of Qatar in the International association of ultra runners’ annual 50 kilometre championships.
The event was certainly not for the faint hearted with the competitors having to grind out no less than 20 laps of a 2.5 kilometre circuit and this he achieved in a sub three hour stint and finished overall in fifth position in a finish time of 2:58:23.
He had been selected by British athletics partly on the basis of knocking a full two minutes off his marathon time (2:16:55) in the Berlin Marathon in September.
He led the British team to a well earned silver medal position with the three-man team clocking a cumulative time of 8:59:29 just under three minutes behind the United States who closed down for gold in 8:56:37.
Davies is equally at home in the mud of cross country as he is in the sands of the desert, successfully making the transition from the marathon distance of 26 miles to ultra distances in one easy move.
From the heat of the desert to the cooler climbs of Tollcross Park in Glasgow, where the running of the British masters’ cross country competition saw Stockport’s Louise Rudd going in her event and in the 40+ age category.
She gave a good account of herself with a fourth overall finish and in the process took gold with her team mates for England and a silver individual medal in the over 40s category.
If you wanted real mud, don’t go to the Thames estuary, simply visit Boggart Hole Clough, Blakeley where it was served up in abundance at the second of the five Manchester league cross country fixtures.
Once more Stockport’s Jack Morris came out on top to record two wins from two thus far in the league which helped the senior men’s team to a third overall team finish.
The under 17 girls put out a strong team of Hannah Richardson (third), Heather Corden (sixth) and Abbie Wood – Doyle anchoring in ninth to cakewalk the team event.
It was a much closer call for the under 13 boys’ team with the Stockport trio of Thomas Manton (fifth), Henry Pickard (sixth) and Cameron Murdoch in 10th to close down for first in 21 team points to Trafford AC’s 22 points for second and Salford in third with 26 cumulative points.
Katie Whiteoak made it second in the ladies’ race and helped herself to a first finish in the incorporated under 20s age group.
Stockport had another winner in the form of Jasmine Read in the under 11 girls’ event with further support from Freya Murdoch (fourth) and Jessica Jones (3sixth) to secure a second placed team result behind the eventual winners being team Altrincham AC.
For those who preferred an indoor environment the place of choice was the English institute of sport in Sheffield where the indoor athletics season got under way at the first of the Northern indoor matches with at least three of Stockport’s youngsters putting themselves into medal contention.
The highest results for Stockport were forthcoming in the under 11 girls’ event with Lola Unsworth accomplishing a second overall position thus far and with club mate Seren Redfern occupying the fourth spot.
Two age groups higher in the under 15s department, Stockport’s Emily Misantoni currently lies third in the event after the first meeting with all to play for at the later meetings in the indoor season.
Stockport’s Katie Waterworth opened her triple jump account also at the Sheffield institute and took the winner’s spoils in a magnificent effort of 11:13 metres and won the seniors’ event in the process whilst still remaining in the under 17s age group which will bode well for the upcoming winter indoor season.
The British cross country challenge takes place this coming Saturday at Sefton Park, Liverpool starting at 11am with the junior races and finishing with the senior men’s race at 2.05pm and in the higher age group events there are places up for the grabs for guaranteed selection for the European cross country championships while nearer to home, the second of the Stockport Harriers’ primary schools cross country meetings take place at 10.30am from Woodbank Athletic Stadium.