Athletics Oli and Izzy gain shock wins at county championships
OLI Beale and Izzy Talbot Price are both celebrating their first county titles this week after surprise victories in the Avon Cross Country Championships.
Just four years after he took up the sport, 40-year-old former kickboxer Beale, who is a member of Westbury Harriers, produced his best performance in the country around the grounds of University of Bath on Sunday.
Talbot Price, 21, who is studying veterinary science at University of Bristol’s Langford facility, marked her debut in the event by defeating reigning champion and Bristol & West AC club-mate Catie O’Donoghue to claim her first county title.
“That is the first time I have even won a county medal and when I found out I was Avon champion it was really nice,” said Beale.
Initially, Beale hadn’t realised how well he had done because the Avon event was incorporated with Somerset and Wiltshire into the Tri-Counties Championships and he finished fourth overall – behind two Wiltshire and one Somerset athletes.
“I only took up running when I moved to Bristol from London for work four years ago,” added Beale, who lives in Henleaze.
“It took me a couple of years before I started to feel like a runner rather than a kick-boxer. I almost had to teach myself to run and when I turned 40 recently I thought that’s it now, but I am actually feeling stronger than ever and I am very motivated.”
Beale’s first county title will only fuel his enthusiasm for what lies ahead in 2019, as it will for Talbot Price, for whom victory was the best of her short career to date.
“I had no idea how I would go and, to be honest, I only entered a couple of hours before the deadline last week,” said Talbot Price.
“Catie went off very hard with the girl from Somerset and I only caught her going up the hill at the end of the final lap. I feel I have stepped up quite a bit over the past year and that is nice.”
O’Donoghue, who caused a similar stir when she won the title last year, took the county silver medal with Westbury Harriers’ veteran Maria Hobbs third.
Joining Beale on the men’s podium were Bristol & West’s Miles Chandler, with Team Bath’s Will Crudgington third.
For good measure, Beale also led the Westbury Harriers’ squad of Alex Hamblin, Anthony Glover,
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I only took up running when I moved to Bristol from London for work four years ago
Richard Noble, Ken Ham and Matt Swaine to overall victory in the TriCounties Championships.
Westbury Harriers also enjoyed a good day in the young athletes’ races, winning four individual titles through Ben Rawlins (U20 men), Seamus Robinson (U15 boys), Rosie Hamilton-James (U17 women) and Dalis Jones (U15 girls), while they also cleaned up in the U17. 15 and 13 girls’ team titles.
Keira Devereux , of North Somerset, won the under-13 girls’ race from the Westbury pair of Clementine Lee and Laura Chance.
Tri-Counties Cross Country Championships, University of Bath – senior men: 1 Simon Nott (Calne) 34:10; 2 Phil Burden (Taun, M40) 34:45; 3 Simon Byrne (Swin) 35:11; 4 Oliver Beale (WH, M40) 35:36; 5 Joseph Donworth (Frome RC) 35:52; 6 Miles Chandler (B&W) 35:56.
Avon Champs: 1 Beale; 2 Chandler; 3 Will Crudgington (Team Bath) 36:37.
Teams – overall: 1 Westbury Harriers (Beale, Alex Hamblin, Anthony Glover, Richard Noble, Ken Ham & Matt Swaine); 2 Avon Valley Runners; 3 Chippenham Harriers. Under 20/17 men: 1 John Howorth (TB); 2 Will Stockley (TB); 3 Ben Lloyd (Wells). Avon: 1 Ben Rawlins (WH, U20); 2 Justin Davies (TB, U17); 3 Callum Smith (NSAC, U20).
Under 15 boys: 1 Joe Ponter (Taun); 2 Seamus Robinson (WH); 3 Thomas Heal (Taun).
Avon: 1 Robinson; 2 Alexander Robinson (WH); 3 Cole Edmonds (B&W).
Under 13 boys: 1 Dylan Stoneman (TB); 2 Harry Maxwell (TB); 3 Jack Harvey (Wells). Avon: 1 Stoneman; 2 Misha Evans (B&W); 3 Samuel Holloway (NSAC).
Under 11 boys: 1 Charlie Coles (Sals); 2 Jacob Fleming (AVR); 3 Tom Howard (WH). Senior women: 1 Kate Drew (Taun) 24:38; 2 Isabelle Talbot Price (B&W) 25:11; 3 Catie O’Donoghue (B&W) 25:20; 4 Helen Southcott (Wells) 26:04; 5 Kirstie Booth (Taun) 27:26; 6 Cordula Hurcum (Chipp) 27:35.
Avon: 1 Talbot Price; 2 O’Donogue; 3 Maria Hobbs (WH, W50).
Teams: 1 Chippenham Harriers; 2 Avon Valley Runners; 3 Shrewton Running Club .
Under 20/17 women: 1 Elise Thorner (Wells); 2 Rosie Hamilton-James (WH, U17); 3 Ellie Hobbs (WH, U17).
Avon: 1 Hamilton-James; Hobbs; 3 Anna Burt (TB).
Under 15 girls: 1 Bea Wood (Sals); 2 Dalis Jones (WH); 3 Alice Bridger-Morales (NSAC).
Avon: 1 Jones; 2 Bridger-Morales; 3 Ella Treby (TB).
Under 13 girls: 1 Keira Devereux (NSAC); 2 Clementine Lee (WH); 3 Laura Chance (WH).
Avon: 1 Devereux; 2 Lee; 3 Chance.
Under 11 girls: 1 Jasmine Spear (WH); 2 Daisy Sears (Sals); 3 Isabelle Hugill (WH).