Title triumph just reward

CANTERBURY Harriers are celebrating after clinching the Kent Fitness League championship on Sunday.

The final instalment of the seven-race cross-country series was hosted by the Harriers at Blean Woods and the club emerged clear winners in the men’s, women’s and team categories.

Harriers last tasted success soon after their club was formed 20 years ago, when this series was known as the Today’s Runner league.

They have dominated proceedings both overall and in the separate women’s team category since the start of the 2012-13 campaign at Sevenoaks in October.

In total, 336 runners from 18 Kent clubs featured in Sunday’s main event, a challenging fivemile circuit around the woods.

Mark Ford (fifth) led the Harriers men home and Faye Roberts finished as the club’s leading female, in sixth.

A record 47 young athletes from the participating clubs took part in the junior race, run over two kilometres.

Harriers’ head coach Gerry Reilly said: “Winning the league title has been a fantastic achievement for the club.

“It’s made all the more impressive by the fact this has been perhaps the toughest season in the history of the competition, with the exceptionally wet weather over the last six months making the courses even more testing than usual throughout the series.”

The individual champions for 2012/13 are Chris Wyles (New Eltham Joggers) and Liz Weeks (Sittingbourne Striders) with a fractional advantage over their nearest opponents.

The final race was decisive and the men’s champion was in combat with former double champion Andrew Pickett (Dartford Harriers).

Pickett had taken this title in 2006 and 2007, whereas Wyles’ previous best was his 12th place overall last year.

The muddy conditions at Blean were no challenge to 18-yearold Laurie Probert (Maidstone Harriers), who secured his maiden victory by 22 seconds over Allan Lee (Sevenoaks).

In third place was the league champion, Wyles, whose margin over Pickett was seven seconds after a titanic tussle.

David Lee (Sevenoaks) was fifth ahead of host club runner Ford and three talented teenagers from Beech Grove Academy – Philip Huleatt, Nils Menz and Florian Groothoff.

Robbie Higgins (Dartford Road Runners) completed the top 10 ahead of leading over-40 Gavin Kitchingham (Bromley Vets).

The higher age group winners on the day were M50 Mike Baron (Swanley and District), M60 Phil Wallace (Medway and Maidstone) and M70 James Fitzmaurice (Sevenoaks).

The women’s race featured a similar head-to-head battle for the top spot between Liz Weeks (Sittingbourne) and W45 Maria Heslop (Paddock Wood).

Weeks held her nerve and raced confidently to victory with 28 seconds to spare over Heslop, who had won two races to Weeks’ four victories.

W40 Jill Cliff led Deal Tri Club to second women’s team behind Canterbury Harriers and ahead of Dartford Road Runners.

The top six leader board on the day was completed by Nicola Groom (Larkfield), W35 Hazel Vuvi (Dartford Road Runners) and Roberts (Canterbury).

Penny Birchall (Canterbury) was the over-55 winner on home mud and Tina Jones (Canterbury) led the W65 category. The prizes will be distributed after the end of season relay event at Nurstead Court on Sunday, March 17.

Final standings – see page 89.