Muddy great as duo book place at Euros
MORPETH duo Scott Beattie and Mhairi Maclennan defied atrocious conditions to book their place in their respective GB teams for the European Cross-Country Championships in Slovakia next month.
As is customary, the Trials were held in Liverpool’s Sefton Park, which resembled a quagmire due to the amount of rain which fell on Merseyside during the week of the fixture.
A record entry of more than 3,000 from all corners of the UK for the 10-race programme cut up the course and made sure the event was not for the faint-hearted.
However, Beattie and Maclennan adapted to the conditions in fine style as they contested the under-20 and under-23 events respectively.
The course was alien to Tulsa Universitybased Beattie after making the trip from the United States, where he had contested a series of university races over fast, mud-free venues.
However, the Mike Bateman-trained athlete was quickly into his stride once the starter set the athletes on their way over 6.7km.
Beattie was among the early leaders after completing the first of two circuits as a hail shower made conditions even more difficult.
A group of 12 was tightly grouped all with the intention of finishing in the top five which would gain automatic selection tor the European Championships in two weeks time.
Beattie, the double North of England under-20 cross-country champion, had to dig deep as eventual winner Ben Dijkstra (Leiceister Coritanian) upped the pace - leaving a number of his rivals struggling to keep in touch.
However, with his mind firmly on finishing inside the top five, Beattie kept in close attendance and, as the final lap unfolded and the gaps started to appear, he was lying in fifth place with around 600 metres to go.
Despite being chased all the way to the line he managed to hang on to that all-important fifth place and a rewarding trip to Slovakia.
Dijkstra won in 20min 58sec with Beattie recording a superb 21:16 - which was just five seconds adrift of a podium place.
Afterwards, Beattie said: “That was tough, really tough, especially that long finishing straight - my legs were so heavy.’’
Maclennan lined up against the senior women over a distance of 8.1km in a race which included fellow under-23 Lydia Turner (Birtley) and senior athletes Laura Weightman (Morpeth) and fitagain Kate Avery of Shildon.
Avery, a former European XC Championship silver medalist, was having her first race for more than 18 months but was in confident mood before tiring in the final two kilometres to eventually finish in 16th place.
The course was not to the liking of European and Commonwealth medallist Weightman, who was 20th - nine seconds adrift of Avery.
Maclennan, meanwhile, kept plugging on and was rewarded with an excellent 14th-place finish (28:51) as the fourth under-23 home - guaranteeing her a seat on the plane to Slovakia.
Former European XC Championship under20 silver medallist Turner showed she is not far off her best by finishing eighth in the under-23 section, 43 seconds adrift of Maclennan.
In the senior men’s trial, Morpeth’s Carl Avery was the first finisher from the North East in 33rd.
MORPETH, Houghton and Gateshead athletes excelled in the young athletes’ races in Liverpool. See Thursday night’s Grassroots Sport.