Chris Perez of Rugby & Northampton enjoyed a good run in the inaugural Daventry 10 mile road race, finishing as runner-up.
The 36-year-old finished in second place when he recorded exactly 57 mins in a race that also incorporated the Northants Championships.
Although Perez wasn’t able to stay with the fast early pace of Birchfield’s Matt Almond, he was happy with his silver medal winning performance.
Finishing in fourth position was Greg Spellman when he just got pipped by Northampton Road Runners’ Danson Njoka in a time of 57.28.
But as well as winning the first M45 prize, Spellman was the County Champion in the M40 competition. Winning the silver medal in the same age group was Dave Rayfield in seventh spot on 60.50.
Rugby & Northampton were the gold medal winners in the Men’s team race, and closing off that team was Terry Egan in 12th to win the M50 Northants title with 63.17 and bring his County medal tally to 93.
Alan Mould finished 36th (67.44), which placed him as the sixth M50 runner, and new member Richard Franklin took first prize in the over-55 category for 52nd overall (72.31).
Two ladies competed for R&N, with Nikki Turner being timed at 87.24 to finish in 31st spot, and sealing victory in the Ladies Club Road Race Championship was Lisa Johnson competing in her new W45 age group and crossing the line in 92.15 for 38th place.
SILSON JOGGERS
With the Chiltern League Cross Country season now underway, the club was well represented in the first race with some 40 members turning out to tackle the excessively wet and muddy course near Oxford.
Despite having to tackle a ditch full of water that led straight into a muddy up-slope that got progressively more treacherous as each race took on the challenge, the 19 juniors and five debutants among the Silson team ran well and scored some useful points, the team placed 13th in the points table at the end of the event.
The juniors in particular did very well, with debutant Fergus Scott finishing the under 13 boys’ race in 39th, with fellow newcomer Charlie Lyon in 61st, just behind Zach Rycroft (56th), but ahead of Declan Cooper in 62nd and Ben Hanson in 65th.
The under 13 girls, performed well as a team with debuts for Reagan Cooper (67th), Caitlin Jones (73rd) and Alice Lyon who was 74th even though she lost a shoe in the very muddy conditions!
Of the more experienced girls, Anabel O’Reilly was first home in 57th, just ahead of Neave Wray (59th) and Lucy Cotterill (60th).
Skye Verwey was 68th, beating home Amy Jelley (69th), birthday girl Sophie Gray (70th) and Eleanor Rees (78th).
In the under 15 girls’ race, Layne Wray was 64th in a strong field, while the under 11 girls’ race saw Rosie Edmunds put in a strong run to claim 23rd, and Seth Rycroft and Adam Gray were 60th and 64th respectively in the under 11 boys’ event.
The junior teams contributed 155 points to the league table, and the club will be looking to build on this result at the next round at Shuttleworth in early November.
For the senior races, ‘the Hill’ was as challenging a climb as ever with its false summits and the occasional dog.
The descent was fast and furious with steps, tree roots and gulleys to negotiate before the muddiest part of the course along the base of the hill.
Scratched by brambles and covered in mud, the senior teams were led home by their captains, Heather Kirk and Simon Woodward, both coming back to form on schedule after Autumn training.
Silson’s men had three brave debutants in Simon Davies, Andy Field and Jay Fletcher, who all ran well and persevered through the mud, with Field and Fletcher both scoring points for Silson.
The ladies’ team also had a debutant in Dionne Lyon who was an impressive points scorer on her first outing for the Silson ladies.
In addition, Casey Hill also made a welcome points scoring return after a year away on duty for country instead of club, while Tasha King continued last year’s dependable, fine form to be second lady home.
Kit Rapson rounded out the team with her highest ever finish in the Chiltern League.
For anyone interested in joining the club, more information can be found on the club website at www.silsonjoggers.org.uk
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