The 17th running of one of the premier events on the masters racing calendar attracted entries from all the major British clubs. The women’s event, run in 10-year age groups from 35 through to aged 55-plus, saw a delighted Liverpool Harriers team of Sarah Singleton, Linda McDermott and Christine Murphy, who stormed round the three mile circuit in 16.50 for the fastest individual stage, win the 35-44 age group race. Shaftesbury Barnet, for whom Melanie Ellis recorded 16.52, and Neath Harriers got silver and bronze.
Jo Thompson, covered the opening stage in 16.51sec to give the City of Bath an unassailable lead in the 45-54 race, as marathon runner Zina Marchant and Sue Brigen held pole position ahead of Holmfirth and Cannock & Stafford AC. The Serpentine team won the W55+ race ahead of Coventry Godiva, for whom Linda White ran the fastest stage, from another London club, Barnet & District AC.
Current BMAF M40 cross country winning team and defending title holders, Ron Hill Cambuslang, arrived from Scotland in full strength and oozing with confidence. It was Steve Smith, Preston Harriers, who lead the large field home on the first of the 8-stage race. By stage 3, Mike Robbins had moved Wrexham to pole position as ex-international, Colin Donnelly, brought Cambuslang into the leading 10 and the inform Andy Wilton lifted Staffordshire Moorland up 20 places. With Jack Brown on the penultimate leg and John Cowan on the glory lap, recording the two fastest individual stages, Cambuslang had the trophy for another 12 months. Woodford Green moved up from 6th last year as Mark Flint took Telford home to collect the bronze.
In the M50-59 6-stage race, Nigel Gates’ time of 14.57 for the 3-mile circuit would place him equal 3rd in the M40 group. However, that was not good enough to hold the unstoppable Oxford City team who raced to a resounding victory from Brighton & Hove and last year’s winners, Invicta East Kent. 59 teams entered this age category.
Bingley Harriers were unable to prevent the strong Aldershot team from winning the M60-69 race, but never out of the medals in Sutton Park, they got silver ahead of Clydesdale. The white strip of Glenneath AC brought added interest to the M70+ race as they unseated the incumbent Barnet & District AC.