 With gale force winds forecast to sweep across the country, the weather outlook was bleak for the UKA Cross Challenge event in Liverpool's Sefton Park. The Liverpool Cross Challenge, the 2nd in the series this year and incorporating trials for the European championships, includes both the Mid Lancs and the Liverpool and District leagues so we regularly have a great mix from the national elite to ordinary club runners. In fact, the weather was ideal and with little rain in recent weeks, Sefton Park had very little mud, giving perfect running conditions. The quality of the front running was also excellent leading to many surprisingly tight finishes. All in all, a masterclass in cross country and an inspiration to many club runners, young and not-so-young.
For the Mid Lancs clubs, including Southport Waterloo, there was just one difficulty. In previous years, each club has been given an allocation of numbers which are then allocated to runners on the day, and the number allocation then passed on to the organisers. So results on the day didn't include the names of Mid Lancs or L&D runners. This year, clubs pre-entered their known runners so names appear in the results but there was always a risk that we wouldn't have enough numbers. As Dawn Lock, Mid Lancs Cross Country Secretary, says in her Newsletter participation at the first fixture in Burnley reached record levels and "participation at Liverpool has never scaled such heights. Starting at 410 in 2001, 595 in 2010 was our highest attendance. .. Our limit has been raised this year, but with the 2011 string of records, accommodating all (at Liverpool) could still be a difficult task." And so it was! Exacerbated by pre-entrants who didn't turn up, Mid Lancs ran out of numbers and many Under 11s had to run without a number or timing chip and so would not appear in the results. Fortunately, names and times were taken for all Southport Waterloo youngsters.
With the Liverpool Cross Challenge event being taken as the club's senior cross country championships, Clare Constable, our first senior woman home, is our new Cross Country Champion, and James Tartt retained his cross country title.
 Andrew Kershaw was our highest placed finisher, 24th overall in the Under 15 Boys' race and possibly 2nd in the Mid Lancs League. The only results currently available are the complete results. Its not yet possible to view the Mid lancs results separately - these will be published on the Mid Lancs web site in a few days - but Joe Vis looks to be a highly placed Under 20, with brother Patrick just two places behind. Overall, the number of club juniors competing in what is almost a home fixture, was extremely disappointing.
In the Senior Men's race, it does look as though Barrow beat Southport Waterloo by 3 points; but again we await the Mid Lancs separate results.
Back, then, to individual results. The first race of the day was the combined Under 11 Boys and Girls. There was a good turnout here by club youngsters, particularly from the Southport training group. Positions here are meaningless as so many of the runners aren't recorded in the results, but first back in a Southport Waterloo vest was Shaun McKiernan, covering the 1.9 kms in 8:25. An excellent run from Yasmin Leece brought her home as our second finisher in 8:29 and Ed Peacock - the only one with a number - 3rd home in 8:41. Eleanor Horswell ran the distance in 9:28, Max Davies in 9:30, Lily-Ann Grayson in 9:38, Niamh Edmunds in 9:46, Charlie Warrington in 9:58 and Ellie-Mae Barry in 10:00. Hopefully they all enjoyed the experience and will travel to Chorley next month for the Astley Park run.
On then to the Under 13 Girls' race. Here, there was just one Southport Waterloo runner, Sarah Glover who completed the 3 kms in 14:17 in her first cross country run for the club.
Of the five Southport Waterloo Under 13 Boys who ran at Burnley, none took on the 3 kms course at Sefton Park. Fortunately, club colours were carried by Chris Rimmer, Jacob Roberts and Jamie Tipping. In their first run for the club, Chris was first home in 13:13, with Jacob next in 13:28 and Jamie finishing in 15:13.
The next race was for Under 15 Boys and here the club was better represented with six runners. Andrew Kershaw has been improving in schools' races since his 8th place finish at Burnley. At Sefton Park he was 24th overall and looks like 2nd Mid Lancs finisher in 10:23 for 3 kms. An excellent run. Michael Panes, who led our boys home at Burnley was next in, 37th overall and about 7th Mid Lancs finisher, in 10:30. These two are getting off to a great cross country season! Next in was Luke Tyson, in 10:50, and Tom Lodge was the final counter for the Mid Lancs team, crossing the line in 10:56. Adam Cullen finished in 11:09 and Matthew Tobin in 12:33. Preston Harriers will have taken the Mid Lancs team win with I think Southport Waterloo were 2nd.
Unlike at Burnley, we managed a team at Sefton Park in the Under 15 Girls' race. Ellie Roberts led them home, finishing 42nd overall and 9th Mid Lancs runner, in 12:14 for 3 kms. Lizzie McKay was next, in 13:14, with Caroline Smith never far behind and finishing just 2 places back in 13:16. Lucy Hunter was the final counter, in 16:32.
Ellon Hart was our only runner in the Under 17 Women's race. Running with the IAAF Junior Women, there was some great running at the front of the pack with an Under 17 - Jessica Judd - taking 2nd place in the combined race. Ellon ran 20:16 for her 4.4 kms.
The Under 17 Men were next, and a a team finish was led by Niall Cullen, 57th overall and about 8th Mid Lancs finisher in 19:26 for 5.5 kms. Liam Ellis was next in, 80th overall in 20:17 and Jonathan Foster was the final Mid Lancs team counter, finishing in 21:46. Gary Clarke crossed the line in 22:43.
Our Under 20s - Joe and Patrick Vis - ran in the Senior Men's race. There were no Under 20 Women in Southport Waterloo vests.
 There were several household names at the front of the Senior Women's race which gave spectators another exciting finish. Hatti Dean won with Gemma Steel 2nd and Freya Murray 3rd. Commonwealth Games 1500m bronze medallist Steph Twell who suffered a fractured ankle in a race in Belgium earlier this year did very well indeed to finish 5th.
Back amongst the club runners, Clare Constable ran a solid race to finish 80th overall, and around 13th Mid Lancs finisher, in 34:26 for 8.1 kms, and won the club cross country title. Tracey Peters was next, in 34:58, Sara Grayson, 39:09, and Carole James completed the team counters in 40:09. Other finishers were Helen Lavelle, 40:46, Liz Stanfield, 41:33, Helen Lodge, 41:49, Paula Davies, 42:08, Sue Stewart, 42:59, Jane Blacklin, 45:04 and Sheila Marshall, 50:58. Eleven finishers in Southport Waterloo colours was another achievement by team manager Carole James.
The Senior Men's race was arguably the best race of the afternoon starting with the spectacular mass start of over 500 runners charging down the main event field. On a three lap course, the large pack went through the first two laps at a cracking pace before the leaders started to pull away. In the end it was Andy Vernon, last year's winner, who held off Mark Draper to win by two seconds in 29:19. Ryan McLeod was 3rd in 29:24 with Andy Baddeley and James Walsh 4th and 5th in 29:26. That's 7 secs separating the first 5 finishers after running 9.8 kms. Liverpool Harrier Jonny Mellor was the highest placed local runner, 16th in 30:04.
For Southport Waterloo, James Tartt was first home, to retain his cross country title, 74th of 506 finishers in this race. Juniors Joe and Patrick Vis, 33:23 and 33:27 were next, with Ben Johnson, 33:41, Michael Evans, 34:43, and David Hamilton, 35:08, making up the main team. With 29 turning out for this event, we had enough for several teams! The 'B' team was Matt Thompson (35:10), Steve Wilkinson (36:00), Gerry Lenehan (36:31), Rob McGrath (38:21), and Steve McLean (38:50). Other finishers were Steve Lewis (38:57), Rick Bowker (39:06), Neil Adshead (39:16), Rob Johnson (39:31), Neil Silcock (42:29), Paul Cain (42:34), Martin Sutton (43:01), Simon Tobin (43:25), Ian Kilshaw (43:25), Terry Hanley (44:08), Gareth Williams (44:23), Matt Goddard (40:12), Keith Lunt (40:48), Gary Kenny (41:46), Mark Davies (46:16), Steve James (46:20), Rob Cosgrove (47:31) and John Vis (48:14). Adrian Shandley, our new joint Road Race Secretary, also started but retired early. Interestingly, one of the older runners finishing towards the end of the race was heard to comment that he was quite pleased with his time having run a 10K in the morning!
Matt Thompson, our 7th finisher, has recently re-joined the club. He was running, we think, his first cross country race for over 20 years, having been a very promising junior in the club a 'few' years ago.
Once again, team manager Steve James is to be congratulated on such a big turnout.
UKA Reports and provisional results
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This was my first time for an Ashurst Beacon run. Plan, meet 14 like-minded individuals in the Prince William Pub car park at the top of Beacon fell. The weather was a little cold, some mist but dry and as it turned out, great conditions for running. Steve McLean had planned a nice 10k route taking in fields, tracks, country lanes and canal tow paths a good mix of terrain and not too had for the first time fell runner. As with all fell running, it would not be quite the same without some mud and today was no exception. The run was very enjoyable and we had a great group of people with very mixed abilities who were all catered for.
On Saturday, a number of SWAC runners where representing
their schools at the English Schools Cross Country Cup North West
Regional Finals. A place in the final was awaiting for the first 3 teams
in each event. Last year the event had shared the same venue as the 2nd Mid Lancs XC of the season at Witton Park, Blackburn. This year it was a long trek down
to the Sheepmount Athletics Stadium in Carlise.