Off we go to Westward Ho! for more XC action!

On Sunday 13th January, Exmouth Harriers went cross-county to get to the cross-country as the latest fixture in the Brooks Westward League series took place right up on the north coast of Devon, in the uniquely punctuated town of Westward Ho! (Refer to Samuel Beckett for further information...)

Conditions in one part of the course across Northam Burrrows were too wet, even for cross country, so a shorter than planned loop of about a mile was used, the men repeating this five times, the women three.

The course was flat save for a handful of ditches to tackle on each lap, to be leapt in one or jumped into and climbed out of, according to the size of the ditch, level of fitness and of course age!

Carly Audrit and Dawn Teed represented Exmouth in the Women’s race, frustratingly short of a scoring team of three.

Audrit was 27th in a field of 46, and, with a time of 22:02 was just 12 seconds outside of a top half finish.

Teed looked comfortable in 32nd place in 24:05 and was third woman aged 45-49 as she begins to show the benefits of training for her second bash at the Falklands marathon in March.

Men’s club captain Adam Miller led the way in the male race where there were eighty-two finishers.

He was 22nd in 29:10 and now lies 12th overall in the open category.

Mark Cox is getting to grips with these sort of races now and was 29th, just over a minute behind Miller.

A welcome new addition to the team, having re-joined the club now that he has finished at university and is back living in Exmouth full time, was Dan Morley. Dan was 61st in 34:36. 

Unlike Dan, this was not Dave Eveleigh's first outing across the country this season and on this occasion he  was 75th in 38 minutes, and 5th man aged 55-59.

Running his first cross country for some years, Kurt Margison certainly got stuck in, was 80th overall and 7th man aged 40-44 in a time of 42:30.

Jim Wyatt was 81st, sixth man in the over 60 category (though he is in fact over 70!)and was timed at 43:38.

When considering these positions it should be remembered that these events are contested, for the most part, by hardened "old school" runners, and with not a tutu to be seen in the way of fancy dress: just plenty of Ron Hill trackies and weather-worn spikes that could, in some cases, pass for antiques... as could the years of accumulated mud fused to the bottom of them!!

The Westward Ho! men's XC team: Dan Morley, Marc Cox, Adam Miller (captain), Dave Eveliegh, Kurt Margison, Jim Wyatt

And the ladies team, slightly depleted in numbers this time, but supported as always by the faithful duo of Dawn Teed (captain) and Carly Audritt