The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
By Barry Warne
Peterborough Nene Valley AC completed the North Midlands Cross Country League with two individual series winners and a host of other medallists after the final races of the season at Nottingham.
Alex Hampson won the senior male runner of the series trophy, with Molly Peel also crowned the ladies’ under-17 champion.
Hampson finished the race in a slightly disappointing ninth place. The 22-year-old had enjoyed second, third and fourth-placed finishes in the other races of the series, but the Wollaton Park course was relatively mud free and not really to Hampson’s liking.
The more challenging the conditions, the faster he seems to run.
The senior men’s race was a strange affair, with Peterborough Nene Valley second claim member Lloyd Kempston leading all the way round.
However, he stepped off the course before the finish line, as only first claim athletes can score in the North Midlands League.
This allowed professional triathlete Nathan Tweedie of Helpston Harriers to take the race win. A major landmark for both Tweedie and his ambitious running club.
Simon Fell in 21st and 36th-placed Dom Watson also ran well for Peterborough, with Kirk Brawn and Shaun Walton making the top 50 finishing 44th and 48th respectively.
The senior men finished the series in a pleasing third place.
The Helpston men all made the top 50 in a 258-strong field. Paul Lunn was 35th, Michael Moore 41st and Thomas Musson 45th.
Molly Peel’s first place in the under-17 race was her second win of the season, and with two second places also to her name she won the series comfortably.
The Peterborough Nene Valley under-17 girls also won the series team prize.
Ellie Rainbow made a major contribution on the day with a fifth place finish.
Meanwhile, Harry Hewitt comfortably won the under-15 boys’ race to add to the Lincolnshire Cross Country County Championship crown that he claimed last week.
Sarah Caskey finished 17th, and was rewarded for a consistent set of races by finishing 3rd senior lady in the end of series standings.
Sophie Wilkinson-Hargate placed 37th with Amber Park and Wendy Perkins 47th and 50th. The ladies joined the senior men by ending the season third in the league standings.
The under-13 girls were the third-placed team at Nottingham. Evie Hemmings in seventh and Lola Gaches in ninth both ran well as the girls ended the series as runners-up.
Elizabeth Eames finished 11th in the under-15s race and support from Charlotte Cullen (13th) and Lottie Hemmings (18th) saw the girls home as the fourth team.
They went one better in the overall standings, finishing third.
Other notable finishes saw Ruby Wright take seventh under-11 girl, Louie Hemmings claim eighth under-11 boy and under-17 Sam Staines was sixth.
