Busy festive period of racing for Worksop Harriers

Conditions were wet going into the race and very wet underfoot, a mixed terrain of road, fell, field crossings etc with 1200ft of ascent made for some very challenging conditions. Richard put in a strong performance to finish 59th from 252 in 1:12.

Barely into the new year and it’s time to kick off the local cross-country scene which see’s Worksop compete with Retford, Clowne, Killamarsh and Handsworth across five courses.

The series kicked off with the Retford match where a unseasonably warm start to the year made for particularly muddy conditions. Before racing got underway, there was finally the opportunity to present Thomas Shaw officially for his 2021 award for EA regional Run Leader of the year.

On to the racing and, despite a good few absences due to illness, the Harriers made a strong start with 22 men and 17 women wearing the green and black; including many having their first taste of cross-country.

This year's Retford course was around 5.5 miles with approx 450 ft of elevation, consisting of woodland, grassy fields, a double crossing of a particularly sinky crop field and, as ever, the notorious shoe eating ‘bog-of-doom’.

Despite all the challenges laid out the Harriers ladies got off to an excellent start, finishing 2nd overall, led home by an equally excellent run for 2nd by Amy Ogden.

The men have a bit of work to do to match their female counterparts, finishing fourth overall with a fourth spot for Tom Shaw, just missing a podium, but with the experience of the first one out of the way we know there’s more to come.

The next match will be in two weeks time at Clowne, but before that they have the small matter of a trip back to Berry Hill for the County Champs next Saturday.