National CC: Men 20th, Shepherd 16th
Ed Shepherd finished 16th in the 2022 National Cross Country Championship at Parliament Hill on February 26th. Ed started strongly, and was delighted to hold it together to claim his first top-20 finish (after 21st and 24th in 2018 and 2019). Ed’s finish was the highest in a National since Willy Heiberg’s 8th place, also at Parliament Hill, 1961. A top 10 finish, or surpassing Heiberg and matching or bettering his own best from the Junior age-group, of 7th (at Sunderland in 2013), will surely be a target in the near future.
With the ECCA dispensing with assigned pens, the start area was something of a free-for-all for the competitors, but all members of the team managed to find a decent line. The squad was graced to its left on the start line by double Olympic medalist Alex Yee, who went on to take bronze, and to its right by YouTube blogger Ben Felton, who perhaps learned the hard way that getting the money-shot with a fast start can make life very difficult over 12k at Parliament Hill.
It was tough going with the typical Hampstead Heath mud. The field was down in absolute numbers on the last race at this venue in 2018, but the 2092 finishers seemed a lot more top-heavy with quality, with the country’s best runners making up for a lost year after this event was cancelled in 2021. This meant everyone except Ed was left initially deflated by their finish position. However, it was about closeness to rivals that would provide a better gauge, and on this score the squad could feel more accomplished: James Stockings (171st) finished alongside Ben Davis from Havering as he had at Essex Champs; Angus Holford in 198th maintained his margin over Colchester training partner Jordan Middlemist; Tom Beedell (216th) was pleased to finish close to athletes who’d been finishing top 40 in the Met this winter and felt it showed after he’d finally rebuilt himself over the season. Bertie Powell, in 423rd, struggled with the conditions with a couple of falls and his spike slipping off several times. Simon Beedell in 532nd was pleased to close the team in 20th place, with 1556 points.
Although only 4th team from the Met League (behind Highgate, Thames Valley, and London Heathside) we could be pleased to sneak ahead of local rivals Victoria Park by a mere four points, to be first Essex club (with Havering and Southend next in in 40th and 41st) and to win the battle of the green-and-white-hoops over Tipton, who were 26th.
7th man in was Dan Steel in 569th. Dan has had somewhat disrupted training since his 212th place at the Southerns, and did well to score a similar performance, proportionally, to most of his teammates who also ran both races. Harold Wyber had been struggling with a hamstring niggle and toe injury. He valiantly started but decided to pull out at the halfway point after they worsened in the unforgiving conditions.
Julian Russell was 639th in his final cross country outing for the club, and in ‘winter’ conditions as he departs for Australia. His testimonial run resulted in the welcome presence of former manager Terry MCarthy and young athlete manager Joe Everitt to spectate and support, which was appreciated by the whole team. Julian was rewarded with a signed vest from his teammates, who will sorely miss his friendly presence and contribution to team points.
It also coaxed Rob Wilbraham into running. Rob had planned to withdraw but made a special effort which included ‘convincing’ not only his wife and children but her visiting brother and his family too! And what a spectacle it must have been, especially to those not knowing what to expect! Rob’s 851st will have also contributed to the 9-to-score team competition, in which we have traditionally performed somewhat better, but we still await those results.
Finally, Alistair Holford in 1856th was surely the most professionally warmed-up V65 in the field: Alistair’s rigorous pre-race drills regime saw off his lingering calf concerns and carried him round to complete his 15th National championship.