Serpie Planner - event reports

Southern Counties XC Championship (men) (27 Jan 2007)

The men\'s team (6 to score) placed 18th out of 38 teams.

Southern Counties XC Championship (men) (26 Jan 2008)

The men’s “6-to-score” A Team placed 13th out of 86 complete teams.

Full results on http://mcs.open.ac.uk/mkac/08seaaxcall.htm

Southern Counties XC Championship (men) (24 Jan 2009)

Full results are on www.seaa.org.uk

Sadly, Richard Phillips, who was our first finisher, lost his timing chip during the race and therefore does not appear in the results.

Southern Counties XC Championship (men) (30 Jan 2010)

Held at Pariament Hill Fields. 15k (9 miles).
6-to-score: 11th out of 54 teams
12-to-score: 7th out of 17 teams
806 finishers
Full results

Southern Counties XC Championship (men) (29 Jan 2011)

6 to score team:-
12 570 Serpentine R C
24 1228 Serpentine R C
29 1666 Serpentine R C
49 2296 Serpentine R C
62 2859 Serpentine R C
74 3327 Serpentine R C
82 3688 Serpentine R C

12 to score team:-
5 1798 Serpentine R C
11 3962 Serpentine R C
18 6186 Serpentine R C

Full results on www.seaa.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=68

On Saturday 29 January, Serpentine cross country team travelled to Parliament Hill for the second time this season for the South of England Cross Country Championships. With the men's race being 15km, the race always being very competitive at the sharp end and the course being famously muddy and hilly, this isn't one for the faint-hearted. Last year at this race our men's six-to-score team finished 12th while in 2009, when the race was held in Hillingdon, we finished in 15th, but we hoped for a better result this year given that our squad is larger and we think faster.

With Nick Torry being injured, Richard Phillips was our first finisher in a very creditable 30th out of 885 finishers and many more starters. He was followed by Aodh O'Neil in 51st and Hugh Torry in 83rd, Hugh now having started a couple of minutes late in three successive Southern Championships, this year being the first that he wasn't to blame. Will Green, who still doesn't think he "gets" cross country came 112th, Will Jones came 138th and Andy Reeves came 156th, closing our A-team after both Miguel and Tiago Branco ended up dropping out and Martin Gaunt also complained that his spikes were painful and dropped by the wayside. Our A-team finished in 12th which is a little disappointing, but the standard was very high and we hope we'll be better prepared next year.

Pau Herrero surprised himself slightly by enjoying the longer distance and came 163rd ahead of Dave Miller in 187th and an-improving Wesley Harrison in 200th. Ebrima Noble started as usual very quickly before fading slightly to 217th, ahead of the more consistently paced Andrew Orr in 228th and Richard Fanning in 233rd. Our B team was 24th (I haven't checked but this might be a record for our B team) and the fifth B team home. In the 12-to-score competition we therefore ended up in 7th.

Will Forbes came 245th ahead of Jol Attwool, Duncan Hancox and Paul Hayman who finished together in 274th, 275th and 276th in what must have been a good sprint finish. Charles Lescott came 293rd while Jamie Smalley came 303rd. Andrew Taylor was a slightly below par 325th ahead of Ben Cope in his first cross country race for a while in 369th. Brent Plump (in charge of the pub) came 406th ahead of Nick Smeeton (back from loads of holidays) in 411th. Alistair McColl was 447th, Josh Paparo (who I often see secret training) came 454th and Dave Morgan, another one gearing up for London marathon, came 456th.

Alex Elferink was 477th, Roger Reid was 485, Stephen Brown was 489th, Richard Taylor was 498th, Alessandro Poggi, still recovering from injury, was 514th. Michael Stainton was 546th, Justin Lock, back after a break from racing, was 547th, Brad Cobb as 569th, Paul Jenkinson was 573rd, Ben Gilmore was 578th, Stephen Laverty was 586th, Nick Tucker was 588th and Mark Wadley was 616th. Bringing up the rear of our team was Stephane Schneider in 617th, James Hill in 622nd, Paul Fromme who used, one day, to be fast in 659th, Jean-Luc Hoez in 743rd, Richard Hardiman in 745th, Robert Maslen in 785th and David Hinds in 814th. We definitely had the biggest team of all the teams on the day.

A lot of people said that it wasn't as muddy as they'd hoped, but it was very cold indeed. Many thanks to Malcolm French, our team manager who was marshalling, Jeanette Mueller who gave our the numbers, all the other the marshals and officials (except the rubbish SEAA who by making people cram into a tent to get to the start effectively caused a lot of people to miss the start) the Serpettes who cheered us on for a good hour and some after their own race had finished, everyone who took photographs and eventually the Roebuck where we went for a few drinks.

Our next big race is the final Metropolitan League fixture on 12th February at Horsenden Hill. This is going to be a big deal and expect ritual suicide if we don't win.

Eric

Southern Counties XC Championship (men) (28 Jan 2012)

Our A team all finished in the top 100 leaving us eighth A-team and only a small distance behind Newham and Herne Hill. This is our best ever result in this championships.
Our B team were 15th out of all the teams, the second best B team behind only Highgate Harriers and ahead the A teams of many clubs. When combined with our A team, in the 12-to-score competition we were second, behind only Highgate Harriers.

On Saturday 28 January Serpentine cross country runners travelled to Stanmer Park, near Brighton for the South of England cross country championships. These championships are one of the highlights of our annual racing calendar, partly because they are so historic and partly because at 15km it is the longest cross country race we do. It is also a race which other clubs in the region take very seriously and if we want to improve as a club it should be one of our key targets.



The main men's team event is the six-to-score race, although the 12-to-score positions are also calculated. Last year at Parliament Hill we were 12th in the six-to-score race and 5th in the 12-to-score race. We'd never finished in the top ten in the six-to-score race but we did think we might have a chance to improve on that this year. Stanmer Park was also to be a new destination and course for us, the reports we got in advance were that it would be very hilly.



With Nick Torry stuck in the office and Andy Greenleaf running for his first claim club, Hugh Torry was our first runner home in a very good 35th. Hendrik Zietsman ran close to Hugh a lot of the way, slipping back a little on the final lap to finish 49th. We've now come to expect quality cross country performances from Dave Morgan who came 78th just overhauling Will Green in 81st before the end. Richard Phillips who is still coming back from injury came in a relaxed 85th while Tiago Branco, racing about 13.5km further than his preferred distance, came 94th. Our A team thus all finished in the top 100 leaving us eighth A-team and only a small distance behind Newham and Herne Hill. This is our best ever result in this championships.



Miguel Branco lead home the B team in 101st, while Paul Hayman in 128th showed that the marathon training really is paying off. There was a fine battle between Andy Reeves in152nd and Martin Gaunt in 160th while Wes Harrison, recently returned from Australia came 196th and Andy Robbins, continuing his return back from injury came 212th. Our B team were 15th out of all the teams, the second best B team behind only Highgate Harriers and ahead the A teams of many clubs. When combined with our A team, in the 12-to-score competition we were second, behind only Highgate Harriers which is a very good result.



Jolyon Attwooll, on his return to racing after getting married, came 218th, Barney Southin was 226th, Ben Cope (another one in marathon training) was 255th, Jamie Smalley, in his second race of the seaon was 317th, just ahead of Andrew Taylor in 320th while Gavin Edmonds was 345th, leaving our C team in 30th. Craig Martin, another who has just returned from getting married, was 355th, Brent Plump was 361st, Alex Elferink was 389th, Richard Taylor was 393rd, Josh Paparo was 424th, Simon Ray was 445th, Chris Saunders was 474th, Brad Cobb was 488th, Justin Lock was 538th, Paul Fromme was 577th and Mark Palmer was 633rd.



Congratulations also to Serpentine second claimers, Andy Greenleaf (Winchester and District) in 11th, Huw Lobb (Bedford and County) in 57th and Tony Bourne (Horsham Blue Star) in 153rd, just out-sprinted by first claimer Andy Reeves.



The course was extremely hilly but again not very muddy. Many thanks go to Malcolm French who was one of the race officials, Amy Cope who did most of the work organising the trip and the post race celebrations all of the marshalls and officials and people who set up the course. Thanks as always to the Serpentine ladies who cheered us round after their own race had finished and congratulations to them on their very deserved silver medal.

E Phillips

Southern Counties XC Championship (men) (16 Feb 2013)

Team Results:

1 57 Bedford & County AC ( 2 3 9 12 13 18 )
2 156 Highgate Harriers ( 11 20 23 26 28 48 )
3 221 Aldershot Farnham & DAC ( 5 8 17 32 55 104 )
4 300 Serpentine RC ( 10 21 35 66 73 95 )

Southern Counties XC Championship (men) (25 Jan 2014)

Very wet and muddy underfoot with most runners opting for 15mms spikes. The conditions started as overcast, but dry, for the women but by the later stages of the men's race the heavens opened with hail, rain, gale force winds and thunder and lightening making tough conditions even worse.

The women's team competed strongly but Aldershot Farnham & District were winners yet again with our first team coming 9th and the B team 11th (first scoring B team).

The men had an excellent day with Nick Torry first Serpie to finish in 8th place closely followed by Richard Philips in 15th. With 6 runners finishing in the top 95 this secured us the Bronze medal position behind Shaftsbury Barnet Harriers and Bedford.

Thanks:
Malcolm French who was course referee and all the Serpie marshals on the course: Callum Martin, Christian and Andrea Clement, Sammy Li, John Gatens, Caroline Ringrow, Richard Smith, Enric Lozano, Louise Keena & Richella Doyle
Serpie team managers: Lisa Pettit & Bev Thomas

Southern Counties XC Championship (men) (27 Jan 2018)

Our first six men to form the scoring team were: Andy Greenleaf; Chris Wright; Will Green; Dave Morgan; John Franklin & Tony Payne.

Our first four women to form the scoring team were: Izzy Clark; Sarah Pemberton; Tash Sheel & Sam Ludlow Taylor.

Southern Counties XC Championship (men) (27 Jan 2024)

Results - https://results.sporthive.com/events/7156589368352702464/races/11
BIB = POS AO