Despite the recent cold snap, the usual cross-country winter sunshine shone upon us as Marianne, Anna, Linda and I set off for the trip to Leicester with Kat as designated driver.  With Helen absent through work commitments, I was given the responsible task of being manager for the day.  It all started well and we managed to arrive without getting lost…however…

Paul and Kat‘s helpful hands were greatly needed and got us out of a few scrapes before the race - in erecting the tent which was dented after surviving the winds of Senneleys a few months ago, and in rescuing Marianne from having to screw in her spikes by hand!

We arrived at the rather small gathering at the startline (probably a combination of the sickness that had struck down some of our own harriers and the tail end of the holiday festivities!), just in the nick of time.  The course was 6km and formed two laps of a very flat course - sounds good so far.  However, mud was the order of the day throughout the majority of the course and there was much cursing and regret about not having brought the good old electrical tape to ensure our spikes didn‘t fall off.  Paul and Linda had warned those of us who had not run the course before that there was a particularly muddy patch just after the forest.  On the first lap, I entered a wooded area and then the ground became increasingly muddy - what I hadn’t realised was that the ’forest’ was yet to come and I soon came across what can only be described as a quagmire (the only other time I have seen this much mud was in a mud spa in New Zealand!).  We waded through it - Linda preferring the straight through the middle approach, saving energy by not going around the deepest parts.

Thanks to the support (and laughter) of Kat and Paul, we all got through the muddy course (spikes intact!), with Marianne coming home in around 27mins, in an absolutely brilliant 17^th place overall.  Linda snuck up behind Anna, and they battled it out until Linda emerged victor, finishing around 29mins.  Despite the remnants of a New Year cold, I didn’t finish last in the field (although very nearly!).  Unofficial results are that Bournville were the 8^th team overall.

Then there was just time for a quick munch of Helen’s goody bags (which Anna was delighted to hear actually existed and were not just a myth!) before cheering on the excellent running by the men’s team whilst drinking well deserved cups of tea.

Flap Jack Rating (kindly baked by Anna): 10/10

Sarah Rock

Full results here. BvH photos here.  All runners here

Place	Time	Name	Team	Race no.
15	00:27:56	HENSMAN, Marianne	Bournville Harriers	274
25	00:29:09	HOWELL, Linda	Bournville Harriers	273
31	00:29:37	DIDIER, Anna-louise	Bournville Harriers	277
46	00:34:44	ROCK, Sarah	Bournville Harriers	278

1	:  Coventry Godiva
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
1	00:23:51	BROWN, Tina	SF	281	1
5	00:25:59	KIRKHAM, Myshola	SF	284	6
11	00:27:28	SMITH, Ann-Marie	SF	282	13
17	01:17:18	Totals
2	:  Solihull & Small Heath AC
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
6	00:26:15	CRAWFORD, Elizabeth	SF	303	7
7	00:26:18	FINCH, Joanne	SF	305	8
10	00:27:06	FINCH, Helen	SF	304	12
23	01:19:39	Totals
3	:  Birchfield Harriers
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
8	00:26:35	SANDERS, Becky	SF	260	9
14	00:27:48	WILLIAMS, Sophie	SF	262	16
17	00:28:06	RUDGE, Sarah	SF	259	19
39	01:22:29	Totals
4	:  Birmingham Rowheath AC
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
12	00:27:29	SMITH, Lindsay	SF	264	14
16	00:28:02	RUSIUS, Vicky	SF	263	18
19	00:28:35	OTTO, Lucy	SF	265	21
47	01:24:06	Totals
5	:  Leamington C & AC
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
3	00:25:21	HARRISON, Sue	SF	288	3
22	00:28:56	DAY, Emma	SF	287	24
24	00:29:00	BLOWER, Zara	SF	286	26
49	01:23:17	Totals
6	:  Royal Sutton Coldfield AC
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
2	00:24:24	KENNEY, Laura	SF	294	2
23	00:28:59	CURRY, Sue	SF	297	25
29	00:29:21	WOODS, Nicola	SF	296	31
54	01:22:44	Totals
7	:  Solihull & Small Heath AC
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
13	00:27:44	FLANNER, Lucy	SF	307	15
18	00:28:20	FREEMAN, Rebecca	SF	308	20
28	00:29:19	FINCH, Victoria	SF	306	30
59	01:25:23	Totals
8	:  Bournville Harriers
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
15	00:27:56	HENSMAN, Marianne	SF	274	17
25	00:29:09	HOWELL, Linda	SF	273	27
31	00:29:37	DIDIER, Anna-louise	SF	277	35
71	01:26:42	Totals
9	:  Birmingham Rowheath AC
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
27	00:29:18	CHISHOLM, Cass	SF	266	29
38	00:31:08	QUESTED, Eleanor	SF	270	50
40	00:32:09	BRIGHTWELL, Amy	SF	269	53
105	01:32:35	Totals
10	:  Stratford Upon Avon AC
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
30	00:29:33	DAVIES, Dawn	SF	319	33
34	00:29:50	BEXSON, Emma	SF	320	40
41	00:32:32	CASWELL, Yvonne	SF	318	56
105	01:31:55	Totals
11	:  Sphinx AC
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
33	00:29:49	STUART, Kathryn	SF	311	39
49	00:38:12	STUART, Jacqueline	SF	310	74
50	00:41:46	BENCH, Mary	SF	314	78
132	01:49:47	Totals
12	:  Royal Sutton Coldfield AC
Place	Time	Name	Race Age Category
42	00:32:54	O'BRIEN, Bernadette	SF	298	58
45	00:34:21	WOODFIELD, Carol	SF	300	66
47	00:34:53	BAJAJ, Yogita	SF	299	69
134	01:42:08	Totals