National Cross-Country Relays, Mansfield

Westbury Harriers' U15 boys bronze medal at the National Cross-Country Relays was a celebration from the very beginning of the race, not through complacency, but just at the thrill of getting the team together for such a high profile event.  Tom Carpenter was only passed fit to run on the Wednesday before the race, having been ill with a virus through the previous week.  Nevertheless, last year's Inter-County silver medallist lead the team out, using his experience to stay out of trouble on the twisting wooded section of the Mansfield course.  Surviving a blistering early pace, Tom worked his way back towards the leaders to finish 8th on his leg.
	Running on the second leg, Harry Webb was much the least experienced cross-country runner of the team, preferring 800m on the track to the winter sport, and his preparation for the race had been interrupted by bugs and niggles.  However, this was not a day for excuses, and Harry posted the best terrain performance of his life.  With a determined running style that owes more to Red Rum than a whippet, Harry suffered through the trees, but galloped along the grassy final section of the race, pulling the team up to 6th place and, more importantly, keeping in sight of the leaders.
Relay tactics suggest putting your strongest runner on last, but Sam Dalgleish's selection for the final leg owed more to giving him a clear run than to planning for a medal.  Having suffered a serious ankle injury at the start of August, it has taken the British Schools' Silver Medallist 3 months to get back to serious training, and he was only passed fit to race last Saturday by his coach, Tom Watson.  With no recent races behind him, Sam could initially make no impression on the leaders, but as the early pace took its toll, strength and experience pulled him steady back towards 3rd and 4th places.  With just 400m to go, Sam was still in 5th but closing fast, and with the last rise that marks the final 100m of the course, he pulled himself into the bronze medal position, and the real celebrations could begin.
Sam's time turned out to be the 4th fastest of the day, and his brother, Joe Dalgleish, also turned in a fine performance with the 8th fastest U13 time of the day, bringing the Westbury youngsters home in a fine 7th place.  The U13 ‘B’ team, all running a year young, was the second ‘B’ team to finish.
The excitement of this popular, and generally well organised, event was slightly marred by the choatic change-over system that is used.  Penned in at the side of the course, outgoing runners must wait until an overworked official allows them through a small gap to the actual changeover lane.  In the crowded confusion, many runners were either not let through or missed.  So it was that, having finished his first leg in 12th place, Dan Studley waited for 15 seconds before Richard Madle was allowed out to run.  Worse, in the Senior Men's event, officials never spotted the first change-over of the Westbury B team, resulting in the team being officially classified as 'Incomplete'