Race 5: Wrexham, 15th March 2020
Hosts Wrexham AAC had gone to considerable effort and expense to stage this race, which sadly, was affected by the shadow of the looming Covid-19 crisis. In excellent conditions for fast road racing, a noticeably reduced field assembled by Redwither Business Centre on the start line, with 267 making it to the finish on the 2-lap, 9.4K course.
In the Mens’ race, Joseph Morrison’s 4 second margin of victory over 2nd placed Ryan Davis of Wrexham AAC gave him his first Borders League victory. Remarkably, it also gave his club, West Cheshire AC, their first male winner ever in a League race – in 22 seasons of racing in the Borders League.
Hannah Cowley‘s return for Helsby after missing two races saw her take victory by over a minute from Emma Crowe of Deeside – the latter making a late switch of races following the overnight cancellation of the Wilmslow 10K.
The team competitions saw Buckley RC take another big bite out of Wallasey AC‘s lead in Mens’ Division 1 – the Wirral club fielding a significantly weakened turnout – while Wrexham AAC’s 5 counters home in the first 12 helped them take 2nd place on the day. It was much the same story in Womens’ Division 1 – a weakened Wirral AC finishing a distant 5th on the day but hanging on to their lead in the team standings, while Buckley Runners and Chester Tri took 1st and 2nd places on the day.
Mens’ Division 2 saw a predictably comfortable win for Wirral AC , with Chester Tri second again, but still a very long way adrift of Eryri Harriers in the League standings. West Cheshire AC were winners on the day from Eryri Harriers in Womens’ Division 2, but Ellesmere Port in 3rd place did enough to retain their League lead from West Cheshire.
Buckley Runners maintained their lead in the Veteran Men category with another victory, while Wallasey AC‘s Veteran Women did enough to retain their lead in their respective category.
It has now been agreed that season 2019-20 has been concluded.
Races 6 and 7, planned for Ellesmere Port and Helsby respectively, have been cancelled.
Awards, promotion and relegation are therefore determined on the basis of the standings over the 5 races that were staged.
Finalised results from Race 5 – along with the final Individual and Team standings – can be accessed from the links below.
Individual Results
Team Results
Final Individual Standings
Final Team Standings
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Race 4: Pensarn, Abergele, 12th January 2020
An enforced rejig of the course used at this venue in recent years resulted in a route which stayed almost exclusively on the coastal path and looped back on itself. As luck would have it, weather conditions on the day ensured well over half its length was run into a stiff headwind – including the last kilometre. Not that that deterred the 381 runners (a new January turnout record) who battled their way to the finish.
Once again first place in the Mens race was taken by an Eryri Harrier. This time it was Rob Samuel, making his first League appearance for nearly 10 years, who kept James Mills of Wrexham AAC at bay to record his 9th League win and maintain his 100% victory record.
Charlotte Towers of Chester Tri finally recorded her first League win in the Womens race, finishing almost 2 minutes ahead of debutant runner Katie Bagley of Wirral AC
The team competitions saw Buckley RC claw back 96 points of their deficit to Wallasey AC with victory in the Mens Division 1 team race – though this still leaves the Wirral club in a comfortable lead in the overall standings. They were actually beaten into third place on the day, as yet another strong Wrexham AAC performance kept alive the possibility of a 3-way battle for the League title.
Wirral AC’s strongest Womens team performance yet gained them a big Division 1 victory on the day over Buckley RC and extend their lead over Wallasey AC to nearly 100 points in the team standings.
Division 2 Men saw another consistent Wirral AC performance ensure a comfortable victory on the day and leave them way out at the top of the division, ahead of Eryri Harriers. The latter were third on the day with Chester Tri 2nd, but remain a very long way ahead of the 3rd placed cub in the division.
Ellesmere Port’s women recorded an equally comfortable Division 2 win to extend their lead. West Cheshire AC’s 3rd place on the day (behind Eryri Harriers) keeps them 2nd in the standings.
The finalised results can be found below. The individual results differ slightly from what was uploaded to RunBritain.
After race 5, individual standings listings will include extra categories for Male Overall, Female Overall, and MV75.
Individual Results
Team Results
Individual Standings
Team Standings
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Race 3: Birkenhead Park, 1st December 2019
The frost hadn’t quite melted in the December sunshine as the runners lined up for the start of Wallasey AC’s 4 lap race round the Upper Park – so a little bit of caution was required around some parts of the course. As usual, the approach of Xmas saw a slightly smaller field than previously, with 345 finishers.
Owen Roberts (Eryri Harriers) made it a second successive win in the Mens race, with Ellesmere Port’s Dave Bennett 7 seconds behind him. Meanwhile the Womens race produced quite possibly the youngest winner ever, where Deeside AC’s 16 year-old Eden O’Dea took advantage of the absence of some of the bigger names to beat Chester Tri’s Charlotte Towers by 21 seconds.
Team competitions saw Wallasey AC manage a narrow Mens race win over Buckley RC to extend their lead in Division 1 slightly. Another strong performance from Wrexham AC kept them in contention however.
Womens Division 1 saw a sizeable win for Wirral AC, enabling them to open up a significant lead at the top. Wallasey AC remain 2nd overall, with Buckley RC (2nd on the day) a bit further back.
Mens Division 2 saw another big win for Wirral AC, while Chester Tri‘s 2nd place enabled them to make up ground on Eryri Harriers in the division. The Womens division saw little change, with leaders Ellesmere Port RC managing a narrow win on the day over their closest rivals, West Cheshire AC and Abergele Harriers.
No errors were notified, so the unaltered results have now been finalised.
Individual standings will be published after next month’s race at Abergele.
Individual Results
Team Results
Team Standings
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Race 2: Coleg Cambria, Connahs Quay, 10th November 2019
A bright, crisp Remembrance Day morning saw Deeside AC preside over a record breaking race, with 446 finishers getting round the short but demanding 4.3 mile course, with its steep climb up Kelsterton Lane.
Once again the Mens’ race saw Joe Boden of Wallasey AC having to settle for 2nd place a few seconds behind a Roberts from Eryri Harriers. This time, however, it was Owen Roberts – a first time BL winnner, making his first League appearance for 4 seasons. Helsby RC’s Hannah Cowley once again dominated the Womens’ race, having a 72 second margin over Chester Tri’s Charlotte Towers – her first League appearance since a debut 2nd place 13 years ago.
In the team competitions, Mens’ Division 1 saw some fierce competition, with the first 5 teams all getting their 10 counters home in the first 100 places. Nonetheless, Wallasey AC managed to pack their runners more tightly than anyone else – their 10 home in the first 38 ensuring victory on the day, ahead of a strong challenge from a formidable Wrexham AC turnout, by 27 points. Already the Wirral club has a useful lead in the Division 1 standings.
Womens’ Division 1 saw Wirral AC just manage a second consecutive victory, by a single point from Buckley RC. Chester Tri and Wallasey AC remain in contention, however.
The Mens’ 2nd division almost looks as if the promotion spots are already decided. Wirral AC had a convincing 161 point margin of victory over Eryri Harriers on the day to lead the division – and the gap from 2nd place back to the 3rd club Abergele Harriers is already more than 1250 points.
West Cheshire AC ran out winners in Womens’ Division 2 ahead of Ellesmere Port RC – a result which enabled both clubs to close the gap on leaders Eryri Harriers.
No amendments to the provisional results were notified, so these are now final.
Individual Results
Team Results
Team Standings
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Race 1: Caernarfon, 13th October 2019
The organisation of Arwel Lewis and Eryri Harriers ensured the new season got off to a successful, if damp, start. 355 runners made their way anti-clockwise round the familiar 10K course, all getting home just before the rainfall took on a biblical intensity.
The home club brought its runners out in force (for once), and enjoyed a highly successful day.
Matthew Roberts just pipped Wallasey AC’s Joe Boden to take victory by a 2 second margin in the Mens’ race, while Catherine Connell, on her BL debut, finished 2nd in the Womens’ race – won in dominant style by Helsby RC’s Hannah Cowley.
In the team competitions, Mens’ Division 1 had a familiar outcome, with Wallasey AC getting off to a flying start and claiming a 124 point lead over defending champions Buckley RC.
Womens’ Division 1 saw newly promoted Wirral AC make a strong start and take a narrow lead from Wallasey AC.
The corresponding 2nd divisions were dominated by the home club’s Men and Women – both teams producing very strong performances which only Wirral AC‘s men, and, to a lesser extent, Ellesmere Port‘s women, came anywhere near matching.
Finally, congratulations are due to Prestatyn RC’s Roger Harrison Jones, whose 332nd place at the age of 82 appears to make him the oldest runner to ever complete a BL race.
Three corrections to the results have been notified and the finalised version is now available.
Final Individual Results
Final Team Results
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