Heanor RC battle quagmire conditions at National XC

Joe Rainsford was Heanor RC’s leading performer in the English National XC last weekend as Paul Clarke, Paul Mercer, Tony Weatherson and Graham Whitt also made the trip to the far north of the country to tackle the snow-covered mud-bath of a course at Herrington Park, Sunderland.

Snow on the evening before the race made for testing conditions as the race returned to Sunderland for the first-time since 2007. In stark contrast to the unseasonably warm and dry conditions of last year, the senior men tackled a swamp-like 12k route that was also the final event of the day.

Joe Rainsford led Heanor RC’s men home with a 159th place finish. The 2013 Junior Derbyshire Cross Country champion judged his effort well and slogged it out to place well on his National XC debut.

Paul Clarke and Tony Weatherson both improved on their positions from last year’s National Cross Country at Parliament Hill, finishing 352nd and 560th respectively whilst Paul Mercer came out on top in the battle of the National XC debutants with Graham Whitt. The duo’s first experience of the event couldn’t have been tougher and they crossed the line separated by just three seconds in 638th and 641st.

Full results

Attentions now turn towards the inaugural Loughborough 5k next weekend, the fourth event in the 2013 Heanor RC Club Championship. Click here for the latest updated Club Championship table.