Yaxley Runners prove once again they can compete with the big boys
Yaxley Runners finished 3rd behind joint league leaders Cambridge & Coleridge AC & Huntingdon AC in Sunday's Frostbite League race at a muddy Hinchingbrooke Park.
Although the result probably signalled the end of their chances of winning the league this season, the village club have again shown they can mix it with the big boys having finished top three in the previous four seasons.
It was tough going for the 350-plus runners. The five mile off-road course lacked thick mud in a few spots, but this was only because the mud had been replaced by deep puddles and flood water. Indeed the first mile through a particularly muddy wooded section left runners strewn over the ground like fallen tree branches.
As was the case in last week's race Glen Watts of March AC was a convincing winner, but the Yaxley athletes came in thick and fast towards the front of the field.
Kayleigh Longfoot was 1st lady home last week, but had to settle for 2nd place this week after being beaten by Lucy Mapp of the host club Hunts AC.
For the men Darren Wells was the highest Yaxley finisher taking 10th place with Darren Hillier in 16th and 17th-placed Mark Popple close behind.
Daniel Holland in 36th, 41st placed Stuart Hodgkinson, Keith McCarthy in 48th and Min Migliorini, who was two places further back, completed the scoring Yaxley team.
Orton-based Adam Clark finished 32nd for PACTRAC with fellow triathlete Alan Beecroft 40th. Eye’s Owen Beale placed 49th
The Yaxley ladies supported Longfoot well and Ros Loutit finished 14th, three places up on her daughter Rhiannon. Ness Gunn in 15th and Helen Joyce in 18th also both ran well. Kerry Tate finished 27th while Lisa Box placed 30th.
Eye’s Sam Cullen was the 7th lady home with her team-mate Kirsten Hackett 26th. Alison Staines of PANVAC finished 19th. Ann Wood was 25th with her Werrington colleague Helen Thompson 27th.
Toby Staines of PANVAC finished 3rd in the junior race with Xander Gunn of Yaxley 5th. Werrington’s Sebastian Freeman was 10th.
PANVAC’s Lillya Bellaboid was the highest placed local girl in 17th position.
Yaxley’s 3rd place finish leaves them 3rd in the senior league, but with just one fixture to go they are unlikely to catch both leading teams.
PANVAC were the 6th junior team with Yaxley 7th. They sit 4th and 5th overall.
The final fixture of the season takes place at Jubilee Park in Huntington on 2nd March.