Report by Huw
Returning the Mike Benkinsop Summer League to where it rightly belongs was always going to be a challenge. Croft won the league in 2022, our 40th year as a club, and then lost out to Ludlow in 2023. We were going into the 2024 season without Eric Apperley who had been so important to our success in both the Winter and Summer Leagues.
Sam Juson had taken on the role of Men’s Team Captain with Kelly Bowen continuing her role in leading the Women’s Team.
As I often say, Croft’s super power is that we turn up. When other clubs don’t show we’re there to take advantage. That’s not to say that we don’t have great runners, we do, some of the best, but we have great runners and good runners that turn out. That’s what makes the difference.
This year proved particularly challenging with 3 of the races being in the South East of the County well past Hereford. This was clearly a big challenge for Builth but not easy for our Croft runners who, for the first race in Ross, would have to leave at least an hour and a half to get to the start line on time.
Race One, Ross, 12th June. We’re In The Game!
Hereford Couriers 1st. Monross 2nd + 4 mins Croft 3rd + 5 mins
In many ways that first race was the most important. Our A team finished in third place behind Hereford Couriers and host club Monross. Why was it so important? Well, we didn’t have our fastest ladies but the three A Team Women – Kelly, Jo Marriot and Liza ran their socks off to make sure we stayed in contention. We were 5 minutes behind Hereford Couriers in first, but Croft could make back 5 minutes over the next 3 races. It was certainly no defeat. Sam, Mark Lamonby and Simon Norwood completed the A Team.
Race Two, Ross on Wye, 26th June. Turning up The Heat.
Croft 1st. Hereford Couriers 2nd + 4 minutes. Monross 3rd + 10 mins
Race two proved to be the most physically challenging of them all. It was one of the few really hot days of summer and, at the start in Ross on Wye on 26th June, the thermometer hit 28 degrees shortly before the start. It was one of those relentlessly flat races as well. One field followed another with little variation. The Austin Family turned out in force with both Lucy and mum Liza in the first three women and Toby Austin taking the third Men’s A team place behind Sam Juson and Mark Lamonby. With Sam and Mark finishing in first and second and Lucy as the second placed female we finished in first position but had only managed to close the gap on Hereford Couriers by 20 seconds. There was still work to be done.
Race Three, Much Markle, 10th July. It’s Coming Home
Croft 1st. Hereford Couriers 2nd + 4 minutes. Monross 4th + 29 minutes
The third race at Much Markle could have derailed any of the teams. It was the night of England Football Teams Euro Semi Final against The Netherlands. With the race starting at 7:30pm and the match kicking off at 8pm there was no chance of getting home to watch it. The risk was that, if some of the top runners didn’t turn out, it could upend the results. We shouldn’t have worried. This is Croft, we turn up. It must be said that so did Hereford Couriers with all of their fastest runners on the start line. What they hadn’t reckoned on though was that we would up the game with Gareth Leek, Scott Jones and Hannah Fletcher joining the party. We weren’t taking any prisoners!
In the event the third race at Much Markle saw us overhaul Hereford Couriers and our A Team go into first place. Our team came home with a joint time nearly 9 minutes ahead of Couriers which meant we went into the last race of the series with a 4 minute advantage. We would also be closer to home.
To top it all, rather than head home a group of Crofties went straight to the pub to watch the second half of the game – and England won. Unfortunately, it was the end of England’s Euro dreams as they would loose in the final to Spain (spoiler alert – that wasn’t going to happen to team Croft!).
Race Four, Newton Court, 24th July. Home & Dry
Croft 1st, Hereford Couriers 2nd, + 9 minutes, Monross 4th + 48 minutes
The final race was at Newton Court – home turf for Croft. Couriers put out another strong team led by William Morris and Laura hands who would go on to take the first female prize. Croft were stronger again though with Sam, Gareth and Scott plus Hannah, Lucy and Jo Marriot. It was another amazing team performance with Croft adding another 6 minutes to their lead over Couriers.
At the final count we won the series with a nearly 6 minute lead over Hereford Couriers and 12 minutes over third place Monross. Mike Blenkinsop created the Summer Cross Country Series with the thought that, having a combined men’s and women’s team would make for an interesting and competitive race series, and so it proved.
Maybe inevitably this report has been about those that ran fast enough to make it into the limelite of the leading Croft Team. Sam Juson, Mark Lamonby, Simon Norwood, Gareth Leek, Toby Austin, Scott Jones. And for the women, Lucy Austin, Hannah Fletcher, Jo Marriot, Liza Austin and Kelly.
But we all know there’s more to a team than those that cross the line at the front and special mention should be made for Jo Tilby who pushed Jo Marriot into the finish at every race.
Sam Juson, not only won each of the four races, but also built up a cumulative time advantage over the series of nearly 12 minutes over Hereford Couriers William Morris.
Running all four races for Croft were Sam Juson, Jo Marriot, Liza Austin, Huw Williams, Steph King and Sue Wood. Sam won the series overall with Jo taking the FV55 prize, Liza winning the FV60 category and Sue the FV65.
It was a fantastic team effort. Next challenge, the Winter Cross Country Series!
