Club Race Reports Season 1964-1965
Liverpool & District XC Union
Championships - Sherdley Park - 09/01/1965 - Senior Men
Ron Barlow who recently won the Cheshire Athletic Championship, won the Liverpool & District Cross-Country Championship race at Sherdley Park.
The weather was in complete contrast to that of the previous week, strong wind, heavy rain, soft ground becoming waterlogged then churned up into mud as the races progressed. Many parts of the course had a covering of water and other parts were almost knee deep in mud. Spike shoes were the order of the day but didn't give very much grip under such adverse conditions, it was rather akin to scrambling over mossy rocks with leather soled shoes on.
The changing rooms were at Sutton Manor colliery where the manager and staff provided excellent facilities, unlimited supplies of hot water and heated changing rooms which undoubtedly saved many an athlete from catching a chill. On behalf of the Wallasey athletes who used these most welcome facilities I would like to thank you Mr. McCraken and staff of Sutton Manor Colliery for looking after them so well.
From the start of the senior race, which consisted of one small lap of 1 mile, and three big laps of 2 miles each, Barlow was in the leading group with John Wright. Ron Barlow with his tremendous strength and fitness revelled in the conditions which prevailed and took an unchallenged lead by the first mile. From then on Ron enjoyed his romp in the mud, increasing his lead all the time. The worse the conditions the better Ron seems to run, for he hardly seemed short of breath when he finished about 150-200 yards up on second-placed man Lee of Wigan and yet nearly everyone else thought the going was very tough indeed. John Wright, a runner who relies more on natural speed than strength, found the going rough, and finished fourth having held third place for a long while. John Young, now beginning to show more signs of fitness started very fast but soon found the heavy going tiring and dropped back to midfield where Dave Field caught him up. After running together and working up through the field Young drew ahead of Field to gain 30th place with Field in 38th place. Carl Gee ran very well, even to finish being quite a feat for a discus thrower, and finished 57th ahead of Hugh Pritchard, who completed Wallasey's team in 59th place. Wirral were first team with 44 pts. And Wallasey were 4th with 189 pts.
The junior race of 5 miles, 1 short and 2 long laps, was the last race of the afternoon on a very cut up course. John Hughes was the first of the Wallasey quartet across the line in 17th place. Mark Aldridge still down on form but starting to improve, finished 24th place; while Tony Parry who is starting to do some longer distance training to increase his strength finished 31st just ahead of Doug Hanna in 32nd place. Junior team finished in sixth place.
The youths' race, 1 long and 1 short lap was the second race. Keen competition amongst club runners usually brings on some interesting running between the Wallasey lads. This time Barrie Smith left no doubt who was on best form between him and Alan Keating, who is usually on Barrie's tail. Barrie found excellent form and finished 14th with Alan not so happy back in 23rd place, with a little extra training Alan could be ahead of Barrie in next week's race. Dave Grennan ran on improved form to finish 33rd ahead of sprinter Robin Tarrant in 43rd place. Wallasey did not finish a team.
The boys' race over two miles was thought to be our best chance of having a team placing but this was not to be. Dave Lockley running well was unable to use his speed over the soft going and had to rely on his strength. He finished a very creditable 6th but looked very tired over the last ¼ mile. Perhaps some longer training runs might have helped in these conditions. Paul Emery running very strongly was Wallasey's second counter in 27th place just ahead of Les Watcham in 28th place; Ray Kay a little down of form came in 30th just ahead of John Jones 31st. The boys were 4th with 162 points, Warrington were 3rd, Liverpool 2nd and Wigan 1st with 49 pts.
Cross Country Championships
National - Parliament Hill Fields - 06/03/1965 - Senior Men
Mel Batty was allowed to win the National Cross-Country Championship without one serious challenge, yet if opposed by a great deal of experience and cool calculation he can be beaten as both Mike Turner and Tim Johnston have proved.
Runners of experience were there in plenty, but one feels that the cool calculation which is stock-of-trade of the injured and absent Mike Turner was missing.
Batty cannot control the impulse to get away from the fieId at whatever the cost in terms of pace and a runner like this must be given his head. There comes however, the moment of truth, when his pursuers must decide - so far and no further, and then must commence the long pull back.
Turner, one likes to feel, would not have missed this crucial moment, and would initiated the recovery phase, bringing others with him in time. As it was, the minutes went by as gaily as did Batty, until the nature of the course being what it is - he was out of sight of his followers.
It was the New Zealanders who first got restless about the runaway, and anxiously began to gain places, and Johnson, in eighth place did at last rouse himself to go after the lost leader he could not hope to rise higher than second, the position in which he finished. Although in fact he took nearly a minute out of the lead on the last three miles lap. I doubt whether he set eyes on Batty until they met in the finishing per..
Ron Hill now to captain the England team: was disappointing, and one feels that the unexpected absence of Turner upset his plans. He seemed to take his running from Mike Freary, for this club-mate was the leader of the BoIton pair for most of the journey.
Even the forward running of the New Zealanders - who like loose horses were doing very well indeed but who were not in the race - did not drive him to earlier and more positive running.
Who in the North, after watching Hill's remarkable display at Blackpool a few weeks earlier, could accept that Batty would beat him by 36 seconds, and yet that was the situation at Parliament Hill Fields.
All praise to Freary, who finishing 4 seconds behind Hill, gained his place in the England team and sympathy to Ron Barlow of Wallasey, who made a very gallant effort indeed but missed selection for the team by 25 seconds.
Of course it is standard procedure to get away fast with the leaders if one has ideas about finishing near to the front, but perhaps Ron made too much of this and stayed with Batty too long. He paid the penalty of the Initial pace by falling away to 12th place, and this gave him a reserve place for the Ostend race.
However, for consolation he is to run at Brussels with a small team on March 27, but that England vest still eludes him. There is a lesson in experience for him in every big race, and next season should see him well established for sundry trips abroad.
