COVENTRY Godiva Harriers took part in their first league fixture of the season in the competition’s centenary year.
The anniversary race took place at Newbold Comyn in Leamington Spa as all of the league’s divisions came together in both the men’s and women’s events
And Julie Emmerson led Godiva’s women home as she raced to a third-place finish with Sophie Hurst 11th, Amelia Starling 26th and Tally Smyj-James 58th on her return to the team.
Godiva’s women scored 98 points to put them third in the Midland Women’s Cross Country League table following promotion to Division One last season.
Further back, debutant Alice Daglish finished 131st with Shona Murray 172nd (44th junior), Rowena Ockenden 185th (63rd master) on debut, Jayne Mumford 187th (65th master) and Paige Zhang-Green 189th (67th master).
The club’s masters team scored 195 points to place 14th in the standings.
Coventry’s men’s team also enjoyed a strong start to the season in the Birmingham and District League after narrowly avoiding relegation last season.
The team of Joe McLeod 24th, Lenny Shail 27th (fifth master), Lucas Bennett 40th and Harvey Speed 73rd (12th master), James Wright 86th and Hossein Mohammadiha 90th (20th master)
helped Harriers achieve a total of 340 points and return to the top half of the table in seventh place.
And the men’s masters team took 60 points from the fixture to sit fourth with the B team fifth.
Strong running from Clark Roberts 97th (23rd master), Scott Hudspith 103rd, Adam Jackson 107th (21st junior), Matt Hadlum 132nd, David Cooper 139th and Sam Marshall 164th (48th master) ensured Godiva made a solid start to the new season.
Further back, Sam Katanda 179th (58th master) and Jason Brotherhood 194th (66th master) helped the masters B team score 208 points to place third in the B standings.
Godiva athletes Michael Todd 197th (68th master), William Chalmers 201st (37th junior), Tom Beesley 211th, William Averill 219th, Joe Chalmers 226th (87th master), Anthony Mitrofaniuk 229th (89th master), Chris Hurst 232nd (91st master), Lee Connelly 234th, Waising Yip 235th (92nd master), Richard Todd 236th (93rd master), Dale Ball 259th (113th master), Aaron Bodycote 260th (114th master), John Treadwell 278th and Garry Flude 290th (140th master) all completed the course.
