COVENTRY Godiva Harriers athletes took part in the first men’s and women’s cross country league races of the season as a host of members made their competitive debuts for the club.
The men were in action first at Betley in Staffordshire as some 31 Godiva athletes completed the race which is believed to be a new club record.
And debutant Will Fuller led the team home with a fantastic 23rd place finish on his first Godiva outing with Scott Hudspith (25th) and Pierce Clisham (29th and third junior) in hot pursuit.
Further down the field, Ali Smith was the fourth Godiva home in 62nd with Harvey Speed (66th and ninth master) whilst Jo McLeod completed the A team in 70th place.
This leaves Godiva in fifth place at the end of the first race of the Birmingham and District Invitation Cross Country League season.
The B team were led home by Dan Dalton (110th) as Sam Marshall (123rd), Philip Gould (126th and 24th master), Clark Roberts (145th), Pete Eccleston (168th and 45th master) and debutant Munya Mukesi (178th and 48th master) completed the lineup.
And this leaves the B team in eighth place after the first race of the new season.
Leading the charge for the women’s team, who raced in Stoke-on-Trent in the Midland Women’s Cross Country League, was Alicia Roberts in 11th closely followed by debutant Sophie Hurst (12th and third under-20).
Next to finish was Sally Boon in 22nd (ninth veteran) whilst Sophia Charters (69th) completed the A team lineup.
Godiva scored 114 points from the fixture to sit sixth in the table and are just eight points behind third place with the top three teams earning promotion at the end of the season.
Jayne Mumford (77th and 45th veteran), Rachel Aldrich (84th), debutant Dewi Dankmeyer (88th) and Vic Wilson (102nd) all completed the race for the B team.
They were followed by Angelica Leyva (133rd in debut), Rhea Porwal (140th and seventh under-20) and Charlotte Power (143rd on debut)
A huge turnout for Godiva saw 42 athletes cross the line with the vets A and B teams both coming home in sixth place.
Other Godiva athletes to finish were: Ben Tran (180th, 50th master), Will Swindells (182nd on debut), Joe Chalmers (205th, 67th master), Daniel Gaggini (213th, 41st junior), Nathan Jones (217th on debut), Kevin Otieno (223rd, 44th junior), David Cooper (224th) and Jacob Jones (225th).
Outside the top-230 athletes were: Michael Todd (232nd, 85th veteran), Richard Todd (233rd, 86th veteran on debut), Waising Yip (238th, 89th veteran on debut), Simon Clarke (240th, 91st veteran), Caiden Tate (242nd on debut), Muhammed Ibrahim (248th, on debut), Thiago De Modena (253rd on debut), Michael Katsoulis (262nd), Martin Gittins (265th, 111th veteran on debut), Gary Flude (266th, 112th veteran) and Matt Danes (272nd, 118th veteran on debut).
The next league fixture takes places on Saturday, December 3 with the men in action at Aldersley Stadium in Wolverhampton and the women in action at Clopton Park in Stratford-upon-Avon.
