A weekend of Cross Country Action!

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the second Surrey Cross-Country League matches of the season. Their women placed eleventh in their Division Two match at Wimbledon Common on Saturday morning. They were led by Rachel Lindley, who ran very well to place fourteenth of the 248 finishers, completing the six-kilometre course in 26 minutes 32. Jennifer Gutteridge also ran well to place 34th (27:47) with Steph Upton 80th (30:23), Ellyw Evans 87th (30:35) and Amanda Hewett completing the scoring quintet in 118th (32:15). For the B team, Gemma Halliday was 130th (32:41), Jadwiga Brzask-Makiela 210th (38:23) and Michelle Klein 233rd (42:22).

In the under-17 boys’ race, later in the day at the same venue, Christopher Finch placed 39th out of 93 finishers, completing the four-kilometre course in 17 minutes 20, while Daniel Finch was 68th (18:33). In the under-13 race, their younger brother Thomas Finch was 45th, completing the three-kilometre course in 14 minutes 46.

Striders’ men placed ninth in their Division Two match at Dorking on Sunday morning. They were led by Alastair Falconer, who ran very well to place sixteenth of the 200 finishers, completing the undulating five-mile course in 31 minutes 51. Andrew Aitken was 56th (34:08) with James Rhodes close behind in 59th (34:16). Matthew Stone ran very well to place first in the M55 age-group and 64th overall (34.42). Peter Mills was 70th (34:52) with Krzysztof Klidzia 75th (35:04), Lee Flanagan 85th (35:34), Phil Coales 88th (35:42), Sebastian Munday 114th (37:28), Steve Corfield 118th (37:40) and Marc Burrows 122nd (37:57). Robert Zietz was first in the M65 age-group and 166th overall (41:53). Striders had an impressive total of 21 finishers.