GOOLE VIKING STRIDERS RACE REPORT 15/12/2005
EAST YORKSHIRE CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE

The Viking Striders have contested a lot of cross country races since the East Yorkshire League started in 1994, but after last weekend’s leg at Langdale End, near Scarborough, the consensus of opinion was that this was the toughest challenge yet.  It might have been a glorious day, but the extreme gradients coupled with atrocious under foot conditions, with ankle deep mud at every turn, made swift progress impossible.
Fortunately nobody mentioned that to Simon Griffin, who charged his way to another very impressive 3^rd place.  With Martin Midgley and Dave Hanney scraping into the top 20, and with Alan Bexon looking more like his old self, the men’s team consolidated their overall 3^rd place in the league.
In the absence of Karen Bexon through injury, the ladies team did their best against stiff opposition.  With Kay Ryan as striker, Patsy Fenelon in midfield and Sandy (“We are a grandmother”) Clark as sweeper, the team did well to hold on to overall 4^th place although they lost ground to Scarborough in 3^rd.
Just as well then that the après-run was held in probably the best pub in the world.  With its serving hatch instead of a bar, locally brewed beer and a marvelous atmosphere made smoky not by the tarred lungs of its patrons but by the roaring log fire, the Moorcock Inn reeks tradition and old fashioned values.  They don’t make ‘em like that any more.

Striders’ positions and times:
3^rd Simon Griffin 47.02, 19^th Martin Midgley 50.41, 20^th Dave Hanney 51.03, 24^th Alan Bexon 52.09, 28^th Neil Bentley 53.14, 50^th Nigel Warner 57.19, 68^th Ray Smith 62.20, 72^nd Dave Ryan 64.22, 75^th Richard Anness 67.09, 76^th Mick Fenelon 67.10.
Ladies race:  12^th Kay Vickers 64.24, 19^th Patsy Fenelon 68.18, 27^th Sandy Clark 80.26.