This was a 10km cross country event for the home countries teams of 4 runners each from  England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In addition there were teams from  Northern Athletics (whom I represented) and the Midlands.

The event was held at Falkirk in Scotland and the course and venue were a pleasure to compete at. I finished 5th in a strong field in a time of 31.54. The Scottish winner’s time was 31.27 and he was followed by  England runners coming in at 2nd, 3rd and 4th but I was delighted with my 5th place just in front of the final England counter.

For the full results see here.

The Oulton Park Spring Duathlon is the first event of the season after a winter of training for everyone so it is a good test of exactly how well that training has gone. The event is also a qualifier for the World Age Group Championships later in 2016 in Spain so competition is fierce, with a total field of 287 athletes of all age groups competing for a coveted GB place.

The weather was a bit grim as we prepared to start. The temperature was just above freezing and there was a snow flurry as we warmed up. But by the time the starting gun fired it had cheered up, although the bike course was a bit wet and conditions were cold.

This was a drafting cycle event so a new experience and one which I enjoyed. Three of us worked together on the front, keeping the pack at bay for most of the cycle leg.

I managed to hit the front during the second run and give myself a lead, finishing over 30 seconds clear by the end.

So after a while to recover we had the presentation – and the obligatory lager shower to celebrate!

So a great start to the 2016 season and an enjoyable event all round.

For full results see here.