Northern Cross Country Championships 2011

The Northern Cross Country Championships is one event that I look forward to each year and try and compete in if possible.  I like the atmosphere of this race, the great competiton it provides and this year even the music they played!!!!
I spoke with Trevor Baxter on the Wednesday before the race who writes for the Manchester Evening News.  We were discussing the history of the race and what it means to win it.  The origional trophy you are presented with and having your name added to it means a great deal.  Having won it a few years ago twice on the trot and having medalled before my aim was to try and win it and if not win it then to medal.  Winning it would have taken me to the same medal tally as Will Parry from Salford Harriers.  I don't expect many people to know Will Parry but he won the Northern Cross in 1888, 1889 and 1891 and in 1890 was second.  So I now move in to second place on the clubs history list with my wins in 2006, 2007, second place in 2010 and third place in 2011.  For those interested in some history of Salford Harriers performances in the Northern Cross then this PDF should make good reading.
So the race this year meant a lot to me.  I got to the venue in plenty of time so I could check the course out.  Three big laps and I walked and jogged a lap to see what the course had in store!  Hard compacted ground when I checked it out.  Great, not much mud so looking like it would be fast going.  Watched a few races and as the ladies race was on the ground started to cut up.  Our race started bang on time, unlike the southerns where I am lead to believe it was a little bit of a queue to get to the start!  No chip timing up north and the results were on before we got many miles back down the A19!!  Well done to the organising team on such a great event which to me seemed very successful.
As the race started, the charge began.  The northerns and National may not be the biggest fields you ever compete in compared to races like VLM and GNR, but they must be the longest start line.  I headed to the front and was in third place by the time we had ran the straight and tunred the first corner.  In front of me was Steve Vernon and Tom Lancashire.  Just like I had expected when thinking of the race before we started.  I was happy to be where I was and was happy to sit in.  Infact I would have been over the moon to be able to sit in but couldn't get going to the speed these two were running at.  During the week I had a sore throat and swollan glands.  All I can think now is that maybe this effected me.  I am not under the impression that I would have finished any better than third, but I know I should have been able to get on the back of them and even push the pace on early on like so many would have been expecting.  Luckily I got away from the next group of athletes and remained in third place the whole race.  Was getting a little scarey towards the end as I could feel I was being chased down and there was nothing I could about it.  As the laps went on the hard compact ground cut up real bad and the place turned in to a mud bath.  Could be the muddiest course I have ran on since I did the Cross Cup in Belguim many years ago.
As I finished I could tell I had ran but wasn't wasted as I would have liked to have felt.  Steve and Tom had a great race up front and from where I was watching, which admitidly was a long way back, it looked like Steve had made a good break for it and I was ready to congratulate him on winning it for a third time in succession and fourth time in total.  Then over the PA system, between tracks, I heard Lancashire had hit the front and was running for home.  So I suppose you never give up in a race as you never know whats happening up front.  As it turns out, Tom took the win with Vernon in second and me way back in third. 
A big congratulations to Tom on the win and to Steve on another great performance in the Northern Cross Country Championships. National Cross next, roll on the big hill of Alton Towers!