Roddy’s return helps Kenilworth climb Birmingham League standings

Standing in ninth position in Division One at the start of the day, they overhauled the 19-point lead held by the BRAT (Birmingham Running & Triathlon) club to equal last season’s eighth place.

Runner of the day was Paddy Roddy, returning from his studies at Cambridge University, who recorded the best- ever individual placing by a Kenilworth Runner in Division One, coming home in 23rd place.

Roddy, growing in experience, paced his race well after a fast start to get into race position, waiting until the final lap to strike for home and opening a gap of more than 30 seconds on Phil Gould who was next to finish for Kenilworth in 33rd place.

Rich Simkiss was six places back and the scoring six was completed by Connor Carson, who worked his way through the field to finish in 54th, Stuart Hopkins and Paul Andrew.

Gould and Hopkins added to their remarkable streaks of placing in the top six for the club in each of the four league races for the last seven seasons (28 races and 29 races, respectively).

The B team, made up of the next six scorers, finished the league in third place.

All Kenilworth positions and times: 23, Paddy Roddy (34:03); 33, Philip Gould (34:36); 39, Richard Simpkiss (34:55); 54, Connor Carson (35:32); 80, Stuart Hopkins (36:28); 87, Paul Andrew (36:52; 115, Graham Birch (38:29); 122, Jim Sawle (38:56); 140, Alex Atkinson (39:52); 150, Kevin Hope (40:15); 155, Richard Steele (40:29); 179, Richard Broadbent (42:15); 200, Nick Bramley (48:02); 204, Simon Mottershead (52:07); 207, Stef Shillington (54:57).

Leamington C&AC’s senior men finished eighth in the fourth and final Division Two fixture to end the series in sixth.

The Coundon Park course in Coventry epitomised this season’s conditions with galeforce winds buffeting the runners as they ran through thick mud on the parts of the course that were not already under water.

Once again injuries and illness meant they could not field their strongest team but Andy Savery completed a good season with fourth in 39:32, just 31 seconds behind winner Chris Perrin of Cannock & Staffs who also took the season’s gold medal.

Next home was Jamie Langley in 39:57 followed by George Loveday in 30th position (42:57) who was fourth junior on the day and overall bronze medalist. Savery and Langley finished just outside the individual medals in fourth and fifth, respectively.

The scoring team was completed by Tom Robinson (73rd, 44:58), Eoin O’Flynn (93rd, 46:14) and Garrath Schule (105th, 46:40).

Other Leamington finishers 153, Paul Caruana (49:41); 173, Steve Roberts (50:40); 203, Ben Kimberly (53:05); 211, Pete Taylor (54:02); 249, Noel Butler (59:11).

Kenilworth’s ladies narrowly missed out on promotion to Division One in the final race of the Midland Women’s Cross Country League at Pitville Park, Cheltenham.

The ladies were surprised to find themselves running in brilliant sunshine, taking in two laps and four miles on what was one of the best courses for underfoot conditions this winter, despite stretches of sticky mud and the omission of the infamous stream, deemed to be too deep.

Once more Imogen Peace led the ten Kenilworth ladies home in a very creditable 31st position, followed by fellow scorers Claire Goult (55th) and Danielle Mohacsi (73rd).

Kenilworth came 12th from 27 teams on the day and fourth in Division Two, one position outside the promotion places.

31, Imogen Peace (27:29); 55, Claire Goult (29:13); 73, Danielle Mohacsi (30:17); 100, Stef Lunn (31:30); 108, Sara Habib (32:03); 111, Sam Starvis (32:27); 113, Rebecca Smith (32:33); 121, Sally Hicks (33:07); 144, Laura Gould (35:05); 187, Pauline Dable (39:30).

In a race won by Nicola Sykes of Bournville Harriers, Zara Blower was the first Leamington athlete home in 28:35 for 46th place.

She was followed by Jennie Jeeves in 75th (30:19), with Carol Blower (36:07) completing the team.