36^th Barton & District AC Cross Country Competition

Sunday 6^th March 2016

Five of Kingston’s promising junior middle distance runners, and two of the clubs more experienced athletes were in action on the south side of the River Humber, at the 36^th running of the Barton & District AC cross country competition, which took place on ‘Mothers Day’ 6^th of March over a cold, difficult and muddy course.

The 2 kilometre under13 boys race saw Adam Fox, Thomas Smales, Harvey Southcoat and Harry Drew among the 29 competitors. All of the boys train together and they all joined the club in July of 2016.

Adam Fox was making his tenth appearance of 2016 in the blue and gold Kingston vest, and his last journey over into Lincolnshire had brought him a 4^th place finish at the Humberside County Championship meeting in Scunthorpe.

He put together another good performance in Barton, running the course in a time of 12:04s, to claim 5^th place in the race.

The Barton competition was the sixth outing of the year for Thomas Smales, who had also run in January’s County Championships, where he had finished in 6^th place.

Another solid performance saw him cover the course in 12:15s, and he crossed the line in 6^th place, just behind his team mate.

Harvey Southcoat had his first outing of the year at muddy Barton, and he crossed the finishing line in 17^th place, recording a time of 14:50s.

Another athlete making their first competitive run of the year was Harry Drew, who ran the course in a time of 14:58s, and crossed the line in 20^th place.

The efforts of the four youngsters were further rewarded, by winning the team completion and each of them took home a splendid trophy, to mark their achievement.

The 1.25 kilometre under11 boy’s race brought a first appearance of the year for 10 year old Finlay Southcoat, whose excellent efforts saw him cross the finishing line in 6^th place in a field of 34 runners, and he covered the course in a time of 8:30s.

The senior men’s race saw Oliver Newton and 19 year old Alfie Salsby, fresh from their exertions at the recent BUCS Championship’s in Gloucester, lining up on the start line in Barton on Humber.

Alfie Salsby has been in outstanding form throughout the 2015/16 cross country season and has certainly made an impression down at Costello in the few months he has been running with the Kingston club.

Oliver Newton has been a mainstay of the clubs middle distance and distance section for several years now. He is a stand out performer who can be relied upon to give nothing less than 100 per cent effort every time he steps on to a track, road or cross country course.

The two athletes were the dominant forces in the senior men’s competition where they claimed first and second place in the race.

Alfie covered the 6 kilometre course in a time of 36:00s, and was the race winner, on what was his first appearance at the Barton competition.

Oliver was the second athlete to cross the finishing line, and he ran the course in a time of 36:42s.