Last weekend saw Ivanhoe kick off the cross-country season in supreme style at Ravenstone, and perhaps most poignantly, our very own Nancy and Julian’s farm. Last season, this event entered the league for the first time, and we worked in conjunction with Peel to make it happen, but this year, we were flying solo.

Ex XC captain Martin Yeomans had much insight for us about the history of the Derby Runner League. Ivanhoe used to solely host our own races, and we in fact hosted the first ever – Worthington in January 1988. Over the years, we’ve set up events at Coleorton and Calke, and one in particular at Calke had to be voided due to a pesky interferer turning arrows around on the route, leading to runners scattering in every direction.

Current captains James Cox and Fiona Betts did a great job of rounding the troops to ensure the 2023 fixture was a success, with a job for everyone from car park, time keeping, finish tokens, ‘hare-ing’ the kids race, firing up the barbie, tail running, registrations, medical provision and all the marshals out on course. Big thanks to Julian, Damon, Nick, Linda, Grania, Chris, Rom, Laura, Les, Mo, Becky, Helen, Kenny, Sarah, Andy, Rob, Andrea, Matt, Lucy, Paul, Emma, Julie, Louis, Michelle, Peter, Michael, Cath and Heather who all volunteered their services on the crisp morning.

& on to the running! A great turnout for the club whose fabulous efforts started the competition on a high. A huge 2nd place for the ladies team behind Barrow, it was 5th for the blokes in a mega stacked field, and 5th for the mixed team.

We’ll start with our silver position queens, and it was XC superstar Emily Wideman first back in 10th place and 48:31, with Amelia Monaghan just behind in 11th, her best ever scoring. Helen Jeffrey was one of many first timers next back in 27th in 52:54, and social sec Vic Smith was 33rd. Paula Whitworth joined the club only a week prior and finished 44th, Mindy Ashton right behind in 45th. Another brand-newbie, Bianca Gear got separated from them by position, and then it was Alex Gillon and Carolyn Osborne occupying 54th and 55th.

Lindsay Tilbury finished alongside and Sophie Turner, despite many years at the club completing her very first XC, and took tokens 69 and 70, and Sarah Codd tried her hand on the muddy terrain for the first time for 80th.  Jenny Hope was next back in 88th, and it was Sue Tait completing our fine team in 91st.

Onto the boys, and off the back of marathon success, it was Paul Woods first back in 43:24 taking 45th, Paul Codd teared up the mud in 51st and Chairman Nick Rowles was third over the line for us in 65th. Karl Wideman was only two positions behind, leading us on to Richard Martin, XC debutant Georgie Giles, and Tom Smith was 94th. Andy Hough took 100th, James Ogilvie and Harry Goldingay only two seconds apart, and Mark Bradford found himself in a sea of other club vests in 130th.

Andrew Bottrill was next through the finish greeted by wife on tokens, and Geoff Brown was next in 174th.  Aforementioned Martin run 57:27 to collect number 177, Tim Sturla next in 196, Tom Baron our penultimate male finisher and onto Mukesh Deva, on a charge to add more races to this years listing taking token 227.

Written by Emily Partridge - last updated on 22/10/2023