Kenilworth Runners finished just three points from a top ten overall finish in the 2011/12 Birmingham Cross Country League after a strong final performance at the final race in Cheltenham dramatically closed the gap to tenth placed BRAT Club. The club can consider themselves pleased with eleventh position considering they were seldom able to field their strongest team with several of their strongest runners contending with injuries or illness for much of the campaign.

The sixteen teams comprising Division One headed to Pittville Park in Cheltenham, where runners were faced with a dilemma over spike length in their shoes, given that parts of the three lap rolling parkland course were soft and muddy yet shaded areas were still frozen after the prolonged cold snap. Athletes also had a stream jump to contend with on each lap. The course was measured at ‘approximately 10km’.

Connor Carson, showed no ill effects from his recent 2:48 at the Gloucester Marathon as he set off like a man possessed and kept on going to finish first Kenilworth Runner in 34th position. He was followed by Phil Gould; Rich Simkiss - returning from injury; Stuart Hopkins; junior runner Phil McCorquodale and sixth placed Mike Johnson, who finished comfortably inside the top 100 in 84th position and exactly two minutes behind Connor.

The A team scored 386 points and was tenth on the day. The B team performed admirably to finish fourth amongst the B Teams. Pete Bryan led the second six home and was followed by Liam Chapple; Jim Sawle; Pete Matthews; Richard Steel - who put in one of the performances of the day; and Phil Fusi - who just edged out Mick Williams into thirteenth position. Martin Broomfield, Tom Dable and Stef Shillington completed the Kenilworth Runner contingency.

Six ladies from Kenilworth Runners took part in the final round of the Midland Women’s Cross Country League, which was held before the men raced on the same course, albeit with just two laps to complete. As usual sadly with the ladies competition, results are not currently forthcoming, but the finishing order for Kenilworth Runners was: Sarah Stein; Sally Hicks; Ros Matthews;  Laura Gould; Pauline Dable; and Joan Mason.

Next stop for the cross country runners is the Nationals at the infamous Parliament Hill in London.