Local runners keep league position despite Christmas party

Ealing Eagles maintained their position in the Sunday League table with a solid showing at a tough fixture at Trent Park.

 The ladies A-team followed up their win in the previous round - and subsequent victory in the team section of neighbours ESM’s Perivale 5 – with another strong performance.

They finished third on the day to leave them lying in third place overall. And the men finished seventh to hold their seventh place in the table and keep the combined team in sixth place overall, out of 18 teams, going into the festive break.

The club had celebrated its Christmas party the previous night but there were no signs of a hangover for Amy Cope-Balchin, who was the team’s fastest lady, covering the five-mile course in 34.15 to finish seventh woman.

Jennifer Laughton and Jennifer Watt were next-fastest finishers clocking 34.49 and 35.50 respectively to finish 10th and 16th. The women’s B-team finished fourth on the day to climb to joint-second, while the ladies masters – for over 35s – finished fifth, dropping to fourth.

Meanwhile Jose Manuel Pabon starred for the men, finishing eighth in 29.01. Club physio Scott Mitchell, running as a second-claim member for the first time, was 20th in 30.26 and David Kelly 53rd in 32.20.

The men’s B-team was fifth on the day and lies fifth overall, while the masters finished 11th and are in 13th place for the season.

Captain on the day, Heidi Vickery, said: “I was delighted we got so many Eagles in the mix. There were a few sore heads after the party and the odd person didn’t quite make it but the team really showed their mettle.

“It was a tough course, with a killer hill towards the end but we rose to the challenge and kept on track for some well-placed finishes across the categories.”

10th November 2013