Updated: Robbie pips Morgan, as Wilkinson storms to win at Melmerby
Robbie Simpson at the Melmerby International
Robbie Simpson underlined his billing as one of the UK’s brightest fell and mountain running prospects this weekend, as he overcame a high-quality field to win the 2012 Home Countries International mountain running champs…
He added the title to his superb first season in the senior ranks, where he finished first Brit at the recent World Long Distance MR championships at the Jungfrau Marathon along with gaining selection for the GB squads at both the World and European Mountain Running Championships.
Victoria Wilkinson also reminded us all of her outstanding quality by soundly beating some of the UK’s best in the women’s race, defeating second-placer Olivia Walwyn-Bush by over a minute.
Victoria Wilkinson
The 10km route for the senior men and women was from Melmerby to the top of Hartside Pass and promised 500 plus metres of gain. However, unlike at the World and European championships and some of the European GP races this summer, the dust and heat was replaced with underfoot conditions more akin to a good old fashioned fell race – mud, moorland, grass, tarmac and tussocks.
Men’s race
With Scotland gaining the upper hand in some of the international meetings between the four home nations in 2012 (WLDMRC, Snowdon International e.g), England’s line-up looked like that of a team that meant business. Still, when it comes to individual honours, this was going to be anyone’s, as the likes of Simpson, team-mate Murray Strain, Orlando Edwards, Chris Smith and open race runner Morgan Donnelly of Borrowdale took to the start line.
Young Deeside athlete Simpson has been on a roll in 2012. With outstanding performances at the World and Euro trials and subsequent Championship races, his mountain running form has been that of a class athlete beyond his 20 years. Additionally, his 9th place finish at the WLDMRC recently showed that he also has the ability to perform in the longer races. To his credit he has also ‘blooded’ himself in some of the harder Skyraces (guided by the knowledge of compatriots Tom Owens and Murray Strain) on the Continent, laying the foundations for years to come.
So, it was perhaps no surprise that Simpson, Strain, Donnelly and Smith would be at the head of affairs as the 48 starters headed out onto Hartside.
Robbie picks up the story:
“This was a difficult race for coming 2 weeks after the Jungfrau Marathon which took a lot out of me but it was the last race of the season. It was an uphill only race but unlike any I had done before as the terrain was much tougher compared to a European style uphill event. The race consisted of a one mile road section followed by a hard climb on rough grass and bog, the second half of the race was undulating with more boggy terrain but fast running.
The conditions were great for running with sunshine and warmth. I sat behind Murray and Chris on the road then attacked the climb to get in to the lead. Morgan and Orlando were not far behind me all the way up with Chris and Murray nearby as well. As we neared the top of the climb I was being reeled in slightly, struggling a bit on the strength sapping ground. Having been away in the Alps all summer I wasn’t as used to running on boggy terrain! The three of us got the summit pretty much together so had to battle it out over the last few miles.
Morgan D chases Simpson
On the short descent off the summit me and Morgan pulled away slightly and were side by side for a while, trying to get the best lines across the ground. It was hard to open any gaps and there wasn’t much separating the leading runners. Eventually I pulled out a slight lead on some drier ground and held on to win by just 11s from Morgan with Chris and Murray not far behind us. It’s been a successful season and it was good to end with a win!”
Robbie Simpson wins the 2012 Home Countries...
Behind Simpson (44:44), Donnelly ran an excellent race for a close second in 44:55, with England’s Chris Smith a further 12 seconds back in 45:07. Snowdon winner Murray Strain was a strong fourth, with young Joe Morwoord storming through for 5th.
Chris Smith
England picked up the team title with, closing with five runners in the first eight. With Smith and Morwood backed up by Orlando Edwards (6th), Tom Cornthwaite (7th) and Nick Swinburn in 8th.
The victorious English men's team
Women’s race
The summer of women’s trials races in the UK had been dominated by the Wilkinson’s. Mary and Victoria (not related) won the European and World trials respectively, and it is 1997 World Junior MR Champ Victoria who has shown to be the athlete of the second half of the season in women’s mountain running.
Her world trials win was followed by a solid 24th in Italy at the championships, but on Saturday her performance was dominant, as she triumphed by over a minute from England team-mate Olivia Walwyn-Bush, who herself has been in fine form recently.
Speaking to us this week, Vic explains:
I had planned to sit back for a while, I didnt know the route but had looked at the finish earlier in the morning so knew what to expect. The race started pretty steady nobody wanted to take it on, I felt comfortable and wanted to go but tried to bide my time.
That lasted until we came off the tarmac and then thought, ‘thats it I’m off’. I thought I would try and last as long as I could, as I had nothing to lose really, so from there on it was just a hard effort running in the red.
The bogs are certainley not what you find in the European races as are the undulating final 3k or so, but it was the same for everyone and I just enjoyed leading a Home International race! It was also great to see the England team dominating at the front.
Olivia Walwyn-Bush at Melmerby
Rebecca Robinson continued her consistent season with the bronze, and with Katie Walshaw in fourth England cleaned up in the team race with a 1,2,3,4.
Scotland’s Catriona Buchanan was fifth, and with Anna Lupton in 6th and Helen Fines in 7th, the women’s top 10 was packed with class.
Junior races
The under 18 boys and girls races saw some great performances from the Welsh teams, as Nathan Jones and Ffion Price took the respective titles.
Jones has been knocking on the door on success for a while now, with some great supporting performances in the international XC and mountain scene over the last two years. 2012 also saw the North Walian represent GB at the European Mountain Champs in Turkey. However, his greatest performance on the mountains must be this one, as he overcame Ireland’s Killian Mooney to win by a slender 8 seconds in 33:39. Scotland’s Andrew Lawlor grabbed the bronze.
Jones’ recount of the race tells the story of him storming through the field:
“The course started on a slightly downhill grass track which lead on to a tight turn where the beginning of the climb started. At this point I was at the front with to England athletes, Brad (Travis) and Alister (Weymouth). I then started dropping down the field until I was in about 10th place as I felt the pace was far too fast.
The English runners kept up the tempo and after about 5 minutes they had pulled a 50m gap on 3rd place. By about half way through the climb I started to push on and move up the field and by the time I got to the highest point I was in 3rd place. From the top in was a slight down hill all the way to the finish.
Looking ahead I had a large gap to work back with the Scottish lad Andrew (Lawlor) about 50m ahead and Killian Mooney had a good 300m lead. I took advantage of the downhill from here and past the Scottish lad with about a mile left, I had now closed down the gap on Mooney to about 100m.
I then went on to catch him as he stopped to go through the style as I jumped the fences next to them. As I came into sight of the finish with about a kilometre to go I was running stride for stride with Killian, it was then that I managed to kick and pull a 10 second gap on him which I held till I crossed the line.
Nathan Jones - 2012 Home Internationals U18 champ
The Welsh athlete led the Wales team to team gold too, as he was backed up by Lloyd Heckler in fifth, Gwynant Jones in 10th and Sam Longville in 15th.
Top Welsh junior Ffion Price defended the title that she won on home ground in Llanberis last September, with a dominant display which saw her come home over 45 seconds clear of Halina Rees of Scotland. Price’s sister Rhianwedd kept another one of the medals in the family as she took bronze.
Annabel Mason has been without doubt the class junior on the mountains this year. After winning the European Junior Championships earlier in the Summer she has pretty much been in a class of her own in junior terms and is still only 15 years old!
Annabel Mason - European junior champion
Saturday saw her add the Home Countries crown to that growing list of wins, as she defeated England team-mate Bronwen Owen by over a minute, and led the England girls to the team honours, as Rebecca Flanagan claimed fifth. Catriona Graves ran her Scotland vest into the individual bronze medal.
In the u16 boys race another athlete with a big future was on display. Wharfedale’s James Hall took another win in 2012, and this time the British title, as he defeat a valiant Iolo Hughes of Wales. Ireland’s Liam Fitzpatrick was third.
With Jack Wills in 4th and William Jackson in 5th, England were too strong for the rest in the team race.
Full results via John Schofield’s UK Results service here, with some great shots by Stu Stodart here, Neale Lewis-Jones here and Paul Dobson here.
