National XC 2010 - Andy Vernon adds another title to his portfolio Part One.

 ANDY VERNON  had just one major domestic cross country title to achieve and that was to win the Senior 'National'

Vernon takes the big one at a muddy Roundhay park (pic: nat12stage) xman2010

Not only did he do that but took Aldershot Farnham & District to a win over powerful Leeds City, on their home ground at Roundhay Park writes Alastair Aitken for Runners Digest.

    1428 finished the three large laps, over an undulating course with muddy patches but some fast stretches. The fast stretches were a telling factor as Vernon and Moumin Geele of Newham & Essex Beagles took full advantage of them to forge ahead of their two closest rivals during the last large lap.Those were Northern 'Star' Steve Vernon and impressive Southern winner Neilson Hall. Geele never gave up and was a good second to Vernon.

    The first 8 were 1 Vernon 38.02; 2 Geele 38.10, 3 Steve Vernon (Stockport) 38.20, 4 Hall, of the third team 38.44; 5 Peter Riley (Leigh) 38.49, 6 Tom Russell (Bristol West) 39.13, 7 James Walsh (Leeds City) 39:16, 8 Luke Gunn (Derby) 39.26.

Hall takes 4th place behind Steve Vernon (Pic:southerns2010 xman2010)

    Andy Vernon said " On the senior level this is the one to get and have your name on the trophy' He continued ' It was a good race. On the last lap when we started to go through all the backmarkers I got a few metres on Moumin then I thought, maybe he is tiring a little bit so, I was going to wait till we got to the hill then, hopefully, I would have the speed if it came down to the sprint having done the indoors' (He ran 7:49.84 for 3k indoors).

    I remarked that back in the 1970's Ian Stewart, the International 'World' cross country Champion, told me he had found it a great advantage before winning major cross-countries to run well on the boards.

    Andy Vernon continued 'The first lap seemed really slow then on the second lap I picked it up a little bit. Moumin and I pulled away from a couple of the guys.'

    One of those was Neilson Hall who was working painfully hard in the last lap but ran well for fourth.

    " It was alright but I had not run since Tuesday because I had a virus so, I was not expecting anything. I was really pleased' He added ' It was a pretty brutal course. I was happy but fourth but it was one of the worst places to come!'

    I pointed out that Bronic Malinowski said the same thing to me in Munich, after he came fourth in the 1972 Olympic steeplechase Final!

    I suppose Neilson Hall must have thought he had a chance of being in the first three when the four of them broke away from the field?

    ' You always go into these things being optimistic. I was happy and felt comfortable for the first laps and then I started to feel it as you probably could tell.'

    ' I will do the Inter-Counties then hit the track and try the steeplechase as I have only done one, after doing a 5k in 9 minutes something.'

    Moumin Geele who was second " It was a very good race and I was happy with it'

    He mentioned his favourite events after, I had pointed out he ran a great fastest' leg in the Southern at Aldershot in the Six Stage last year?

        ' 10k road and 5000m are my favourite events. I first came to England in 2004 and my aim is to get in the British team. I am coached by Mick Woods and have been doing 90 miles a week."

FULL RESULTS HERE