Inter Counties 2010 - Part Three

                                                   A CRACKING RACE

 

' A cracking race!' those were the words used by Ben Norris when he talked to Alastair Aitken for Runners Digest about the Under 20 event over 8k. It certainly was with a nip and tuck battle all the way with Richard Goodman and, it was not till the final stages that Goodman came home first.

Goodman had moved up from being an Under 17 to run in the Under 20 race, with the express intention of achieving a cherished ambition and that was to make the World cross country team. Something he wanted to do as a young lad, running in the modest North West London League for Shaftesbury Barnet back in late 2008!

It was no easy task for him on the Birmingham course, as the older runners had performed well in the Under 20 National when Richard won the Under 17 race. They were -Ben Norris 3rd, Ronnie Sparke (On his way back to fitness) 4th and Jonny Hay 5th.

First 10 1 Richard Goodman (Middx) 25:04, 2 Ben Norris (Notts) 25:06, 3 Calum Hawkins (Scotland West) 25:26, 4 Johnny Hay 25:25 of the winning Surrey team, 5 Ronnie Sparke 25:29, 6 Andy Combs 25:53, 7 Thomas Bishop 26:03, 8 Karl Billington 26:08, 9 John McDonnell 26:10; 10 Niall Fleming 26:11.

 

RICHARD GOODMAN:-  " I knew Ben Norris came third in the National Under 20 so he was a big threat and I knew all the other lads so, I went a couple of times and I noticed every time I went he closed the gap, which was perfectly reasonable as he is a great athlete. Then I tried to go again and tried to leave him.Coming up the long hill here, opposite the finish I let him overtake me as he had been sitting behind me the whole race."

   Although Richard Goodman will do track racing in the Summer cross country is his thing?

                         'Definitely was his reply to that.

BEN NORRIS:-  " The race was good and the 'National' was good and, in that, I went off steadily and worked my way through where as today I thought I would go off with the pace and try and stick there.It worked for me. It was a shame I could not outdo Richard at the end but it was a cracking race"

               Looking through Ben Norris life so far " I started running at 15 and I only did a  little bit at first and found out I really enjoyed it and I was not too bad. I did cross-country at Arnold Hill School in Nottingham and I found out I was alright. I won the school cross-country so, I thought I would go down to the local Notts club and that was where immediately  met my coach Andy McNeil. After a  few weeks with one session a week I found out I really enjoyed it more than any other sport.' He continued:-

    ' I'll do everything in the Summer as  there is a danger in specialising when you are young. I want to run anything from 800 to 10,000 on the track. I might do my first half marathon in the Summer or the Autumn'

I remarked " You have got to keep your speed rather than doing very long races while you are young as you are only 18 now!

His reply :- "I think it important to have a good endurance base from a young age. I disagree with you slightly, as I think, when you look at the best from 800 to 10,000 or even the marathon, the World record holders can run a flying 800 so, you are right in that you need the speed but I think it is important to have good endurance when you are young.'

I then said " I can turn it round as a friend of mine Dave Bedford who won the International (World) Junior cross-country and senior Championships and, for the latter he was doing big mileage at 20-21!

  " It is about finding out what works for you. I have been very slowly building up mileage so, it is a sensible amount as I have gone from nothing and I feel strong and really enjoying it"