ANOTHER weekend, another race for members of Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers, this time the virtual Ormesby cross country, which could be run over a prescribed course or on a muddy course near home.

Members who live in or near Thirsk generally chose the prescribed course over a distance just under three miles, and submitted a time when they got home. Those who ran on the Thursday or Friday, ran through mud, but on the Saturday and Sunday the ground was frozen. An interesting aspect of this race was a Buddha sitting in the hedge beside the route, silently watching runners either slushing or sliding by.

Andrew Price got the quickest time, 20.17, with Joshua Fothergill not far behind in 20.21. Paul Peacock came third in 21.00, Matt Jones fourth in 23.10, Ken Wood fifth in 23.20, with David Fawkes sixth in 23.30, Michael Lowther seventh in 23.58, Rob Burn eighth in 25.04, Alan Simpson ninth in 25.18 and the improving Richard Morrice tenth in 26.28.

There was a clutch of women in amongst these early men, with the fastest, Esther Harrison, a very good fourth overall in 22.55. Trudy Morrice was second lady, ninth overall, in 24.07 and newcomer Sarah Yeomans third in 25.03, tenth overall. Always well up the list, Lorraine Hiles was fourth lady in 26.17, Helen Ashworth fifth in 26.47, Hilary Coventry sixth in 27.07, another new member, Lyndsey Collins, seventh in 27.55, Tracey Naylor eighth in 28.31, Fran Jeffery ninth in 29.24 and Kirsty Naylor tenth in 30.30.

In total, 80 members and guests took part, and members outside the top tens were Martyn Coy, Pedro Carrasco, Marc Davies, Duncan Fothergill, Gary Wilkinson, Joe Joyce, Dave Wood, Brett Edgeworth, Dave Baker, David Tervit, Andy Butcher, Paul Chapman, Mike Cropper, Paul Goacher, Adrian Saunders, Ken Evitt, David Palmer, Geoff Bullock, Phillip Craig, Gavin Coventry, Sarah Harrison, James Stephenson, Sonja Van Der Westhuisen, Rosie Gatenby, Paul Adams, Jack Spence, Steph Hawkins, Alison Butcher, Sarah Goacher, Steve Billings, Rhiannon Richards, Marianne Morrice, Sarah Scott, Lyndsay Goom, Sharon Keegan, Trish Radford, Faith Coy, Kimberli Werner, Bav Davies, Jacob Condor, Drikus Van Der Westhuisen, Margaret Wikely, Gillian Crane, Beverley Ayres, Hugh Jenyns, Clare Jones, Christine Burn, Nigel Morgan, Siobhan Woodland, Ian Crane, Alan Wikeley, Ellen Brookes, Liz Stephenson, re-joined member, Simon McKeown, Louise Mayfield, Kerry Morgan, Tom Levi, Ian Codling and Marian Codling.