[Dan_R]

Sunday 2nd April
BBC2 12:35 - 13:40

Phil Jones with action from day two of the World Cross Country Championship at Fukuoka in Japan. Three more world titles are up for grabs - the men's long course and junior events, plus the women's short course crown, won last year as part of a double by Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba. Paul Dickenson and Liz McColgan provide commentary.

Gavin will be running in the final of the long race. Anyone know how long this is? I'm guessing it will be about 12k.

 

[chrisity]

gavin was the first brit on a very windy day. well done to him. it was an intersting course as they basically built some mounds on a flat parkland.

reports and info on http://www.iaaf.org/WXC06/index.html

 

[Gavin Thompson]

Thanks! The course was made to suit the africans, meaning it was very fast and relatively flat. There was no mud and the hills were small. The day of the long course race the wind decided to blow a gail. Every time we hit the long 200m home stretch the wind just hit us almost like running into a brick wall. We had to run into this wind a lot as the course was 6 laps of a 2km course. I also felt that the course had a lot of bends in it so it was a little hard to get into a real rytham. I ended up 77th and first Brit home which was ok but I was aimming for top 70. I manged to run strong but I felt that I didn't fully recover from the Commonwealth games which was the weekend before the World Cross plus the travelling took a little more out of me than I had hoped.

I hope everyones runnng is going well and I wish everyone the best of luck in their next race.

 

[steepler]

Gavin.
I remember Spencer Duval saying much the same at the world xc in Durham and then dropping out!
Remember Joh Ngugi beat Tim Hutchings on a mudbath course in Stavanger.
Great to see you bounce back and run well after the commenwealths.What happened to Ben Noad at the world xc?
Go Crawley BOY!

 

[Gavin Thompson]

Hi Steepler,

Not too sure what happen to Ben Noad he didn't really talk about it after the race and no one wanted to ask him because it was a sore subject with him. I think he ran out of steam. He was up with me going into the fourth lap I believe, then when we hit the home stretch and the wind kicked in he went back and that was the last time I saw him during the race. I think Bob Ashwood makes a comment about Ben on the ukathletic website. Sorry I can't be much help!

 

[ajtuna]

Good performance Gavin, well done.

The course was certainly not what we come to expect of a cross country - very tame. Did I hear that next years championships are in Kenya? It will be interesting to see what kind of course that is.

 

[Gavin Thompson]

Next years course is in Kenya. I am told it will be on a golf course which is situated on a cliff top!...should be interested but I still predict it will be suited to the Africans!

 

[chrisity]

what sort of course wouldn't be suited to the Africans? maybe nudge a few over the cliff..:d

 

[steepler]

I think the Africans can run well on anything!
Durham 1995 was a 'traditional' course and they cleaned up!

 

[everest2005]

I think the Africans can run well on anything!
Durham 1995 was a 'traditional' course and they cleaned up!

Talking of the North East, I notice the national XC is in Sunderland next year. I'll have to try and get myself out for that one.

 

[Dan_R]

Talking of the North East, I notice the national XC is in Sunderland next year. I'll have to try and get myself out for that one.

Yep, I'm hoping to do that one as well. I've never competed in a 'national' event before - should be something to look forward to.