Remember those schooldays when you went on those muddy, slippery horrible Cross-country runs and you learnt to hate it. Well it does not really change as an adult, but the benefits of those tough, grueling, leg sapping runs are there is no better way of building both strength and stamina in both your running and your muscles. Forget the gym Cross-country running over 5 miles or so will strengthen those legs more than many hours pumping iron and using exercise machines.
Many club runners who compete in Marathons tend to ignore Cross-country as they feel the distance is too short, but at Great Bentley Running Club we totally dismiss this. A 5 mile cross-country can seem like 10 miles to your legs and the feeling you get in those legs when they tighten up and ache as you try to keep going is very much what you feel on your last 6 miles in a marathon. Many at the club feel cross-country is a vital part of your marathon training.

Our route to Cross-country success.
In 1990 the club joined the Today's Runner Cross Country League. We were entered into the North Essex Division. Originally there were clubs in this league, we became the ninth. For the first few years the clubs target was "Not to finish bottom of the Cross Country League "This did not always prove easy, but it was achievable. From the time Ray Broad took over there seemed to be a running (sorry ) joke - at the annual cross country meeting , Ray would tell the other clubs - this would be our year. On paper this was possible, but we never seemed to get all the runners out at the same time. The idea was that we gained promotion from our pool in the league to go to the top pool, though we knew in all probability that we would go back down.

In 1994 the possibility of promotion was further away than ever as the club finished bottom of the league (with a record low score ever of 8 points from 6 races) , due to many injuries and members leaving . 1995 saw the usual objective return - don't finish bottom, and with new runners and returning old members, this was easily achieved. 1996 was the first time the club could think of promotion, though we proved not quite strong enough over the whole season. It was in 1999/2000 that promotion was actually achieved , a fitting tribute to Derek Cook's final reign as Chairman and the club went on to the final near Leicester , though due to marathon training , many members did not attend , a great day out was had by those that did go.
Great Bentley Running Club have built a reputation to be proud of. Over 5 years we have worked our way from wooden spooner's par excellence to in the 1999-2000 season winning Pool B. It is tough continuing at this high standard, but it will not be without us giving it 100%.

CROSS COUNTRY SEASON 2004-05

It all started off at Gt. Notley this season in the most un cross country like conditions imaginable. From the very start we knew we would struggle with only a few of our regular runners appearing at this event.
Event two was at Landseer Park, Ipswich and a much better turn out - we were up to strength and it showed. The first race had possibly lulled Harwich into a false sense of security as we did so badly, this time two points were pulled back thanks to Pool B side Halstead slipping.
The next event was the extremely muddy Halstead, some found the going tough but again the club pulled through and finished joint 4th with hosts Halstead, who are always strong at home.
Event four , Hylands Park - one of the easier one's and a total contrast to Halstead , very little mud and good wide open space to get some pace going . From now on there would be no excuses from either club about missing runners , even though we were never at full strength we had enough depth at all races bar the first to cover this.
Event five was Hadleigh, some hard hills here and we thought it might be touch and go but we just managed a strong team at the last minute, the women saved us from defeat here as the men were beaten by Harwich , but depth overall showed through
Last event - Hilly fields and after much worry with a few missing and wondering if we would get a strong men's team out, it all turned out fine. We knew all we had to do was hold Harwich to within one place, as it was, victory made it irrelevant and we survived in pool A for the first time ever with an easier than expected victory and one of our best scores of the season - 296!

Here is the full list of GBRC runners and final League tables for 2004 - 05.

GBRC runners

 
Race Venue & points scored
Male
Witham
Ipswich
Halstead
Chelmsford
Hadleigh
Colchester
Total points
Aijay Bheekary
 
 
20
7
 
4
31
Peter Pearce
 
8
9
13
8
16
54
Geoff Tomlinson
 
22
29
24
23
14
112
Jon Nears
 
24
30
33
15
 
102
Jeff Wharton
27
38
48
44
33
47
237
Martyn Patterson
23
36
 
 
 
 
59
Andy Kearton
 
53
45
53
45
28
224
Clive Jones
 
50
42
 
 
 
92
Rik Van Looy
 
54
56
69
 
 
179
Fred Bees
52
73
40
 
73
72
310
Matt Anderson
 
68
 
 
61
57
186
Andrew Owen
105
109
115
 
94
73
496
Jon Bolton
125
155
124
121
119
116
760
Frank Gardiner
140
161
139
144
134
128
846
Brian Telford
130
148
170
 
 
 
448
John McKay
161
170
165
168
158
141
963
Larry Wise
160
174
166
169
159
142
970
Stephen Cartwright
164
 
 
 
160
145
469
Kevin Colyer
 
 
 
153
 
 
153
Dave Mills
 
 
 
 
 
140
140
Dean King
170
 
 
 
 
148
318
Peter Reeve
 
186
 
 
 
 
186
Paul Blackwell
 
 
169
 
 
 
169
Mark Ross
97
 
 
 
 
 
97
Keith Porter
174
 
 
 
 
 
174
               
Ladies
              
Lucy Wescott
17
 
 
16
17
19
69
Michelle Van Looy
13
12
 
13
20
18
76
Nikki Bennett
39
33
25
23
24
26
170
Becky McQuorquodale
 
 
32
29
34
24
119
Lindsay Horton
 
 
 
 
50
36
86
Joanne McKay
 
44
 
53
 
 
97
Kim Chatting
31
37
38
 
 
 
106
Barbara Law
59
 
 
55
45
42
201
Indi Allen
58
 
56
54
 
 
168
Rita Page
 
76
 
68
 
 
144
Paula Bolton
38
 
 
 
 
 
38
Sue McKay
65
64
 
 
56
49
234
               

Final League tables

Race Venue & points scored
Team
Witham
Ipswich
Halstead
Chelmsford
Hadleigh
Colchester
Total points
HAVERHILL
4
1
1
3
3
1
13
TIPTREE
2
4
3
4
2
2
17
WITHAM
6
2
2
2
5
4
21
GRANGE FARM
5
5
4
1
1
5
21
MID/HADLEIGH
1
3
5
5
4
6
24
HALSTEAD
7
7
8.5
6
6
3