Middleton Harriers Race Report: Heaton Park in the Last Cross Country Race of the South East Lancashire league 2023/4 Season

The sun hung low in the sky as we gathered at Heaton Park for the grand finale of the turbulent 2023/4 cross-country season. As someone who had missed many races and spent much of the season trailing at the back, this race was a final opportunity to qualify.

Standing at the top of the hill, with Heaton Hall and its iconic lions as our backdrop, the distant sounds of music and laughter from the fun fair below added a touch of surrealism to the moment. I recalled the challenging course ahead, a mixed terrain that demands physical and mental strength, a labyrinth of sharp turns, wet boggy fields, muddy hills, and winding paths strewn with obstacles like fallen leaves, tree roots, and the deep footprints of those who had run before us.

The Southeast Lancashire League races start at 13:20 so you have the whole morning to mindlessly pace and ponder the type of race you might have. A mix of anxiety and excitement built up within me as my emotions take me to the morning of my driving test. It was over 20 years ago but I can recall the nerve-wracking moments before test begins and it reflected in the pit of my stomach at the start line of the cross-country battle that I was about to endure.

As the starting gun cracks a surge of runner’s catapult forward. I found myself settling into my familiar position at the back, a position I had become accustomed to throughout the season. As the landscape unfolded before me, I embraced the gift of time and space running at the back grants and allow my thoughts to surge through my head during the three-laps of the course.

In the latter part of the race, both the metaphorical and literal uphill battle awaited, but as usual, the camaraderie among my Middleton Harriers teammates was nothing short of a welcome boost. It turned my solitary struggle into a collaborative celebration of reaching the finish line that united us once more.

Congratulations to all the Middleton Harriers whether you crossed the finish line once, ten times, or not at all this cross-country season, I hope you found joy in your running.