"National XC Championships. Mud. Alton Towers. Mud!"

"The start will be by gun. A warning will be given three minutes before each race . Athletes should assemble behind the line of their pen. They will be instructed to move to the line by the Start Stewards one minute before the gun. Athletes should line up one behind the other in the pen allocated"

So read the introductory programme notes to the Saucony English National Cross Country Championships 2011, held once again at Alton Towers. It all sounds so under control, but by 3.15pm the running of the 124th Senior Men's race was already running fifteen minutes late, had been reduced in distance by 2k due to health and safety reasons (vehicles couldn't get to the far aside of the deep valley course and the venue at one stage wanted to cancel the whole event), and although this is always an A race for me I knew it was going to be one when it was an achievement just to finish, and so it proved!

Several days of solid rain had turned the course into a 4k loop of mud with literally no runnable hard ground. In fact the best part of the course for me was the long hill which twisted and turned and for once I really enjoyed, making up quite a few places on each lap!

The photos show the tent /changing area, my final sprint finish (where I didn't walk on water!) and a happy group of Harriers all changed and ready for home!

I ran probably the slowest 10k of my career in 58.55 ( scoring for Macclesfield Harriers in both the six and nine men team events) but had a great time out there and it was a fitting end to a very good cross country season.

Weekly mileage 31. Annual mileage 216 (week 7). Races 5.