By, Brian Sacks
1 min read
Richard Goodman, 17, converted meticulous preparation into perfect execution in winning the Under 20 South of England cross country championship in cold and muddy conditions at Parliament Hill in north west London.
Pushing hard from the start, he broke away after 1km and had extended his lead to 100m by the end of the 8km race.
Goodman said: "I was mindful of the problems last year in the Under 17 race, when I was out on my own and had to stop and ask for directions at points where the course was unmarked. So I arrived in good time and walked round the course with my coach Geoff Williams, taking note of the hills, the muddy parts and any other potential problems. It set me up for what was almost a perfect race".
Goodman's next test is the Under 20 National Championships at Alton Towers in a fortnight.
Sam Shindler-Glass, of Ealing, Southall and Middlesex Athletics Club, came a creditable 31st out of 262 finishers in the Under 15 race.
He said: "The hills, mud and ice made it a really tough race and I could see several other runners dropping out, so I was satisfied with my position."
Shindler-Glass, 14, is a joint-winner of the 2010 Daniel Sacks Award for young athletes.