Ndayisenga Leads Stags to Cross Country League Title

Jean Ndayisenga maintained his 100% record with a third victory in the final Birmingham and District League Division Two race at in Coventry last Saturday. The 25-year Burundian runner who lives in Highgate completed the demanding twelve kilometres course in Coundon’s Rookery Park in a time of 39 minutes 22 seconds to win by seventeen seconds from Cannock and Stafford’s Chris Powner.

Ndayisenga who has been the Perry Barr club’s outstanding performer in the autumn and winter campaign was deservedly named Athlete of the month for February.

22 year old Oliver Teasel who is primarily an 800 metres runner who has improved from eighth to fourth in earlier races continued his progress to accomplish a splendid Top Three finish five seconds under forty minutes.
Another track runner Abdul Abdulrahman who is a sub four minute miler appeared shell shocked by the severity of the course but stuck doggedly to his task to achieve a Top Twenty finish in 42:51.
Club stalwart Steve Edmonds who is now part of the club management team placed 22^nd in 43 mins 13 seconds just one place and four seconds ahead of another 800 metres runner Marc Turner. Peter Dimbleby in his first winter in a black vest ran exceptionally well to complete the scoring six in 28^th position in 43:48.
Going into the crucially important final fixture the Stags held a wafer thin four points advantage over their closest challengers Staffordshire Moorlands. Holding their nerve, Birchfield Harriers were first A team on the day with 97 points from Moorlands by seven points. This victory confirmed the Perry Barr club as Birmingham and District League Division Two Champions for the season 2006/07 by a margin of eleven points and re instates the Stags to what they consider to be their rightful place in the top flight of the League. Staffs Moorlands were second on the day and second overall and they along with Kidderminster and Stourport were also promoted to Division One for next winter.
The Birchfield Masters team won bronze medals in the B team competition. Their scorers were 81st Don Field; 96th Gordon Orme; 122nd Bill Aldridge; 134th Brian Worthington; 136th Robin Davies; 145th Tony Frain.

59-year old Davies from Streetly and 62-year old Frain from Erdington who had both ran for the Stags as teenagers at the old Alexander Stadium more than four decades ago made last minute decisions to commit themselves to tackling a course that was cross country in every sense when they realised that the B team were two men short.

Alf Tupper would surely have been proud of their achievements. 

Tom McCook

22 February 2007