Last-lap trip can’t stop a Burling win
RYAN BURLING has dominated Guernsey’s road-running scene and is now looking to take this to the country – an Inter Counties vest being the eventual target.
He announced his return from injury on Saturday with a bold front-run on the testing Stonecrusher Short loop, making his FNB Cross Country Series debut, as in-form Jenny James produced a measured effort to take women’s honours.
But Burling, who clocked 15min. 32sec., has never won a local race by so fine a margin.
The returning Richard Friedrich had him in his sights for much of the undulating three-miler and, capitalising on a final-lap tumble from the race-long leader, eventually finished just four seconds behind.
These runners had been part of an impressive line-up – featuring a potent mix of established and up-and-coming athletes.
The winner said after what was only his second cross-country race on local soil: ‘I’ve only been back running properly for two weeks and I thought it was going to be close.
‘I’ve heard Richard’s running really well, so I thought I’ve got to go off really hard and just hang on. It seemed to work and I seemed to be going quite well until I fell, then I just had to really, really work hard for the last bit.
‘Luckily I just about had enough, so that was it – really good fun.’
More in Monday's Guernsey Press.
