The European Cross-Country Championships take place on the 11th December 2005 at Tilburg in the Netherlands. The fast flattish course at Sefton Park was chosen as the Trial venue to replicate the course in Tilburg and is also a great place for spectators to view the races.
Chalfont St. Peter athlete Gemma Turtle (19), running in the colours of first claim club Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, was taking part and was determined to give herself every chance of making the Great Britain Junior Team (U20). Even more so as this was her final opportunity of earning a Junior GB vest after previous winter campaigns when injury problems left her just short of qualification. She moves into the Senior age group on 1 January 2006.
To add to the pressure all six members of GB's Junior Team that competed at the World CC Championships in March 2005 were competing, including Emily Pidgeon (European Junior 5000m champion) and Morag Maclarty (European Junior 1500m champion), along with several other in-form athletes.
Gemma ran strongly from the start of the 3 lap, 4.8k course and was always in the leading group which gradually trimmed down through the race. Gradually Pidgeon (Gloucester AC) and Stephanie Twell (Aldershot Farnham & Dist) moved away in the lead but Gemma was well placed in the next three and a gap had opened up behind 5th place.
Sefton Park has a longish run into the finish. With Pidgeon and Twell finishing 1st and 2nd, Nicola Sykes (Bedford & County) getting ahead for 3rd, Gemma was in a battle for the automatic 4th selection place with Sian Edwards (Kettering AC) but just missed out and had to settle for 5th place. Morag MacLarty (recently named Scotland's Athlete of the Year) in 6th finished 50 metres behind Gemma with a string of quality athletes on her heels.
Final selection for the remaining two team places was due to be made on the Monday, which meant an anxious wait for Gemma and the Scottish athlete. However the selectors had no doubts and made an early decision to select the first six finishers.
Naturally Gemma was absolutely delighted with her performance and achieving one of her ambitions to run for Great Britain. She is still a member of Chiltern Harriers AC and will be competing for them in the Buckinghamshire AA County cross-country Championships at Stowe School on 17 December 2005.
Gary Howells
Coach
Chiltern Harriers AC