The European Cross-Country Championships took place on the 11th December 2005 at Tilburg in the Netherlands. The course was flattish and very muddy in places with synthetic hills to add difficulty. Great Britain had high hopes of individual and team success.
Chalfont St. Peter athlete Gemma Turtle (19), making her Great Britain debut in a very strong Junior Women's Team (U20), competed in the first race of this International meeting.
The team ran very strongly with 16 year old Emily Pidgeon (Gloucester AC) leading the way with a silver medal winning run finishing only 3 secs behind the winner from Romania. Behind her the team was packing very well and she was followed home by Morag MacLarty (Central Scotland) in 6th place and Stephanie Twell (Aldershot Farnham & Dist) in 7th place.
As in the Trials Gemma was battling with Sian Edwards (Kettering AC) for the 4th scoring position and again narrowly missed out with just one second between them for 15th and 17th places respectively. The 6th member of the team, Nicola Sykes (Bedford & County) finished 23rd.
Such was the high finishing places of all girls the Great Britain team comfortably placed first to win the gold medals ahead of Romania and Russia in 2nd and 3rd places.
Gemma was very pleased with her run and the whole experience of travelling with the International squad, and especially the European Championship gold medal.
After her efforts she was able to support the Great Britain Junior Men's team as they won team silver medals, with Andy Vernon (Aldershot Farnham & Dist) winning individual silver. And that was followed by the Senior Women's race with the GB team also winning silver with Hayley Yelling (6th) and Liz Yelling (8th). The Senior Men's team finished 6th.
Gary Howells
Coach
Chiltern Harriers AC