Polish XC Champs in Bydgoszcz (© Grzegorz Kowalski)
Bydgoszcz PolandThe weather conditions had been unfavourable for several weeks before the Polish Cross Country Championships which took place on Sunday 14 March in Myslecinek Park, the venue for the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships (Sunday 28 March), thus making the course a real challenge.
You should have seen the conditions! The deep snow cap had melted, leaving the ground wet and muddy and then, on the very day of the event, it was snowing again. It was truly a traditional ‘mud and guts’ cross country course.
“It was a course for endurance athletes, not sprinters,” said Marian Nowakowski , the coach of Katarzyna Kowalska from Vectra Wroclaw who won the race.
The journalists were eager to find out whether, after running in such conditions, her running shoes could still be used again. “Yes, they just need a thorough washing,” replied the coach.
“We expected a better result, hoping the race would be faster. It was an important test for us. However, it was really difficult to run in that mud. The aim we will strive for during the World Cross Country Championships is a place in the first 30,” added Nowakowski.
Nearly 600 runners participated in the event. Among the senior men the best in 12km turned out to be Marcin Chabowski from WKS Flota Gdynia (reaching the time 38:42) and a local runner Blazej Brzezinski from MUKS Bydgoszcz who came fifth (reaching the time 39:31) and thus managed to qualify to the national team.
Maciej Lopatto (Bydgoszcz LOC) for the IAAF
RESULTS
Women 8 km:
1. KOWALSKA Katarzyna 85 LKS VECTRA-DGS Wloclawek 28:59
2. BAK Justyna 74 KS Pietka Katowice 29:16
3. JERZYK Agnieszka 88 KS 64-sto Leszno 30:11
4. JAWOR Aleksandra 86 CKS Budowlani Czestochowa 30:18
5. CIOLEK Agnieszka 85 AZS-AWF Wroclaw 30:41
6. LEWANDOWSKA Iwona 85 LKS VECTRA-DGS Wloclawek 30:48 7.
Men 12 km:
1. CHABOWSKI Marcin 86 WKS Flota Gdynia 38:42
2. GARDZIELEWSKI Arkadiusz 86 WKS Slask Wroclaw 38:55
3. POCZWARDOWSKI Kamil 84 KB Sporting Miedzyzdroje 39:14
4. ZALEWSKI Krystian 89 UKS Barnim Goleniów 39:18
5. BRZEZINSKI Blazej 87 MUKS Bydgoszcz 39:31
6. CICHOCKI Jaroslaw 71 AZS-AWF Gorzów 39:52
Click here for Detailed Results
