A re-named Road Running and Cross-Country League got off to a flying start with the Bugibba five kilometre event in mid-October.
Generously sponsored, the initial event attracted no fewer than 144 participants who all benefited from a gift pack at the finish consisting of energy bars, energy drink mixes and a stylised container to see to the hydration needs of athletes during their training and workouts.
However, this was not the only innovation introduced for this nascent winter season. The association had, for some time, been contemplating changes that would benefit the long term development of athletes opting for the longer distances, prominent among which was the introduction of cross-country races as advocated by many renowned athletes who made their mark in the sport at these distances.
In this respect, the season events are to incorporate not only distances of varying lengths, but also to contain two cross-country events, the first of which will be organised on the grass areas within the Marsa Sports Complex next Saturday.
The event for the men’s category is to commence at 8am and will cover a distance of approximately 10,000 metres. The event for women shall be 8,000 metres long and is scheduled to start at 8.45am.
The MAAA has also declared that participants achieving set standards will be considered for registration in the European Cross Country championships, due in Dublin, Ireland, on 13 December.
The association would be willing to back up to two athletes, either for the Open category, or if proving better, athletes in the U-23 or Junior category.
In this respect, those athletes indicating their interest for selection, like promising U-23 runner Alistair Bezzina, will be timed at distances of 6,000, 8,000 as well as the full distance of 10,000 metres. Finishers in the latter event will, of course, have their finish places counting for this year’s league classification.
This innovation will see athletes, individually as well as in the team events, gaining points according to their placing in the series of race events. Thus, the eventual winners will be those that attain the smallest number of aggregate points.
In fact after the first outing, it would be very interesting to note that while established runners like Jonathan Balzan of St Patrick’s, Gerald Grech of AS Libertas and Joseph Saliba of Zurrieq Wolves were the leading contenders and finished within the first four, the Mellieha AC team managed to top the league.
Although it would be folly to forecast a final outcome – Zurrieq Wolves being at par and St Patrick’s not that further back – this season promises to be a sporting battle to remember.
The team event in the women’s league looks more defined after the first round, with the St Patrick’s team enjoying a healthy lead both in the team as well as in the individual events, even if, in the latter, it would be beneficial to the club that it does not show complacency.