James Nipperess has claimed the silver medal at the NSW long course cross country over the weekend. Competing in the open 12km event at Willandra on the NSW South Coast, Nipperess ran a smart race in pursuit of his maiden NSW open cross country title.
The race began at a modest pace, with plenty of athletes in contention over the opening lap. The lead pack gradually reduced down as the athletes approached 8km, then on the final lap at the top of the infamous Willandra hill, Nipperess made his bid for glory. Using downhill momentum, he moved into the lead and ran hard down the winding slope. With only one athlete on his heels over the remaining 2km, he pushed hard and tried to kick once more as the two approached 300m to go. Unfortunately he was passed on the rise up to the finish, but carried on well to post a commendable result.
Nipperess said "I think the first two laps were like 13:30, not fast. Ryan went at the hill on the third lap, so i followed and then tried to run away down the hill."
On his result "I'm very happy. I really wanted to win. I did everything I could."
Nipperess' next race will be at the NSW Road Relay Championships on 10th July. There, he will be joined by fellow Running2London athletes Jeffrey Hunt and Emma Rilen when they each represent their club in the annual relay event in Wollongong.
