The Racecourse, Carlisle on Saturday 20/02/1982 (Senior Ladies)
The fiftieth Senior Women's National Cross-Country Championships took place at Carlisle Racecourse.
At the end of the first lap a trio of runners were at the front, Paula Fudge (Borough of Hounslow AC), Jane Furniss (Sheffield United Harriers) and Kath Binns (Sale Harriers). Following them some 20 metres back were Paula's twin sister Ann Ford (Borough of Hounslow AC), Ruth Smeeth (Aldershot, Farnham & District AC) and Sandra Arthurton (Leeds City AC). At the top of the course Paula Fudge began to pull away and opened a gap on Kath Binns and Jane Furniss. On the second lap Annd Ford passed Binns and Furniss and was closing on Paula Fudge. On the long climb to the finish Fudge was 15 metres ahead of her sister. Despite a good effort from Ann Ford she was unable to close the gap and Paula Fudge won by two seconds in 20:20. Furniss beat Binns to third place.
Winner Paula Fudge (Borough of Hounslow AC)
Paula Fudge told Athletics Weekly "I've done it after all these years, I can't believe it! It's been my dream since last year. I couldn't have been beaten by a better person, but everything went wrong then".
In the team race Sale Harriers retained the trophy with a 32-point victory over Aldershot, Farnham & District AC. Counters for Sale were Kath Binns (4th), Hillary Hollick (8th), Susan Lonsdale (23rd) and Kathryn Pilling (25th). Lynne Harvey's twelfth place help London Olympiades to bronze with 116 points. Coach Don Rowe said: "It was an excellent result although we could have squeezed second place if things had gone right for us. Lynne's run was outstanding, and she did very well to finish 12th."