Inter-Services Cross-Country Championships 2024
ARRC NEWS
Ex TELEMARK TITAN 24
Lt Col Harry Wallace , Deputy Chief PAO
This year January saw the ARRC Telemark ski team return for a second consecutive year to the resort of Pralognan-La-Vanoise for EX TELEMARK TITAN , the Army and Great Britain Telemark ski championships in its bid to add to the successful medal tally of 2023 and to promote the good name of the HQ in a military and civilian sporting environment . After a long but thankfully incident free overnight drive to the French Alps , the ARRC ski team reacquainted itself with the other competitors and the race committee headed by former HQ ARRC Chief JFIB , Brigadier Matt Birch . We managed to pull through some telemarking continuity with three of the four members of this year ’ s team having competed in the 2023 competition which got us off on a solid footing . Leading the charge was Col Richard Smith with Majors Harry Wallace and Garrett O ’ Leary in support and following up as a first timer to the sport was Maj Kate Jacka .
With ample snow and sunshine but notoriously low temperatures associated with the resort for this time of year , the circa 100 eligible competitors were drafted into groups according to ability and level or race ambition . The training began in earnest immediately with three of the four ARRC team members finding their way into second group from the top and a strong chance of competing in the Army and GB championship level competition . We also took under our administrative wing Maj Lori Seed , a Royal Artillery staff officer from APC with a strong pedigree in alpine skiing , having skied for the Army and gained her colours but yet to try her hand at telemarking .
With less than two weeks from start to finish of the exercise , there were no scheduled training breaks , so the first week was all about refining the telemark skiing technique and applying this to the racing gates under the expert team of instructors from L ’ École du Ski Français ( ESF ). All of them excellent skiers and many with ski racing experience at national level . We progressed to ski race jumping towards the end of the week and were then straight into the seeding race . At this stage we lost Major Garrett O ’ Leary who had to return to the UK to start his new role on posting to Army HQ which left Colonel Rich Smith and Major Harry Wallace qualified to ski in the Army and GB Championship of circa 60 competitors and Major Kate Jacka as our sole representative in the Development competition .
As race week progressed the weather deteriorated which made for challenging but not impossible race conditions and the committee , ably supported by the ESF , pulled out all the stops to ensure that all discipline races were run to include elements of Giant Slalom , jumps , looms and a skate section . Sadly , due to the evident avalanche threat , we lost the opportunity to run the crosscountry mountain race and more importantly , for the ARRC team to better its silver medal of the previous year . We did however win team gold in the combined event with consistently improving race scores with team captain , Major Harry Wallace finishing just outside the top 10 in the overall championship and Col Richard Smith hot on his heels . Major Lori Seed was rarely out of the medals in the female category and went on to be selected for the Army team . Major Kate Jacka acquitted herself admirably in the Development competition for a first season on telemark skis and we hope to see her back in Jan 2025 .
Lt Col Luca Ferendeles ( ITA ), JFIB , will be heading up the ARRC team for EX TELEMARK TITAN 25 so please liaise with him directly for further details .
Inter-Services Cross-Country Championships 2024
One gloomy , wet January morning I received an email that lifted my mood ; I had been selected to run for the Army in the Inter- Services Championships – the all-important race between the British Army , Navy and RAF . I had been running as part of the ARRC Cross-Country Team ( the Allied Rapid Running Club ) throughout the winter season , and my results at those races were enough to scrape me a place on the Army team . This was my first selection for the Army athletics team , as in previous years my focus had been on rock climbing , so it was satisfying to see that my hard work in training had paid off .
I spent the next few weeks in Poland on Exercise BRILLIANT JUMP 24 , making it somewhat harder to fit in some last-minute training around work . This resulted in some ( very ) early mornings with a headtorch on doing laps around a park - not quite the same enjoyment levels as my usual trail runs around the Cotswolds hills . Nevertheless , I persevered to make sure I was in good shape for the race ; being my first time running for the Army , I was feeling the pressure to be fast !
As the exercise ended , I took a flight home from Poland and had only a few hours to sort out my kit , eat and sleep before I made the 4-hour drive down to HMS Raleigh , on the Southwest Coast . There I met my teammates , we were presented with our prestigious Army running vests and then received a brief on the race : the same route for males and females , it was to be 5 miles around an extremely muddy
route and included two puddles that were waist deep … sounded like my kind of route ! As we went outside to warm up the heavens opened , granting us with classic crosscountry weather . After a quick pep talk from the team captain ( in summary , beat the RAF and Navy !) we were off , sliding around in the mud to the cheers of the crowds . It was one of the toughest courses I have done , several people fell face first in the puddles , but this made it even more enjoyable . I was relieved to make it over the finish line still on my feet , exhausted but happy .
After some quick calculations , the results were in . Success for the Army ! First place in all three female categories and two of the three male categories . It was the perfect end to a tough , but fantastic day . I felt so proud to represent the Army and run alongside such high-level runners , and it has inspired me to keep training for the next challenge .
If you are interested in joining the Allied Rapid Running Club , look out for the posters and the notices on the ARRC weekly bulletin . Open to military and civil servants , all running abilities welcome !
12 SUMMER 2024 the imjin