Andy Gore is a proud member of the Birmingham Cross-Country League 100-club.

The longstanding Cheltenham Harriers runner competed in his 106^th race on Saturday, which is some feat of endurance because the league has just the four meetings each season.

“Yes, it is something I’m quite proud of,” he said. “I wasn’t aware of quite how many I had run. Someone at the club asked me how many I’d competed in so I checked back through all the results over the years.”

There is one more meeting this season – at Burton Dassett Hills Country Park on Saturday 11^th February – and if, as he intends to, Gore runs that he will be one behind the club record held by Derek Hobby.

“It means I’ve got to carry on next season,” joked 53-year-old Gore, who was 92^nd at the weekend. “I’ve got a vague recollection of Derek, I think our careers just overlapped.”

Indeed they did because Hobby ran his 108^th and final race in 1990, four years after Gore had made his debut in the league as a fresh-faced 17-year-old when he ran as a youth.

That first meeting was a Division Two race at Princethorpe College, near Rugby, and the former Bournside School student enjoyed a promising start, finishing 21^st.

Since then he has enjoyed three top 10 finishes in Division Two – his best was eighth at Halesowen in November 1996 – while his best Division One finish was 31st at Pittville Park in Cheltenham in February 1998.

“I’ve never been an amazingly good runner but I’ve been a good club standard runner,” said Gore, who also enjoys running on the track and the roads in the summer.

Cheltenham are currently mid-table in Division Two of the Birmingham League and Gore is enjoying his cross-country as much as ever.

“It’s hard work but it’s good fun,” he said.

“It’s different from a track or road race when you are running a specific distance – 800 metres or 3,000 metres on the track or 10K on the road where it’s all about the time.

“Your time is irrelevant in cross-country, it’s a true race against other people. It’s not the time, it’s where you finish. The higher you finish the better it is for the team.”

Gore first ran for Cheltenham Harriers in the mid-1980s so it’s fair to say he is a true team man.

“I enjoy all running full stop,” he said. “Over the years I’ve done everything from 400 metres up to 50 miles. I’ve run 29 marathons, including 10 in London, I’ve done a few ultras and I’ve even done a couple of Ironman triathlons in South Africa and Bolton in the UK.”

That’s very good going, of course, and while he looks certain to go past Derek Hobby’s record for Cheltenham Harriers later this year, he admits he’s unlikely to set a new Birmingham League record.

“No chance,” said Gore. “Andrew Nock, who runs for Halesowen, has run 164 Birmingham League races. His younger brother Bill has run in the 140s, and they’re both still running!”