Dannatt claims the biggest win of her career

The CAU Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships traditionally signify the close of the cross country season. Hundreds of athletes headed to the mud ridden Prestwold Hall to take part this year in the event doubling as the final Cross Challenge in the series.

With the amount of rain dumped on the country recently there was no doubt that the course would’ve been deep in mud, and that it was. Athletes fought for their county as they bounded through the relentless, thick clay. The tough 10km course turned out to be a slightly soul destroying 1.3km longer too for good measure!

After the postponement of the World University Cross Country in Marrakech due to coronavirus, Charlotte Dannatt made a last-minute decision to race but wasn’t it a good job she did? Dannatt took home the biggest win of her career and admitted after she didn’t quite know how the break the tape!

Charlotte Dannatt & @Mahamed1920 claim the Inter Counties titles as @KateAvery12& Mahamed take Cross Challenge titles.

Our report from the Cross Challenge series finale in Loughborough here #MuddyBrilliant https://t.co/AP9ynBkYSe

— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) March 7, 2020

The silver medal went to Oxfordshire’s Jess Gibbon, who has had an absolutely storming cross country season. After winning the Southern cross country, coming 4th at nationals, and dominating the Hampshire league, Gibbon said goodbye to cross country in style.

She also claimed 4th in the overall cross challenge series rankings. The third-place podium position went to Phillipa Williams of the North East after a cracking run. Williams ran at the World Mountain Running Championships last year and put her strength on the uphills to good use.

In fourth place was Dani Chattenton of the MK Distance Project. The 1500m runner has also had a brilliant season and was also selected for the World University team. In fifth place and gaining the winning title for the overall Cross Challenge series was cross country queen, Kate Avery. After racing at the European Cross-Country Championships for the seventh time in December and winning the Stirling Cross Challenge, Avery was a truly well-deserved winner.

Mahamed and Hickey the men to beat as Evans impresses again

In the men’s race, Mahamed Mahamed also gave an impressive performance to take home the gold medal. After Mahamed and Hickey pushed away from the main pack after the first half of the race, Mahamed stormed ahead to create a 15 second gap. Mahamed not only took the race win, but also captured the winning prize for the overall Cross Challenge Series for the third time.

Hickey came through in a convincing second place, a solid 39 seconds ahead of third place. The Essex athlete tied his laces on extra tightly after losing a shoe at the nationals and kept both feet in his spikes has he put in yet another impressive XC display.

Hickey was followed by ultra-runner, Tom Evans, who took home is first ever podium finish in the Inter-Counties with a stunning performance. The versatility of Sussex athlete is a very rare thing probably in world let alone British athletics. A man who can race 100k+ plus on the trails and yet still build new speed to use over the cross and on the roads.

South Wales’ James Hunt came in fourth after winning the Welsh XC Championships and Trafford 10km over the last two weeks. In fifth place after becoming English champion was Calum Johnson.

@Mahamed1920 rounds off the day with victory in the senior men’s race in 37:21 #MuddyBrilliant pic.twitter.com/ZXGYWCSeUU

— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) March 7, 2020

In the South East Lancashire League, more athletes took to the muddy fields of the UK. Craig Jones of M/R Ymca took home the winning title with a lead of 1 minute 20 seconds. Jones finished ahead of East Cheshire’s Robin Horner and Tim Greenald who came in second and third.

M/r Ymca also took the win in the senior women’s race as Rebecca Whalley was first to cross the line. It was Hayley Simpson from East Cheshire who followed 15 seconds behind Whalley. The bronze medal finish went to Heather Hughes, Whalley’s clubmate.

Out of the mud.

Not racing, but instead on pacing duty, was Charlotte Purdue. Purdue proved that her marathon build up is in full swing as she managed to knock out a time of 1:10.26 through half way at the Nagoya Marathon.

Griffiths maintaining his racing streak

The Llanelli Half did not disappoint producing some fast times and fine performances. Luckily the sun shone for the athletes. After running at the Big Half last weekend and finishing 17th in 65:53 and racing the Welsh XC Champs the week before, Dewi Griffiths secured himself a convincing win in a rapid 66:52.

Griffiths was followed by Luke Williams (Guernsey) with a personal best by over 2 minutes in 69:53. Third position was claimed by Matthew Rees of Swansea in 71:04. In the women’s race the times were just as speedy.

Natasha Cockram secured herself the position at the top of the podium, doing International Woman’s Day proud. Cockram, who is coached by Tony Houchin set a half personal best of 75:27 with a five-minute lead. Second place went to Carys Hughes (Cardiff) in 1:20:35 and third place went to Rachel Davies (Swansea) in 1:23:36.

Knight & Escalante-Phillips win Cambridge Half

At the Saucony Cambridge Half Marathon, Cambridge and Coleridge dominated over the flat course that goes through the colleges of the beautiful University city. Jonathon Escalante-Phillips landed himself the victory title in a rapid 65:36, a PB after a fine 2019.

Escalante-Phillips was over 90s ahead of second place Chris Darling, also of C&C, with a time of 67:10, a lifetime best by just under two minutes. Alex Milne, recently selected to run for England over 100k, took third place in 67:25.

C&C dominated once again in the women. It was Victoria Knight who took home the win and was just seconds off her PB clocking 74:45. In second place with a time of 77:16 was Emma Hodson of Cambridge University Hare and Hounds with a best time by 2 minutes 45 seconds. The third-place medal went to Katie Brown (Trent Park RC) in 79:53.

Quick times clocked in Chester

At the Aldi Chester 10k, after also being disappointed by the postponement of the World University Cross Country, Dan Jarvis made a last-minute decision to race in his first ever road 10k. Jarvis had a cracking run to smash the 30-minute barrier.

The Bedford & County AC athlete crossed the line in a solid 29:45 to take the win from Kadar Omar of Birchfield Harriers in 30:15 . Omar boasts a PB of 28:39, which he set at Telford back in December. Third place went to Ian Crowe-Wright in a strong 30:33.

The winner of the women’s race was Charnwood athlete and British distance legend, Gemma Steel. Steel ran across the line in 36:22. Tessa McCormick (Vale Royal) shortly followed behind in 36:45 ahead of Joanna Marsden (Ellesmere Port) in 37:09.

Massive congratulations to the female winner of the 3rd @ALDIUK #Chester10K Gemma Steele in a time of 36.22! pic.twitter.com/X5LBImTK9K

— Chester Marathon, Half and 10K (@chestermarathon) March 8, 2020

Bell & MacLeod claim Crawford 10km titles

The Jack Crawford 10k continued a weekend of fast road times. In first place, with an impressive time of 30:57, was John Bell (I.A.C) finishing just five seconds off of his lifetime best time. Corstorphine AAC runner, man Mark Haskett set a PB by over a minute with 32:34 for 2nd. Rounding off the men’s podium was Kevin Liddle of Garscube Harriers in 32:45, another PB by 52 seconds.

The first female finisher, also from Corstorphine AAC, was Jessica MacLeod. The U20 athlete ran an impressive 38:54. In second place, Ruth Fraser-moodie (Springburn Harriers) crossed the line in 39:47. Charlene Kelly (Dumbarton AAC) was third woman in 41:06.

Rounding up the roads

Johnny Van Deventer took home the win at RunThrough Victoria Park 10k clocking 31:27, in his first ever 10km race. In 32:27, Angus Butler of Herne Hill proved the massive progression he has made over the past few years. With a previous personal best of 36:41 set in 2017, Butler took over four minutes off of his time. Third place was claimed by Erik Fossen Nilsen in 33:16. For the women, Sophie Ballie took to win in 41:05 followed by Heather Wilson and Konstantina Rapti in 41:59 and 42:41 respectively. The half marathon event shows some very odd chip times so we won’t even go there…

Marshall Smith (73:23) and Kana Akimoto (90:20) took the Lydd Half Marathon titles.

The win at the Surrey Half Marathon went to Ben Cole (Tonbridge). Cole stopped the clock on 70:22, 33 seconds ahead of second placed Max Dumbrell. The Horsham Blue Star runner crossed the line 70:55 ahead of third placed Alastair Cambell 71:12. The women’s title was claimed by Katie Harbon of North Herts with a personal best by almost eight minutes in 82:44. Rebecca Hair was second in 83:58 and Becky Morrish completed the women’s podium in 84:44.

At the Surrey Half 5k it was the juniors who came to the fore with some storming runs. U17 athlete Ryan Symington (Poole AC) had a fantastic run in his first ever road 5k, the junior ran an impressive time of 15:29. Stephen Blake crossed the line at the exact same time, also 15:29 for a rare tie. In second position, just one second behind the winners was Max Duckworth (AFD) also an U17 athlete.

Third place went to Charlie Kershaw (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) in 15:39 in his road 5k debut. For the women, Junior athlete Jemima Ridley claimed the win with a time of 19:03. Guildford & Godalming’s U13 athlete, Katie Pye ran her first sub 20 time for the 5k distance, stopping the clock on 19:20. Third was claimed by Emmie Savory in 19:25, also her first sub-20 clocking.

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The post Dannatt & Mahamed win Inter-Counties – weekend round up appeared first on Fast Running.

Jenny Nesbitt and Adam Hickey won the senior battles at the Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships at Loughborough’s Prestwold Hall on Saturday (March 9).

In tough conditions, Nesbitt produced a superb final loop to run down Jess Piasecki and claim victory in the senior women’s race.

Hickey meanwhile required a sprint finish to deny Euro Cross trials winner Ross Millington the victory, earning auto-selection to a British team for the first time since 2015.

Nesbitt, running for Worcestershire, chased down the Greater Manchester athlete’s near seven-second lead on the final loop of the 10km course to cut the tape first in 37:52.

Piasecki held off the challenge of Mhairi MacLennan to take the second automatic qualification spot in 38:05, one second ahead of the Scotland East athlete.

Photo: JHM Sport

North East’s Kate Avery finished in fourth place to secure the overall Cross Challenge title from Piasecki by six points. The latter tied with MacLennan and Emily Hosker-Thornhill on the same points tally, but Piasecki’s performance on the day earned her second in the standings.

After a solid winter of training, Nesbitt feels she has proved to herself she deserves to be on the world stage and that her performance is testament to the work she has put in over the winter.

“It was really tough out there but that is the sort of cross country that I enjoy because it’s a case of who can grind it out the longest and be patient and it comes down to getting it right on the day and I did that,” said the Welsh Cross Country champion. “I think that has been the first time I’ve come off and I’ve thought ‘I’ve done that race well today’.

Photo: Stephen Lee

“It means an awful lot to have achieved an automatic qualifying spot for the World Cross Country Championships because it’s been a long time in coming. I was disappointed not to make the team in Liverpool and today then became the goal and the focus.”

It came down to a sprint finish in the senior men’s 10km race as Greater Manchester’s Millington and Hickey, running for Essex, were shoulder-to-shoulder until the home straight, when Hickey kicked clear for victory.

Photo: JHM Sport

The duo had been at the fore from the off, alongside Wells City’s Oliver Fox and Lancashire’s Patrick Dever, only to pull away to secure the win by one second in 32:44.

Hampshire’s Mahamed Mahamed finished in fifth place, but did enough to secure his second consecutive Cross Challenge title, edging Hickey by just one point.

For Hickey, his performance gives him the chance to run in a British vest again for the first time since 2015 and he feels it is justice to the work that he has done in training to get him to this point.

“I kept trying to cover all the moves within the race and I found myself feeling good until I was in the closing stages with Ross and as soon as I was top two, I couldn’t come away with coming home in second place, I had to go for it,” said the 2017 English National champion. “To gain automatic selection for the world cross team is great and I knew I had to come here and secure my place in the top two.

Photo: Stephen Lee

“I rolled my ankle on two occasions before Christmas which hampered me for the Europeans and since then almost all my runs have been on the road in training, but it just shows that the long runs after work and in the dark are all worth it with a performance like that.”

Yorkshire took the overall senior women’s team title, led by the efforts of Claire Duck’s 10th place finish, with the senior men’s team title heading the way of Middlesex, with Abdishakur Abdulle the top finisher in 14th.

Willis and Brock take under-20 victories 

North Wales’s Matt Willis led the Under-20 men auto-qualifiers home with a blistering performance in blustery conditions that saw him home with more than a 100m lead, stopping the clock in 29:26.

The polished performance in the opening race of the day helped Willis to his second victory of the season, having claimed a win in Milton Keynes in his first outing.

The Wrexham athlete was followed home by English National champion Rory Leonard, who held off the challenge of fellow North East runner Josh Cowperthwaite, recording times of 29:38 and 29:43 respectively to take the remaining automatic qualifying spots.

The women’s equivalent saw Grace Brock stamp her authority on the Prestwold Hall course and secure her auto-selection for world cross, and secure back-to-back Cross Challenge titles in the process.

Cornwall’s Brock had to bide her time in a cagey opening to the race, before making a move just after the half way stage to open up a healthy lead from Amelia Samuels, running for Staffordshire, stopping the clock in 21:19, seven seconds clear of Samuels.

Photo: JHM Sport

The third automatic qualification spot in a sprint finish went the way of North West’s Olivia Mason, who held off Scotland East’s Eloise Walker by a two-second margin, clocking 21:37.

For Brock will earn her third British vest in four months when she heads out to Aarhus and achieving selection for the team caps a perfect winter for her.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t going for the win just to solidify that title but to get auto selection for the world cross is just amazing,” she said. “Two weeks ago I went off too hard and paid for it at the end in the English Nationals and I wanted to measure it more. I got my lead on the downhill section and tried to stretch that out.

“It’s amazing to get another British vest, this was my main goal and to follow Euro Cross with World Cross is just amazing and this whole winter season has been a dream come true.”

Walker helped Scotland East to the Under-20 team title, with Yorkshire claiming the men’s team title, led by the efforts of sixth place Euan Brennan.

British Athletics intends to select full teams, up to six per team, for the World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark on March 30. The team will be selected on Monday before being officially named on Tuesday.

Away from the trial races

It was North East’s Sam Charlton who stormed to victory in 18:48 in the Under-17 Boys race. Finishing in second place, Hamish Armitt took the overall Cross Challenge title, while Kent took the team title with three runners inside the top 10 contributing to their score.

North East’s India Pentland took her first victory of the series with a solid 19:38 showing on the course, beating Tia Wilson of Bedfordshire by 12 seconds.

Shannon Flockhart took third and the overall Cross Challenge title, whilst Esther Rowe-Towle led Yorkshire to team victory with a fourth-place finish.

Louis Small won the Under-15 boys Inter-Counties crown, with Fraser Sproul taking the overall Cross Challenge title after following him home seven seconds behind Small’s 13:04.

Wiltshire’s Bea Wood took victory in the women’s equivalent from Bethany Cook, the latter five seconds behind Wood’s 14:17 showing. North East claimed the team title, led by the charge from Ines Curran.

There were Under-13 wins for Suffolk duo Ben Peck and Ruby Vinton. Surrey and Kent tied for the girls team title but Surrey’s positions on the day saw them take the win, as Yorkshire took the boys title.

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The post Jenny Nesbitt and Adam Hickey win Inter-Counties crowns appeared first on Fast Running.

Britain’s top cross country runners will race at Loughborough’s Prestwold Hall on Saturday (March 9), with many eyeing a spot on the GB team for the World Cross Country Championships later this month.

Making the team for the biannual global championships will be the main goal. However, there are also Inter-Counties and overall British Athletics Cross Challenge titles to be decided.

The race distance was equalled to 10km for senior men and women at the last World Cross Country Championships, and this weekend, both men and women will run the same distance for the first time at the Inter-Counties ahead of the Aarhus hosted event.

Mahamed Mahamed, who is the defending Inter-Counties champion, delivered a golden performance at the English National two weeks ago to add the senior men’s national crown to the under-20 title he won a year ago.

Photo: Andy Peat

The Southampton athlete will aim to secure his spot on the plane to Aarhus this weekend and among the top names he’ll face are Marc Scott, Ross Millington and possibly Charlie Hulson.

All three competed for GB at December’s European Cross Country Championships, with US-based Scott the first British finisher in ninth place.

Millington will also fancy his chances on Saturday after winning the Euro Trials in Liverpool, while Hulson won the first Cross Challenge fixture in Cardiff last October.

Another athlete who will be right in the mix is Sam Stabler – a runner-up in Loughborough 12 months ago. Stabler returned to action in January after injury setbacks to take maximum Cross Challenge points at the Nothern Ireland International Cross Country.

Other leading entries in the senior men’s race include Scottish National Cross Country champion Adam Craig, who has been in excellent form, Andrew Heyes, Adam Hickey, Alex Teuten, Midlands champion Jack Gray, John Millar and Patrick Dever.

Kate Avery and recently crowned English National champion Emily Hosker-Thornhill head the entries in the senior women’s race.

Avery has been the most consistent performer this season across the Cross Challenge series following strong performances in all four events, including the top prizes in Milton Keynes and Cardiff.

Denmark’s Anna Moller, who is ineligible in the Cross Challenge, was the sole athlete ahead of Avery in Cardiff, with Hosker-Thornhill next across the finish line.

Prior to her superb win at the English National, Aldershot’s Hosker-Thornhill was the first British finisher at the Northern Ireland International Cross Country.

Photo: Pete Brown

British Euro cross representatives Jess Piasecki and Verity Ockenden will also be in contention, while fellow team silver medalist in Tilburg, Pippa Woolven, is set to miss out due to illness.

Piasecki finished second and third at Milton Keynes and Liverpool during the Cross Challenge series, while Ockenden also starred in Liverpool taking the runner-up spot.

Other runners hoping to be in the mix include Jess Judd, Mhairi Maclennan, Welsh cross country champion Jenny Nesbitt, Louise Small and Naomi Taschimowitz.

Also among the leading entries are four of the top six placed athletes at Prestwold Hall last year; Gemma Steel, Abbie Donnelly, Claire Duck and Amy Griffiths.

Ahead of Saturday, Mahamed and Hulson share the top spot in the senior men’s Cross Challenge series, while Avery heads the women’s standing.

After some confusion about the number of senior athletes going to the World Cross Country Championships, British Athletics clarified its intentions to send full teams, up to six per team, with the top two in each senior race guaranteed selection.

Meanwhile, in the junior races, the top three finishers gain automatic qualification for Aarhus.

After winning the English National under-20 crown Rory Leonard is the standout entry in the men’s race. Among those joining him on Saturday are Zak Mahamed, Matt Willis, Jack Meijer and Benjamin West.

In the junior women’s race, Grace Brock is a strong favourite after an impressive cross country season that included silver at the English National a fortnight ago.

The Cornwall athlete currently leads the Cross Challenge standings and her challengers this weekend include Amelia Samuels, Becky Briggs, Grace Copeland, Eloise Walker and Naomi Lang.

The men’s under-20 event at 11.00am is the first race of the day, with the action in Loughborough concluding with the senior men’s race at 2:45pm.

Event timetable

11.00am: Under-20 men – 8km
11.30am: Under-13 boys – 3km
11.45am: Senior women – 10km
12.35pm: Under-15 boys – 4km
12.55pm: Under-17 women – 5km
1.15pm: Under-20 women – 6km
1.40pm: Under-13 girls – 3km
2.00pm: Under-17 men – 6km
2.20pm: Under-15 girls – 4km
2.45pm: Senior men – 10km

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As most avid running fans of the domestic cross country racing scene will know, this year’s edition of the UK’s most competitive annual championships – the Inter-Counties – at Loughborough’s Prestwold Hall, was one of the toughest yet.

Club runners of a variety of speeds and ages could be seen donning county vests with pride despite many struggling through thick, energy-sapping mud.

While Surrey’s Phoebe Law collapsed across the line to take the senior women’s crown before Mahamed Mahamed completed the same feat for Hampshire in the men’s race, what attention is given to those runners battling it out further down the field.

Every single one of the 270 competitors in the women’s race had earned the right to compete in the most prestigious championships on the British cross country calendar, as had the 284 club runners in the men’s race, but the Inter-Counties is an unforgiving race to those at the back of the pack.

This begs the question – what motivates these undoubtedly talented runners to compete in races where they have no chance of making the podium, or even score for their team?

Looking at the results of the men’s competition, clearly the conditions affected even the seasoned internationals fighting it out for the top honours, with Mahamed taking nearly five minutes longer to cover the same 12km distance (42:23) as last year’s winner Andy Vernon completed it in (37:50).

How do those gritting it out at the back of the field keep themselves going, when some of these runners are crossing the line as much as 15-30 minutes later, exhausted and saturated in mud and sweat?

When the victorious individuals and teams are preparing to collect their glittering medals and trophies after enjoying the adulation of the nation’s press and photographers in recognition of their winning achievements, who is watching those runners still trudging through the bogs of the most challenging of cross country courses?

What motivates those further down the field?

We asked some of these gutsy club runners what motivates them to turn out for their county – if that wasn’t motivation enough – and compete at the Inter-Counties knowing they won’t feature at the front of the race.

Corby AC’s Tom Dallamore ran for Northamptonshire at Prestwold Hall, finishing 271st in the senior men’s race.

Proving just how brutally competitive the Inter-Counties are, the Bedfordshire university student is a 17:35 5km runner, and regularly finishes in the top three of his local parkrun.

He emphasised the pride of earning a county vest: “It’s such a great experience, and an honour to represent my county. It show’s me how much work I need to do to just get into these races. I enjoy the hard work and seeing the progress I’ve made, and, in turn, seeing how much more work is ahead of me to achieve more.”

Mansfield’s Jordan Boam agrees. The fellow U23 runner represented Nottinghamshire, crossing the line four places ahead of Dallamore, yet is a staunch supporter of his club, turning out regular strong performances for Mansfield in road relays as well as the National and regional cross country championships most years.

He said: “It’s all about improving my own performances and enjoying it in the process. I have been running in cross country events since the age of seven, and have been working my way up ever since.

“While I’m unable to feature at the front of the race, I still have the ambition to perform at the best level I can and hope to work my way up over the years. It is an honour to represent my club and county and I wish to keep doing so for many years to come.”

Heanor and Derbyshire’s Kelsey Moloney emphasises the importance of club support for those fighting it out for personal pride at major races.

Finishing 263rd at Loughborough, she’s made a point of returning that support by helping the club put out complete teams at league competitions as well as national events.

“The support I get from Heanor is fantastic, they keep me going all the way around the course even in the worst conditions,” she explains. “If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have been racing in the Inter-Counties. Although I finished nowhere near the top, it was a very proud moment to be running in the Derbyshire vest.”

Notts AC and Nottinghamshire’s Becca Peach adds further detail to Moloney’s point about club support being integral to runners of all standards, highlighting how essential coaches and fellow runners are in keeping her motivated.

“My fantastic coach Trevor Muxlow supports me and many others at Notts AC, along with the ladies’ team manager, Steve Leek,” she says.

“Between them, they helped me qualify for the Inter-Counties in my first year of racing for the club. That supportive atmosphere at the club helps us to achieve our goals, keeping us going through the difficult times.

“It would be great to see more runners in my U23 age category taking up cross country running too – if I can manage to get to a level where I can represent my county then anybody can. Go and get your spikes on and try out cross country – you will never look back!”

Approaching the debate from another viewpoint – and from a different age category – is Kettering’s V40 Elaine Fairbrother, who represented Northamptonshire for the second time earlier this month, albeit several decades after her first outing in the white and red of her county colours.

She explains what it meant to her to pull that vest on once again, and how the passion pushes her on: “This time around at the Inter-Counties my pace was far slower, my positioning much further back, but my pride was so much more obvious.

“There are not many runners that could say they were lucky enough to participate for their county, especially as a veteran runner.

“I only started running again two years ago when my daughter Ella joined Kettering – I couldn’t wait for that day! I didn’t intend to train, never mind compete again, but my passion for running got the better of me.”

Fairbrother’s club-mate and fellow Northamptonshire competitor, 16:48.2 5000m runner Edward Cannell, finished 279th at the championships.

The U23 runner has represented his county in every Inter-Counties bar one over the last six years. He says it is life’s apparent adversities that make him more determined than ever to compete against the odds at major events.

“Most of my life I’ve been told I can’t do a lot of things because I have dyspraxia, which impacts my confidence, and my brain struggles to receive all the information it needs,” he explains. “But a positive side is that people with dyspraxia are unable to give up.

“I always find a way to keep going, so since I found out I was good at running I’ve loved competing in these big events – it’s my way of proving that anybody with little problems and difficulties can achieve anything they want to and all the people that ever told me I can’t have been proven wrong.

“I won the U20 Northampton cross country title last year, which was a massive confidence boost and made me realise I could be an inspiration to others, motivating me to keep going. I feel a massive pride and a huge sense of accomplishment knowing I can complete iconic courses.

“Running is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. The passion and love I have for the sport, and having the opportunity to compete in big races, has no bounds.”

It’s impossible to not be inspired by these runners, all of whom would be considered by many as some of their area’s most talented away from the Inter-Counties.

The top runners may continue to receive the media attention and praise at these most competitive of cross country championships, but remember – there are nearly 300 runners behind those aiming for podium glory who all have their own individual reasons to feel pride in their performances, no matter where they finish.

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Law, who has already won National and South of England titles this year, added one further crown to her name to conclude a fantastic cross country season.

Representing Surrey, the Kingston & Poly athlete looked at home (if that is even possible) in one of the muddiest ever Inter-Counties as she pulled away the second half of the race to win by a 42-second margin. So heavy was the going that she was held back to 32:51 for the 8km course.

“It was really tough today. Especially with Gemma chasing me, which was really terrifying,” said Law. “This is definitely the course for me. Mick (Woods) makes me strong.”

Explaining how she ended up on the floor after the finish, she said: “I was exhausted at the end. I thought they were closing on me.”

Leicestershire’s Gemma Steel was second with Lincolnshire’s Abbie Donnelly, who enjoyed the best run of senior career, just nine seconds behind in third.

Such was the winner’s effort that she collapsed to the floor as soon as she had cut through the tape. Though ending on equal on points with Steel, the series title was decided on the final positions in Prestwold Hall, with Law also leading to the team win too.

Verity Ockenden, who lead the Cross Challenge standing going into today’s race finished 17th and third concludes the series third overall.

Steel, who is preparing for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships later this month, was disappointed to lose out on the series title, complaining of stomach trouble.

Talented Mahamed continues to excite

After wins in Milton Keynes, and a National U20 title Mahamed showed there is no end to his breakthrough season.

The 20-year-old Hampshire athlete pulled away from his only close pursuers, Sam Stabler and National champion Adam Hickey, at the start of the second lap and stretched away for a 49-second win in 42:23 over the 12km course.

“I’m really happy with that. It was my last cross-country of the season so I just wanted to see how I felt and go for it,” said Mahamed afterwards. “I felt good and nobody came with me. I thought Sam (Stabler), Andy (Vernon) and Adam (Hickey) might have worked together and caught me but fortunately, they didn’t so I was happy.”

Leicestershire & Rutland’s Stabler described the race as the hardest he had ever run as he secured second in the race and in the series. Meanwhile, Essex’s Hickey was another seven seconds behind in third, 27 seconds ahead of Andy Vernon, who was third in the standings.

The senior men’s team title went to Middlesex ahead of Lancashire.

Mortimer and Brown win junior titles

Earlier in the day, Tom Mortimer took the junior men’s race by 12 seconds over Nathan Dunn to end his season on a high after a disappointing pre-Christmas.

The 19-year-old, who won bronze at the English National, said: “Nobody pushed it on [at the start]. It was really slow. Once I got to the top of the hill, I thought I may as well go, I’ve got a bit of a gap anyway. I thought I could win it but I didn’t think I’d win it by that much.”

Behind Dunn in third, Cardiff’s Jake Heyward was another eight seconds behind as he did enough to confirm the overall Challenge win. It shows the incredible range of the British Athletics Futures Academy athlete who only set a PB of 8:00.93 over 3000m indoors last month.

Niamh Brown made a move at about halfway to come away to a nine-second win in the junior women’s race.

It capped a fine season for the 18-year-old, who was 12th at the Euro Cross for GB&NI in December who said: “I’ve had a good season, so far so it was really nice to end it with a win.”

In the early stages, Brown had to battle Cambridgeshire’s Julia Paternain (Mark Vile, Cambridgeshire), who walked away with the Cross Challenge title for the very first time.

Brown added: “Once I was clear I had to stay mentally strong and confident to not let it fall back, but I think I did a good job.”

U17 and U15 races

Morpeth’s Rory Leonard (North East) was a surprised winner of the U17 men’s race, crossing the line 21 seconds clear of Thomas Keen, who prevailed in the series standings.

It was a vast contrast in fortunes for him compared to two weeks ago at the English National when he fell and ended up concussed, unable to finish. Zakariya Mahamed was third, 16 seconds adrift of Keen.

Grace Brock took the U17 women’s race and with it the overall challenge title after pulling away about 3km into the 5km race. Describing it as the best win of her career, she was 20 seconds clear of Holly Smith. India Pentland was third, ahead of National winner Ella McNiven.

In the U15 boys’ race, Will Barnicoat left it until about three quarters of the way through his 4.5km race to take the lead and moved away to finish three seconds clear of Samuel Martin and Liam Rawlings (Colin Lancaster, Shropshire) who wrapped up the podium positions. Mohamed Ali, the English champion, was fifth which did enough to win the Challenges series in the age group.

Sussex’s Beth Cook used the uphills to her advantage in the U15 race to win by 18 seconds from Scotland West’s Lily-Jane Evans-Haggerty, who was crowned Challenge champion, with Scotland East’s Anna Hedley third in the race at Prestwold Hall.

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With the British Athletics Cross Challenge titles up for grabs as well as Inter-Counties honours to be contested spectators are set for an enthralling battle among some of Britain’s best cross country runners.

With over 1,000 hectares of farmland and parkland, Prestwold Hall, is the perfect location once again to bring the domestic cross country season to a close.

Following their English National titles at Parliament Hill last month Phoebe Law and Adam Hickey will join familiar faces from this season’s Cross Challenge series on Saturday.

Law will line-up with Verity Ockenden, who sits top of senior women’s Cross Challenge standing after finishing as the first British runner at the Antrim International, as well as a second place finish in Cardiff and third in Milton Keynes.

“I think we’ll all be happy if we don’t get DQ’d for contact in the first hundred metres,” the Cross Challenge leader joked in reference the disqualifications at the World Indoors. “With the weather recently, it’s going to be tough going for everybody but that’s what makes it fun, I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Winner of the events in Cardiff and Teardrop Lakes in Milton Keynes, Jess Judd, will not be competing at Prestwold Hall with the Commonwealth Games soon on the horizon.

However, it will not just be a two-way race between English National champion Law and Ockenden who represents Dorset, with Gemma Steel, Louise Damen and Scottish National runner-up Steph Pennycook also among the entries.

Steel was announced in the British World Half Marathon team this week and will want to bring her cross country season to a close with a good performance again at Prestworld Hall. The 32-year-old finishing third last year despite running the second half of the race shoeless due to the difficult conditions.

2017 Inter-Counties runner-up Claire Duck is also among the entries and if competing will surely challenge again for honours.

In the senior men’s race, English National champion Hickey will face the joint Cross Challenge leaders Sam Stabler and Mahamed Mahamed, as well 2017 Inter-counties winner Andy Vernon, who is ranked third.

Leicester & Rutland’s Stabler won the series opener in Cardiff and Hampshire’s Mahamed clinched a win in Milton Keynes, while Vernon took the spoils in Antrim.

The men’s field also includes Scottish National runner-up Lachlan Oates, while Patrick Dever and Chris Olley are more than capable of finishing high up in the field.

Zakariya Mahamed is the leading entry in the men’s U20 race in the absence of Ben Dijkstra, while in the women’s U20 event, Khahisa Mhlanga, who has won two events so far in the Cross Challenge series will be the favourite to secure the title.

Timetable

11:00am: Under 20 Men – 8km
11:30am: Under 13 Boys – 3km
11:45am: Senior Women – 8km
12:25pm: Under 15 Boys – 4.5km
12:45pm: Under 17 Women – 5km
13:10pm: Under 20 Women – 6km
13:35pm: Under 13 Girls -3km
13:55pm: Under 17 Men – 6km
14:15pm: Under 15 Girls – 4km
14:40pm: Senior Men – 12km

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