Three individual and two team gold medals represented a good day's efforts for Kettering Town Harriers at the County Cross-Country Championships which were held at Wellingborough's Croyland Park on a day that was dry, but muddy underfoot and with a strong wind. Older athletes had the "fun" of contending with two stream crossings on each lap.
Leading the way was Tabatha Walford who won the first race (Under 11 girls) by a good margin. Dannielle Gaskell took the bronze and with Rebecca Hughes in sixth, KTH easily captured the team golds. Emily Manson (9th), Izzie Cara (10th) and Sophie Moss (15th), along with James Moss in the equivalent boys' race, all ran well for the Harriers.
There was success for the Harriers in the Under 13 Boys race when Josh Cara won comfortably. Jack Hope ran strongly for 3rd and, along with Gabrial Smith (8th), KTH won the top team prize for the first time since 1989 (Rugby & Northampton and their predecessors Northampton Phoenix have won virtually every year).
It could have been an Under 13 double for Kettering as Maisie Green was leading the girls' race when she had to pull out - a huge shame for her. Team-mate Gemma Vaughan battled hard to stick close to two R&N runners and thoroughly deserved her bronze medal; Hannah Winstone was 11th.
In the Under 15 Girls race, KTH runners packed well to finish 4th (Kayli Walford), 5th (Abigail Coleman) and 6th (Fran Ashworth), whilst Liam Kirk (4th) and Ed Cherry (5th) achieved similar positions in the Under 15 Boys. The girls took the team silvers.
Hayley Munn made it a hat-trick of Junior Women's titles with a commanding run that also brought her home ahead of all of the Senior Women. Kelly Barnett was second junior home and Sophie Munn ensured it was a clean sweep for Kettering.
There were no Senior Women representing Kettering and it was little better in the combined men's race where KTH had only five starters (three of whom were juniors). A virus that had laid him low for most of the week put paid to Jonny Goringe's chances of a fifth successive county gold. He withdrew at about one-third distance, whilst still in the top five overall. This left David Edwards to take the honour of first Harrier home, as he finished 32nd (6th junior). Dan Thompson followed in 36th (7th junior), with Martyn Winstone close behind at 42nd in a field of 60.
Team and individual results can be found on the fixtures and results page.