The Harriers Middle Distance squad made a brilliant start to the new year with some outstanding performances in the traditional season opening County Cross Country Championships. There were a total four Harriers crowned County Champion, with a further five runners ups winning silver medals.
The NAA XC Championships were held on home turf at Kettering’s Wicksteed Park, and the cold conditions added some challenge to a deceptively tough cross country course. The near freezing conditions kept the ground mostly firm but some sections of the course were still very wet and the ground cut up quickly once the races begun to keep the purists happy.
The Harriers strong U15 girls squad produced one of the day’s leading performances with all top 4 placings being taken by Harriers, taking a clean sweep of the individual and team medals, spearheaded by the in-form Marianna Owen.
The KTH U15 Girls with a perfect 1,2,3 from left to right, Millie Sharp, Marianna Owen, & Sabina Lawton
Owen started the race aggressively, and kept pace with all the leading U15 boys throughout most of the mixed sex race. Preferring to front run and control the race Owen kept up a terrific pace throughout the 4.5km course and ran a brilliant race to romp home by the day’s largest winning margin, an incredible 1 minute 40 seconds, to take her first County XC title in fine style in 17:07. Owen, still a bottom year athlete, was only narrowly beaten by 4 of the U15 boys to underline the quality of her performance.
U15 Marianna Owen, winning her first county title and with the largest winning margin of the day
There was a fine race from the remaining contingent of Harriers battling for the minor medals and the team honours. Millie Sharp, also a bottom year athlete, ran a superb race to grab the Silver medal. Sharp also went out hard at the start, but managed to maintain a sufficient gap between the chasing pack to secure her first county XC medal in 18:47.
U15 Millie Sharp with a fine run to take the Silver medal
Sabina Lawton Secured a fine Bronze medal to make it a Harriers 1,2,3. Locked in battle for much of the race with KTH’s Amelie Heron, making her debut in KTH colours, Lawton just managed to stay ahead of the fast finishing Heron over the closing 200m to finish in 18:58, to help the Harriers easily win the U15G team event, with Heron finishing in 4th place in 19:02.
Sabina Lawton held onto third place to win the Bronze medal
The other outstanding performance on the day saw U20 Alice bates win her 5th NAA County title, with a dominating race over the 6km course to take the U20 Gold in 25:30. Bates was untroubled in the race a secured an outright win in the woman’s event for the second year running with senior R&N Megan Stenhouse finishing in second place in 26:16. Such was the quality of her performance Bates beat all but four of the U17M competing in the same race.
Alice Bates outstanding run to win the women's race outright, and the U20 Gold
Further afield in the Cambridgeshire County Championships, U13 Joshua Spavins secured his first county title winning the race held at priory Park in St Neots over 2.9km. Spavins produced an outstanding performance to lead from start to finish and beat a quality field to take the Gold and secure automatic selection to represent Cambs in the TCS London Mini Marathon in April.
U13 Josua Spavins with a fine win the the Cambs XC Championships
The U17 women competing over the same tough 6km course as the senior women also enjoyed great success in winning both the Gold & Silver medals. Iona Ellwood who leading up to race was recovering from a nasty virus, and it was touch and go if she was going to compete. Ellwood battled hard in the race and was rewarded with her first ever XC county title with a superb run, finishing in 31:51. Charlotte Jackson also ran a fine race to take the Silver medal in 33:41 and also win her first ever County XC medal.
U17 Iona Ellwood winning her first County title
There was also a terrific battle in the boys U15 race over 4.5km with KTH’s Ben Scott in contention for the win right to the finishing line. Scott a complete novice at running was competing in only his 2nd ever XC race, showed his ability which has been evident in training since joining the squad in the late summer. Scott was locked in battle with R&N Laike Favier & Daventry’s Finley Williams right to the closing 300m downhill section where Favier was just able to open up a small gap on Scott to take the title in 16:28. Scott will take great heart with his performance, taking his first County Silver medal in 16:32 and will clearly have a lot more to offer as he gains experience. Harlee Hooker also enjoyed a fine race, just dropping off the leading pack with 600m to go, he finished just out of the medals in 4th place in 17:00, but will take heart in helping the Harriers secure a fine team Silver along with Thomas Williams who finished in 11th place in 18:58.
U15 Ben Scott fine run to win an individual and team Silver medal.
KTH’s U17 men also saw medal success with Dylan Ransom winning a fine Silver medal behind Daventry’s Joshua Orchard in 24:11. Ransom was locked in a three way battle with Orchard & R&N’s Nathan Lamb throughout the race, and the medal positions were decided on the closing 400m section with Ransom stretching away from lamb with a concerted effort to the finish. The only other Harrier competing was George Sharp who ran well to finish in 11th place in 30:16.
U17 Dylan Ransom with a close fought battle winning a fine Silver Medal
At the Cambs XC championships there was also a superb performance from the Harriers U15 Clara Booth who won a fine Silver medal over the 4.3km course, her highest ever placing. Booth come into the championship having produced a new lifetime best of 2:18.5 over 800m indoors a few day earlier.
U15 Clara Booth in terrific form, winning a fine Silver medal in the Cambs XC championships
In the younger age groups there was Team success with the developing U13 Girls squad who won a Team Silver medal with Megan Turner top scoring over the 3km course in 10th place in 14:03 with a fine run, supported well with Olivia Henderson in 15th (15:09), and Amelie CHYMCÁKOVÁ in 16th in 15:10. The sole KTH representative for the boys U13 race was Callum Johnson who ran well to finish in 9th place in 12:27.
The U11 Boys also won a team Bronze medal with a fine performance with Hal Hankins top scoring for the team in 9th position over the 2km course in 7:50, with twins James & Alexander Lawton finishing in 13th (7:59) & 25th (9:19) respectively. Sundi Wanshanatha was the top place finish for the U11 Girls in 10th place in 8:38 with Evie Whitworth in 18th, Jessica Bailey 23rd, Alice Farey 24th, Bobbie Bettles 2th and Bridger Goldburg 26th.
The senior Men’s race was dominated by R&N taking all the individual medals with Luke Greer taking the honours over the 10km course in 33:59. KTH’s Fynn Batkin enjoyed a fine race, in contention for a minor medal throughout the race, Batkin was just unable to hold onto third place finisher Noah Bennett over the closing stages, finishing in a fine 4th place in 34:50. Also competing for the Harriers was Josh Cannell who ran well for 24th (42:04), with Phil west in 28th (43:05) and Richard bailey in 36th (45:20).
Fynn Batkin battles with R&N Noah Bennett, finishing just out of the medals in 4th place
A superb few days racing for the Harriers, well done to everyone who competed.