There were a number of fantastic performances at the National Cross Country Relays, held at the traditional settings of berry hill park in Mansfield, with Alice Bates securing a fine win with the Birmingham university Junior Women’s team, a repeat of the result in 2023 at the same event. There were also some fine team and individual performances from the Harriers younger age groups, with the strong under 15 girls teams leading the way.
Conditions were exceptionally good for a cross country championship in sharp contrast to the event in 2023 which was run with torrential rain turning the course into a complete mud bath. With mild conditions and just light misty rain the course was very firm with little mud to be found anywhere on the course, not great for the traditionalists but ideal for some fast Championship running.
The Junior Women’s race started proceedings and the Birmingham University team featuring three junior international athletes were expected to feature prominently, and so it was, with lead athlete Eleanor Strevens immediately hitting the front and carving out a 10 second lead with her split of 8:27, ahead of Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC. Harriers Alice Bates ran the second leg, and she ran a superb race to increase the lead to over 25 seconds, covering the undulating 2.5km in 8:33 (5th fastest split on the day) to hand over to Jess Bailey on the anchor leg. Bailey pushed hard and increased the winning margin to over 1 minute ahead of St. Albans, featuring teenage Olympian Pheobe Gill, with the largest winning margin of the day. This was a repeat of the result in 2023, with Birmingham showing their strength in depth, and Bates now looks to the Liverpool Cross challenge & European Trials for the GB team in three weeks.
Alice Bates part of the Birmingham University winning U20 Women's team
The strong squad of U15’s Girls produced some terrific performances with the ‘A’ team securing the highest placing on the day with a brilliant 16th place out of the 70+ full teams competing, and such is the strength of the squad that the ‘B’ team finished in a splendid 43rd place.
Fantastic 16th place for the U15G 'A' team (L to R Peyton Almond, Millie Sharp, Marianna Owen)
The U15G ‘A’ team featured Millie Sharp on the frantic opening leg, and she enjoyed a brilliant start over the short 2km course to ensure she was not held up in the narrow wooded section of the course. Sharp had a fine race and held on well despite tiring at the end, and brought the team home in 43rd place in 8:27. Peyton Almond ran the second leg and she made up 10 places with a strong run with a split of 8:17 to bring the team home in 33rd place. The anchor leg was run by new recruit Marianna Owen who produced a storming run to claw back an incredible 17 places, setting the 19th fastest time in the age group with 7:43. Owen who was making her KTH XC debut, and her first appearance in the Championships, was well suited to the undulating and twisty course and on this evidence she will have plenty more to give over the upcoming XC season.
Marianna Owen with a Brilliant final leg clawing back 17 places
The ’B’ team saw Clara Booth run a super race, also getting off to a good start Booth powered her way to 23rd place in the opening leg with a split of 7:59, the second fastest split from the Harriers contingent, handing over to Tiggy Guthrie-Brown who ran a fine second leg to hold a prominent position in 26th place with a split of 8:33, with anchor Elanore Jackson bringing the team home in 43rd place in 10:09. Also Competing for the incomplete R&N U15G team, Harriers Amelie Heron ran a fine first leg of 8:35 for 51st place on the opening leg.
Clara Booth super opening leg and second fastest split from the Harriers strong U15G squad
The U13 put in a very respectable performance, finishing in a fine 38th place out of the 55 complete teams, with Callum Johnson bringing the team home in 67th place with a split of 9:07 over the 2km distance, with William Burtenshaw making 10 places in his leg with 8:59 and a superb anchor leg from Josh Spavins who clawed back an incredible 19 places with his leg of 7:56.
Fast finishing Josh Spavins who made up 19 places on the final leg of the U13B team
The U17M team fielded a full team finishing in a respectable 67th place with George Sharp completing the 3km course in 11:22 with Finley Brooker (12:15) on the second leg & Zachary Scott setting the fastest split of the trio in 10:56 on the anchor leg.
There were a number of withdrawals due to sickness, so a number of incomplete teams ran, with Iona Ellwood running a fine race in the opening leg of the Woman’s U17 race in 9:51 over the 2.5km course to bring the team home in 33rd place & Charlotte Jackson running well with 11:09 (43rd place) after two legs. The U15B saw just a single entrant, Harlee Hooker who put in a very respectable performance of 7:50 (65th place) over the 2.5km course.
well done to every who competed.