Athletes from Nene Valley Harriers had plenty to shout about after producing fine performances across the age groups at Saturday’s English Cross Country Championship.
Pride of place at a course held between East Midlands Airport and Donington Park, went to the under-20 men.
They all ran well, taking fifth place in the team stakes as James McCrae led the charge, covering the twisty and hilly 10k circuit in 39.11mins to secure 27th place.
Nene Valley team-mate Alex Hampson finished one minute behind in 40th position. Hampson’s run was all the more impressive given that, as a 17-year-old, he is in his first of three years competing in the age group.
Jevan Robertson, Nathan Tweedie and Bradley Spurdens supplied fine support, finishing 87th, 89th and 97th respectively.
As so often this season, the Nene Valley ladies caught the eye on Saturday as Flo Brill continued her hugely successful season – coming home in 21st in the under-13 girls’ race.
That was the highest individual placing on the day for the club.
The success of the senior ladies has been a highlight of the cross country season for the Harriers – and the ever-reliable Cat Foley-Wray and Grace Mullins ran superbly. Foley-Wray finished 32nd with 32.57mins on the 8km course, while Mullins battled her way through the mud for 59th.
The team finished in a highly creditable 16th place out of the 84 competing clubs, with stalwarts Ruth Jones and Nicky Morgan making major contributions, claiming top 200 finishes in a field of over 700.
Meanwhile, Megan Ellison ran strongly with a 67th place finish in the under-17 girls’ race – despite being amongst the youngest runners in the race.
Oliver Bowling placed highest in the boys’ under-17 age group, while Josephine Fortune and Amber Park came home just outside the top 200 for the under-15 girls.
Sam Oakley also squeezed into the top 100, as the 99th under-13 boy.
Nene Valley did not have any senior men capable of mounting a challenge towards the front of the field and were led home by Mike Chapman, whose 577th position represented a strong run from the 36-year-old.
