Peterborough Nene Valley AC’s youngsters did their club proud in the North Midlands Cross Country League fixture at Heanor last Saturday.
After an unusually wet autumn, the Shipley Country Park course was probably the muddiest that many of the younger athletes have ever run on – but despite this, the club made the top three in all five male age groups and in three of the five female categories.
Three was very much the lucky number, and the male teams with the exception of the under-17s finished third on the day as did the under-15 girls.
The under-13 boys, under-15 boys, senior men and under-15 girls all now sit third in the overall league tables.
Under-17 Molly Peel was the undoubted star of the show, winning her 5km race by a huge 49 second margin. Hannah Knight finished 6th, and with Flo Brill two places further back the girls won the fixture.
With three out of the four race league season completed the under-17s lead the series overall.
Evie Hemmings in sixth, eighth-placed Lola Gaches and Faith Perkins, who came home 18th, formed the winning under-13s team and they are second in the league table.
Alex Hampson had a fine run in the senior men’s race, finishing fourth. Simon Fell also had an outstanding race as he tackled 10km of relentless mud to come home 16th.
Harrison Mills in 50th and 51st-placed James McDonald provided sterling support.
Elsewhere, Felix Bowling was third in the under-13s race, with Lucas Oakley eighth.
Lewis Wiles led the challenge for the under-15s in seventh, with Ed Lindsell three places further back.
The under-17 men ended the day as runners-up thanks to fine runs from sixth-placed Sam Staines, Harvey Hancock in 11th and 14th-placed Sam Oakley. The men are also second overall.
Elizabeth Eames helped the club’s under-15 girls take third place on the day when finishing 11th, with Chelsie Bole and Lottie Hemmings hot on her heels in 16th and 18th places respectively.
Third-placed Joshua Wiles and Louie Hemmings (seventh) led the under-11 boys to their third place, while Ruby Wright finished in third position for the under-11 girls.
The senior ladies were sixth and were led home by Sarah Caskey in 14th.
Team-mates Sophie Wilkinson-Hargate and Keira McVitty came home 33rd and 35th places respectively.
