By Barry Warne
Molly Peel was the star turn for Nene Valley Harriers in the annual South of England Cross Country Championship mudfest at Parliament Hill Fields North London.
The silver medallist in the Lincolnshire Cross Country Championship, staged in early January, more than held her own in a field featuring many of England’s best under-17 runners.
Peel finished in 30th position with a 20.39mins clocking on the hilly 5km course, and was up there with the leaders after the early climb on to Hampstead Heath.
Katie Tasker also ran well, coming home 61st in a 176 strong field.
Sam Hughes led the Nene Valley under-15 boys challenge, finishing 77th.
With Sam Oakley and Dylan Tomaselli both making the top 100, the boys placed 14th – which was the best team performance of the day from the club.
Meanwhile, three-time Cambridgeshire cross country champion Flo Brill clocked 17.55mins over the 4km course to finish 58th in the under-15 race.
Owen Wilkinson also enjoyed a fine run in the men’s under-17 category with a 61st place finish. He covered the 6km course in 23.55mins.
Eliza Mardon was 110th in the girls’ under-13 race, while Isla Fullock-Holmes was nine places further back.
Lewis Wiles, of Peterborough AC, took the local honours in the boys under-13 race with a 99th-placed finish, while his team-mate Sarah Caskey ran well to place 111th out of over 700 finishers in the senior ladies race.
Elsewhere, London-based former Nene Valley man Chris Wright took a superb eighth place in the senior men’s event, having placed 168th in last year’s race.
Wearing the vest of Serpentine Road Runners, the much-improved athlete covered the 14.4km four laps of the heath in an impressive 46.47mins, while second claim
Helpston Harrier Josh Lunn, running for Bedford came in 30th. Steve Robinson was the highest-placed Helpston Harrier with a 61st place finish while Mike Chapman in 385th led the Nene Valley contingent.
- NVH results: Under-13 boys – 250th Joshua Smith; 279th Felix Bowling.
Under-15 boys – 77th Sam Hughes; 83rd Sam Oakley; 99th Dylan Tomaselli; 154th Harry Hewitt.
Under-17 men – 61st Owen Wilkinson; 144th Harvey Hancock ; 152nd Sam Staines.
Under-20 men – 106th Aaron Hunt.
Senior men – 385th Mike Chapman; 420th Luke Myers; 533rd James Mcdonald; 614th Miles Harrison; 916th Paul Parkin; 1025th Daryll Coulter; 1108th Simon Gilbey; 1113th Derek Smith.
Under 13 girls – 110th Eliza Mardon; 119th Isla Fullock-Holmes; 138th Evie Hemmings; 188th Aoife Glasswell; 292nd Kiera McKimm; 296th Becki Gray; 308th Niamh Hodgeson.
Under 15 girls – 58th Flo Brill; 163rd Chelsie Bole; 174th Lottie Hemmings; 236th Josie Knight.
Under 17 women – 30th Holly Peel; 61st Katie Tasker; 135th Hannah Knight.
Senior Women – 513th Alison Staines.
- Nene Valley’s Alex Hampson finished 30th in the senior men’s race at the Midlands Cross Country Championship in Leamington.
