Varsity and Home County XC lead the charge this weekend, but there are also some rapid road times and a host of 10Ks to sate your race-result appetite.
Shaftsbury Barnet’s Charles Hicks won the NCAA men’s cross-country, out kicking Nice Young in the final 700m uphill to take the title for Stanford University – their first ever solo medal in the competition. Hicks may have gone to middle and high school in the US but he stil competes for GB.
From US to UK varsity running – the Scottish University Cross Country Championships took place in Glasgow. In the women’s race, Universtity of Edinburgh’s Alice Goodhall was a minute clear in 29:34, chased home by Strathclyde’s Meredith Reid and Claire Stewart of Glasgow (30:51) For the men is was Edinburgh Hare and Hounds’ Matt Knowles wh took gold in 24:38, holding off Dundee’s Christian Graham (24:57) and St Andrews’ Christian Graham (25:30).
The @ScotStuSport 2022 Women’s Cross Country podium!
🥇Alice Goodall @EUHareHounds
🥈Meredith Reid @strathharriers
🥉Clare Stewart @GUSAHandHWell done to all runners in the Women’s Championships 👏#ScotStuCrossCountry pic.twitter.com/D1WPPcbE5D
— Scottish Student Sport (@ScotStuSport) November 19, 2022
The Welsh Inter-Regional Cross Country Championships were won by the East in both the men and women’s senior races. Lauren Cooper fastest on the day in 23:31, followed by Ffion Higginson (23:31) and Sioned Howells (24:25). For the men it was Ciaran Lewis (32:00), Tom Wood (32:22) and Dylan Nazareth (32:32) who clocked he quickest times.
I’m not having much luck finding many XC results thise weekend but I can tell you that Kent Fitness League saw Miles Brierly race home first for Dartford Harriers in 35:09 and Charlotte Johnston in 40:34 for maidstone harriers.
On the roads
Eilish McColgan ran the NN Zevenheuvelenloop (or 7 Hills) 15k this weekend – a race her mother won in 1994 (49:56) but after a hectic season and a lot of travelling Eilish has to settle for fourth place in 47:40 – 22 seconds behind winner beatrice Chepkoech.
With lots of races still struggling to get back to pre-pandemic levels, it was great to see the Derby 10 participation at 1700 runners. The standard was high – 76 went under 60 minutes and 28 of those under 55. It was Ben Connor who followed up his success from the Great South Run with a winning time of 49:32, keeping Dougie Musson well at bay (50:55), with Elisha de Mello right behind in 51:09. Charlotte Taylor clocked an impressive 57:51 to take the women’s victory, with Alice belcher running 58:33 and Abbey van Dijk 59:48 for the other podium positions.
In reportedly chilly conditions, the Fraserberg Half Marathon was won by Lachlan Oates in 66:02. Runner up was Hour 7 team’s Rob Sinclair who ran 68:53 despite running almost all his training on the hills and with minimal road miles in his legs. The Ultra-squad seem to be developing strength on the roads as well as off, as fellow Hour 7 runner Jo Murphy took the women’s win in 88:20.
Jo Murphy in action on the Hour7 training camp
The winning time at Gosport Half Marathon was 67:56 by Matt Sharp. Stephen Black (68:06) and Rob McTaggart (70:16) were runners up. The women’s medal positions went to Emma Jolley in 81:37, katie Rowland in 82:23 and Charlie Metcalfe in 83:09.
The St Neots Half Marathon saw Adam Tapley break the tape in 71:07 with Lewis Knight next in 72:25 and Matthew Slater 73:16. The women’s race saw a home-win for Jo O’Regan, running a marathon paced effort to clock 79:25. She was followed home by Hannah Lord (81:15) and Clare Rodseth 82:29.
Dave Barratt was first over the line at the Conwy Half Marathon, running 70:41 and Anna Bracegirdle was fourth overall and well clear at the top of the women’s leaderboard with her 75:54 running. Clowne Half Marathon saw Keith Swainson (75:41) and Janny Cartmell (81:46) top the rankings.
10ks everywhere
Brighton 10k had some rapid runners on their books in the form of Naomi Mitchell who clocked 33:43, Harriet Bloor (34:00) and Helen Hall (34:38) , with Lauren Redd also going sub-35 for fourth in 34:56. The men were similarly speedy as Will Bryan raced home in 30:32 with Gus Withers (30:40) and Scott Cousins (31:00) hot on his heels.
At the Gainsborough 10K there was some fierce competition in both fields – Sophie Wallis ran 33:17 to storm home to victory but Sarah Kemshall (35:37) and Frederica Richards (35:50) ran times that would get them the win in a lot of races. In the men’s race there was only 20 seconds between the podium placers – Ronny Wilson clocked 30:31 to top the standings but Tom Straw (30:47) and William Strangeway (30:51) were pretty close behind!
Sri Chinmoy ran their last race of the year – the Golden Leaf 10K in Battersea Park. Conditions were good for the 228 runners and it was James Hancock who made the most of it, finishing first overall in 31:22 with Steve Gardner second in 32:00 and James Wootton third in 32:03. Hannah Pullen was the first woman in 35:34, followed home by Leigh Barrow (36:29) and Katie Lysons (37:07)
The Adnams 10K in Southwold presumably has some rather good post-race refreshment, perhaps motivating William Page (33:21) and Elizabeth Pugh (40:28) to their winning finishes. Castle Combe’s Chilly 10K was won by Max Kelly in 33:32 and Jacqueline Rockliffe in 37:32 – leaving her 2nd on the UK v50 rankings for 2022. The Bury 10K crown went to Luke Edwards in 32:58 and Harriet Kirby in 43:59.
RunThrough Hampton Court Palace 10K saw serial RT-er Ollie Garrod in earn another free place, as he crossed the line first in 33:07 and Chloe Dooley in 37:29. Draycote Water Running Festival 5k was won by Marlon Trump in 16:49 and Eloise Geary in 21:37. The 10k victories went to Mark Appleton (33:48) and Natalie Bhangal (39:33) and over the half marathon, Tom Bacon (80:59) and Joanne Harvey (90:19). RunThrough Kempton Racecourse played host to winning performances from Henry Johnston (16:08) and Jacqeuline Heller (19:12) over 5k, Ted Mockett (34:53) and Farran Leach (37:52) over 10k and finally Ollie Garrod (72:21) and Lizzie Sanderson (88:40)
And finally…
Harriers vs Cyclists 2022 was won by Nathan Marsh of ‘Doss AC’ in 35:19 with Jack Cummings in 35:24. This 8.3k event is a competition between runners and cyclists with (usually) the first 10 in each category to score. The winning team holds the Fisherman Trophy for one year. The trophy is named after The Fisherman Inn from where the race starts and where the prize giving takes place afterwards.
