Sat 27 Jan 2018, Harewood House, Leeds Well done to the U17 Men’s team on finishing 3rd place at the Northern Athletics Cross Country Championship.
The Northern Athletics cross country championships, held for the first time at Harewood House Estate to the north of Leeds, produced a set of challenging courses with hills and undulations for each age group race. With so much space available on the estate the courses had the great advantage of being over large single or double laps. Runners from all over the North supported the event and despite the forecast of rain, there was only a brief spell of light drizzle although it was windy, which made some of the climbs into the wind much tougher.
There was a wonderful third place for Harriers` under 17 men`s team in a closely contested tussle with Middlesbrough AC and Morpeth Harriers. Over 6k, Kian Davis was 19th in 21.41 and Benjamin Preddy was only just behind in 22nd, with 21.44 and Matthew Fazackerley in 24th. Niall Higham finished in 35th and Jack Campy was 61st with Matias Grixti 66th. With the first four team runners to count, Middlesbrough were 1st with 80 pts, Morpeth 2nd with 90 pts and Preston had 100 pts.
The individual performance of the day came from Nathan Dunn who was 6th in the under 20 mens race over 7.7k and that despite being at the lower end of the age group. Byron Sowerby was 47th in 31.53. In the senior men`s race, covering a huge 12k, there were 761 finishers, but because the race was played out over two long laps, there was very limited lapping that can happen on three or four lap courses. Dan Bebbington was 28th in 42.03, and Andy Benson was next home in 59th and 43.40. Simon Collins, in 171st recorded 47.38 and the remaining team counters were Ben Read, Chris Wales, and Tony Livesey.
Emma Essex Crosby and Katey Foster were together for most of the senior ladies race over 8k and finished above halfway in a field of 435 runners. Vicki Sherrington and Olga Wiggins completed the team effort. In the U13 boys race, over just 3k, only three minutes separated the first 196 places. Harrier`s were close together again with Vladimir Wiggins 134th, Billy Reid 137th, George Denye 138th and Jenson Warren 143rd.
In the u15 girls race, there was a team placing of 6th with Scarlett Sutton, 28th in 17.15 over 4k. Darcey Lonsdale was next to finish in 17.43 and Grace Brown recorded 17.45. Jessica Watson had a time of 18.34, Annabel Duffy 18.45, Emily Mayson 18.46, and Faye Houghton 19.19. Emily Wiggins competed in the ladies u20 race whilst Hannah Thompson ran a brave race in the u13 girls. Northern Athletics hope to hold the National cross country championships at the same venue in February 2019, and this year`s are being held at Parliament Hill fields, London on the 24th February.