THE SAUCONY English National Cross Country Championships at Castle Donington featured representation from Bromsgrove & Redditch Athletic Club in most age categories and there was a top 50 finish for Ellen Bowen in the under 15 girls’ race.
The Leicestershire course was a testing one as one portion of it was firm and fast, followed by undulating hills and a section of sticky mud.
Bowen’s 48th placed finish was the highest B&R position and in the same age category Alice Battey was 85th and Ellie Moss 194th.
Josh Robins was 107th in the under 13 boys’ race and in the girls’ equivalent Natalie Hatfield finished 77th.
The under 17 men’s race saw Alexander Johnson finish 229th and in the junior women’s race Ruth Gameson came 102nd.
B&R’s senior women were the only group to field a complete team and Sarah Richardson was 414th, Debbie Simpson 537th, Juliette Warburton 615th and Holly Smith 638th.
By the time it was the men’s turn to compete, the 12km was very muddy after 3,089 athletes had already passed over the course at least twice.
The three-lap race featured nearly 1,800 runners as the top athletes in the country took part and Great Britain athlete Jonathan Hay (Aldershot) finished first.
First for B&R was Joe Smith in 134th place and then came Simon Lanckham (265th), Sean Bowden (713th), Mark Appleton (776th) and Phil Anderson (1,458).
There is now just the inter-counties cross country to complete at Cofton Park in Longbridge on March 12 and B&R have a number of athletes taking part having qualified earlier in the year to represent Worcestershire.
