Bucks (and Herts) Cross Country Championships

After recent rain it was good to have a dry day at the 2024 Bucks Cross Country at the new venue of Southill Park in Bedfordshire. Chiltern Harriers had some very good results across the age groups with several team and individual medals and plenty of athletes securing places for the Bucks teams at March’s National Inter Counties Championships in Nottingham.
 
The course provided a fairly flat surface but with mixed terrain, some dry areas but some extremely muddy sections. Conditions were clear, still and cold. The course allowed good viewing for spectators.​
Bucks AA Results           Herts AAA Results

Buckinghamshire Cross Country Championships
Emilia Ingham was the sole Chiltern runner in the opening Under 11 Girls race, coming second for the silver medal. Jack Dixon ran well for ninth in the U11 Boy’s race.
 
The Chiltern U13s had a very strong day with team wins for boys and girls. The girls dominated, filling the first five places. Kara Gorman won, Juliette MacDougall was second, Maya Davis third, Bea Robinson fourth and Nia Clarke fifth. In addition Soraya Roughton was eighth, Annie-Rose Quantrill tenth and Holly Knott 15th. For the boys Logan Gaskell was the individual winner with Kit Dixon seventh, Isaac Taylor eighth, and Jacob McCall tenth being the other scorers. Good back up came from Isaac McCall in 11th.
 
The Under 15 girls were silver medallists with Issy Robinson being the leading Chiltern girl in eighth. Katie Allsop was 11th, Megan Lockwood 12th, and Izzy McFetrich 16th. The Under 15 Boys packed very well to secure a good team win, the scorers being James Holdsworth in third, Thomas Reynolds fourth, Edward Johnson fifth, and Aidan Suleyman sixth. Great back up came from Charlie Quantrill in seventh, Eddie O’Brien (11th), Charlie De Sousa (15th), and Dylan Rossi (18th).
 
Both U17 and U20 women ran together in the Junior Women’s race and Chiltern were well represented. The team were third with Frankie Baxter (fourth), Maddie Rae (eighth), and Alice Peckham (tenth) scoring. They were joined by Charlotte Docwra (11th), Jo Snelling (12th), Lily Jessop-Tranter (15th), and Rebecca Lawson (17th).
 
The U17 Men’s race saw good runs from Jack Turner in fourth and Toby Radbourne in fifth. There were only seven Bucks competitors and no complete club teams.
 
The Senior Women’s team were second with Katie Repper fourth, Katie Royals sixth and Tamsin Finch tenth. In the Senior Men’s race it was not to be a hat-trick of wins for the club after two strong years, but the six Chiltern runners competing all did well and were only twelve points behind team winners Vale of Aylesbury. Richard Slade ran a well controlled race to take a strong individual win. The remaining scorers were Aran Davidson (11th), Adam Shute (12th), Neil Turner (18th), James Repper (22nd) and Allan Cairns (38th). Neil was first Vet 50 with James Repper second Vet 50.
  
Hertfordshire Cross Country Championships
The Herts Champs this year were at Verulamiam Park, St Albans on Sunday 7th and as usual there was a small Chiltern presence. The course was tucked into a corner of the park but nevertheless provide a good cross country circuit.
 
Hector Gamblen was 14th and Lenny Brooks-Klingenschmid 19th in the Under 13 Boys race. Tom Ford had a trip which cost him a place and finished in fourth place in the Under 15 Boys event whilst Jack Martin was 14th. Emily Ford gained the only Chiltern medal of the day, finishing in silver medal position in the Under 17 Women’s race.