National Cross Country Championships - Gold for U15 Boys

​Chiltern Harriers Under 15 Boys carried on their successful winter season with an excellent win at the National Cross Country Championships at Parliament Hill on Saturday.
 
Despite it being a beautiful sunny day, the hilly courses soon cut up badly with plenty of lost shoes and fallers amongst the runners. Many runners in the Chiltern teams were taking part at this iconic venue for the first time.

First race off was the U17 Women and the Chiltern contingent ran very well to be a creditable fourth from eighteen teams. Running the big 5k loop, Maddie Hughes had another great race to be sixth. Holly Henderson was 41st, Charlotte Docwra 83rd and Abbie Henderson, suffering from a stitch, 94th to complete the scoring. Ellie Shield in 128th and Hannah Ashby 141st both ran well in a field of 274. Olivia Edwards started well but suffered two falls and a spiking before dropping out.
 
The Under 15 Boys were second on the programme and after a win at the Southern Champs in January were fancied to do well. Alden Collier had probably his best race of the winter to be second on the two lap 4k course. From a large field of 412 runners Daniel Munn was 40th,  Euan Pinder 41st and Alex Hughes 74th to  give a score of 157, well ahead of second placed Tonbridge. Archie Pinder was well placed but had a fall and had to settle for 96th. Also running well were Max Baxter 89th, Isaac Jessop-Tranter 90th, Rowan Gawne 174th, Callum Powell 250th, and Hari Mistry 194th.
 
Neither U13 team could complete a foursome but there were good efforts in both 3k races. Year 6 athlete Kara Gorman had another eye-catching run to finish a superb 5th for the girls with Issy Robinson 111th and Marlie Nkoane 117th completing the Chiltern presence. For the boys Tom Ford worked his way through the field well to be 15th and James Holdsworth in 37th and Charlie Quantrill in 137th both ran strongly.
 
The U17 Men had five out and were 16th from 23 teams. Ash Finch was first home over the tough 6k circuit in 86th and also scoring were Oakley Denson 108th, Laurie Gawne 163rd and Thomas Askey 220th. Sammy Bennetts was 241st.
 
Frankie Baxter lost a shoe, then a sock in the U15 Girls race early on and worked hard to stay upright. Carrying her ankle chip through the finish meant it didn’t register but Frankie finished about 100th. Meanwhile Emily Ford ran very well to be 34th and the scoring was completed by Lily Jessop-Tranter 145th, Izzy Martin 241st and Rebecca Lawson 315th.
 
Louis Peterson turned an ankle early on and had to drop out in the Junior Men’s race.
 
In the Senior Women’s race Emily Hollis made her Chiltern debut to be an excellent 250th from 1010 runners. Katie Royals also did well to be 354th. Fiona Williams was 808th. Ian Lawson was the sole Chiltern Senior Man and came 1138th from a giant field of 2087 runners.