Long-distance inspiration from Mara, Jo and David…

 

England’s Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist Mara Yamauchi (Harrow AC), England Athletics Under 20s’ 1500m bronze medallist and National Under 17 Cross Country Champion David Forrester (St Helens Sutton AC) and England Athletics Under 20s’ 1500m silver medallist Joanne Harvey (Exeter Harriers) provided the inspirational icing on the cake for the thousands of endurance runners who took part in the English territorial cross country championships weekend.

 

And fittingly they did it from long distance.

 

Yamauchi won the Osaka Ladies’ Marathon in Japan in a lifetime best of 2 hours 25 minutes 10 seconds at the start of a year in which she is determined to excel in the Beijing Olympics marathon.

 

Forrester and Harvey were the race winners at the annual Lisbon Junior International in Lisbon, leading the Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland team to a comprehensive victory over the hosts Portugal and our eternal cross country rivals Spain. The results were…

 

Junior Men (7km): 1 Forrester 21:51; 2 Mitch Goose (Ipswich Harriers) 21:56; 3 Ross Murray (Gateshead Harriers) 22:06; Simon Horsfield (East Cheshire Harriers and Tameside AC) 22:59.

 

Junior Women (4km): 1 Harvey 12:53; 2 Jessica Coulson (Stockport Harriers 12:55; 3 Laura Park (Ellenborough AC) 13:11; 6 Stevie Stockton (Vale Royal AC) 13:47.

 

All of them will now join the athletes from the territorial championships in chasing success at the 2008 National Cross Country Championships sponsored by Saucony to be staged at Alton Towers in Staffordshire on Saturday 23 February.

 

Two reigning National Champions won South of England AA titles at Parliament Hill Fields. Frank Tickner, who carried all before him on the domestic cross country scene last winter, showed ominous (for his rivals) form in taking the Senior title ahead of European Under 23 bronze medallist Andy Vernon. And Emelia Gorecka, winner of the National Under 13 Girls’ race at Sunderland last March, triumphed in the Under 15 Girls’ event in North London.

 

Rachel Townend succeeded Liz Yelling – who is away warm weather training – as Southern Women’ Champion, continuing the excellent form she demonstrated while racing for England in Spain recently.

 

Of the Under 17s who raced for England in Seville last weekend, Bessie Rollins won the Midlands Under 17 title at Royal Leamington Spa – beaten by only one Under 20, and a special one at that, European Junior 800m silver medallist Emma Jackson – and Blue Haywood triumphed in the Northerns at Leeds. To complete a double for coach Bob Ashwood, who coaches Haywood, Gemma Miles won the Northern Senior Women’s title.

 

For the record, here are all the medallists on Saturday…

 

Midland Cross Country Championships

 

Senior Men (12km): 1 James Walsh (Leeds City) 29:26; 2 Rory Fraser (OWLS) 29:46; 3 Lee Carey (Nuneaton Harriers) 39:51. Teams: 1 Notts AC 63; 2 OWLS AC 93; 3 Bristol and West AC 138.

 

Senior Women (6km): 1 Hannah Whitmore (Charnwood AC) 22:08; 2 Tina Brown (Coventry Godiva) 22:18; 3 Emily Pidgeon (Gloucester AC, U20) 22:20. Teams: 1 Charnwood AC 36; 2 Telford AC 58; 3 Bristol and West AC 61.

 

Junior Men (8km): 1 Craig Peters (Bristol and West AC) 29:45; 2 James Trollope (Birchfield Harriers) 29:59; 3 Gaz Davies (OWLS AC) 30:27. Teams: 1 OWLS AC 33; 2 Bristol and West AC 40; 3 Coventry Godiva Harriers 58.

 

Junior Women (5km): 1 Emma Jackson (City of Stoke AC) 19:31; 2 Joanna Callaway (Royal Sutton Coldfield AC) 19:47; 3 Stephanie Barnes (Bristol and West AC) 19:53. Teams: 1 Royal Sutton Coldfield AC 12; 2 Bristol and West AC 22; 3 Charnwood AC 25.

 

Under 17 Men (6km): 1 Joe Dalgleish (Westbury Harriers) 20:51; 2 Paul Thompson (Birmingham Rowheath AC) 20:56; 3 Robert Galt (Westbury Harriers) 20:57. Teams: 1 Westbury Harriers 26; 2 OWLS AC 41; 3 Westbury Harriers B 152.

 

Under 17 Women (5km): 1 Bessie Rollins (Kettering Town Harriers) 20:29; 2 Hannah Alderson (Westbury Harriers) 20:33; 3 Rowena Cole (Coventry Godiva Harriers) 20:37. Teams: 1 Royal Sutton Coldfield AC 18; 2 Coventry Godiva Harriers 53; 3 Tipton Harriers 55.

 

Under 15 Boys (4km): 1 Daniel Mills (Nuneaton Harriers) 14:39; 2 Tom Curr (Stroud and District AC) 14:46; 3 Jack Gray (Birmingham Rowheath) 15:06. Teams: 1 Stroud and District AC 65; 2 Westbury Harriers 88; 3 City of Stoke AC 103.

 

Under 15 Girls (4km): 1 Katie Holt (City of Stoke AC) 16:02; 2 Annabel Gummow (Bristol and West) 16:05; 3 Lucy Farnell (Royal Sutton Coldfield AC) 16:35. Mansfield Harriers 40; 2 Royal Sutton Coldfield AC 93; 3 Leicester Coritanian AC 108.

 

Under 13 Boys (3km): 1 Michael McKeown (Coventry Godiva Harriers) 12:26; 2 Stefan Ashman (OWLS AC) 12:32; 3 Harvey Brown (Halesowen C&AC) 12:36. Teams: 1 Halesowen C&AC 92; 2 Royal Sutton Coldfield AC 99; 3 Coventry Godiva Harriers 107.

 

Under 13 Girls (3km): 1 Rebecca Robinson (Royal Sutton Coldfield AC) 13:32; 2 Mia O’Connell (Cheltenham and County Harriers) 13:58; 3 Emily Sales (Nuneaton Harriers) 14:01. Teams: 1 Leicester Coritanian 37; 2 Royal Sutton Coldfield AC 49; 3 Mansfield Harriers 114.

 

Find the full Midlands results at http://www.midlandathletics.org.uk/mcaa_005b.htm

 

Northern Cross Country Championships

 

Senior Men (12km): 1 David Webb (Leeds City) 37:07; 2 Steve Vernon (Stockport Harriers) 37:14; 3 Tom Lancashire (Bolton United Harriers) 37:21. Teams: 1 Leeds City AC 71; 2 Sale Harriers Manchester 155; 3 Liverpool Harriers 249.

 

Senior Women (8km): 1 Gemma Miles (Kendal AC) 27:04; 2 Sarah Tunstall (Kendal AAC) 27:25; 3 Carly Needham (Rochdale Harriers) 27:32. Teams: 1 Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield 72; 2 Bingley Harriers 73; 3 Kendal AAC 83.

 

Junior Men (8km): 1 Alastair Brownlee (Bingley) 24:12; 2 Jon Taylor (Morpeth) 24:48; 3 Jonathan Brownlee (Bradford Grammar School) 24:58. Teams: 1 Leeds City AC 64; 2 Morpeth Harriers 67; 3 Liverpool Harriers 110.

 

Junior Women (6km): 1 Mary Ferrier (Gateshead) 22:13; 2 Rosie Edwards (Rotherham Harriers) 22:13; 3 Nicola Grant (Rotherham Harriers) 22:20. Teams: 1 Rotherham Harriers 27; 2 Leigh Harriers 77; 3 Liverpool Harriers 142.

 

Under 17 Men (6km): 1 Jeremy Gilmour (Trafford) 19:28; 2 Philip Hurst (Elswick) 19:36; 3 Tom Farrell (Border Harriers) 19:43. Teams: 1 Wakefield District Harriers 111; 2 Sale Harriers Manchester 126; 3 Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield 160.

 

Under 17 Women (4.5km): 1 Blue Haywood (Lincoln Wellington) 16:10; 2 Hannah Bateson (Lancaster and Morecambe AC) 16:19; 3 Annika Jarman (Lancaster and Morecambe AC) 16:21. Teams: 1 Rotherham Harriers 72; 2 Lincoln Wellington AC 81; 3 Lancaster and Morecambe AC 109.

 

Under 15 Boys (4km): 1 Jamie Crompton (Horwich RMI) 12:18; 2 Michael Priestley (Gosforth Harriers) 12:23; 3 C Hulse (Sale Harriers Manchedster) 12:27. Teams: 1 Leeds City AC 103; 2 Lincoln Wellington AC 158; 3 Liverpool Pembroke and Sefton 184.

 

Under 15 Girls (4km): 1 Lauren Proctor (Wakefield) 13:33; 2 Holly Shreeve (Bingley) 13:34; 3 Calli Thackery (Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield) 13:42. Teams: 1 Sale Harriers Manchester 67; 2 Vale Royal AC 74; 3 East Cheshire Harriers and Tameside AC 108.

 

Under 13 Boys (3km): 1 Fergus Roberts (Richmond and Zetland AC) 10:02; 2 Callum Short (Bolton United Harriers) 10:23; 3 Adam Harrington (Morpeth) 10:27. Teams: 1 East Cheshire Harriers and Tameside AC) 55; 2 Liverpool Harriers 75; 3 Warrington AC 123.

 

Under 13 Girls (3km): 1 Hannah Bethwaite (Ellenborough AC) 11:27; 2 Bethany Jones (Leigh Harriers) 11:35; 3 Zow Hewitson (Shildon) 11:36. Teams: 1 Liverpool Harriers 108; 2 Leigh Harriers 115; 3 Kingston upon Hull AC 122.

 

Find the full Northern results at http://www.northernathletics.org.uk/Pages/Article.aspx?id=169&articleid=126

 

South of England AA Cross Country Championships leaders –

 

Senior Men (12km): 1 Frank Tickner (Wells City Harriers) 46:14; 2 Andy Vernon (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 46:44; 3 Keith Gerrard (Newham and Essex Beagles) 47:00. Teams: 1 Bedford and County 109; 2 Newham and Essex Beagles 115; 3 Woodford Green with Essex Ladies 280.

 

Senior Women (8km): 1 Rachel Townend (Winchester and District AC) 31:36; 2 Louise Damen (Winchester and District AC) 31:49; 3 Rachel Felton (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) 32:25. Teams: 1 Winchester and District AC 26; 2 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 40; 3 Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers 100.

 

Junior Men (8km): 1 Adam Hickey (Southend-on-Sea AC) 29:02; 2 Matthew Gunby (Peterborough AC) 29:10; 3 Phillip Berntsen (Andover AC) 29:15. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 52; 2 City of Norwich AC 70; 3 Southend-on-Sea AC 100.

 

Junior Women (5km): 1 Stephanie Twell (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 19:07; 2 Sophie Coleman (Phoenix AC) 19:37; 3 Holly Rowland (City of Norwich AC) 19:49. Teams: 1 Winchester and District AC 38; 2 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 44; 3 Nene Valley Harriers 169.

 

Under 17 Men: 1 Ronnie Sparke (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies) 22:04; 2 Daniel Clorley (Luton AC) 22:05; 3 Ryan Parker (Bedford and County AC) 22:29. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 65; 2 Tonbridge AC 76; 3 Luton AC 101.

 

Under 17 Women: 1 Beth Carter (Invicta East Kent AC) 19:46; 2 Lily Partridge (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 19:51; 3 Louise Small (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 20:16. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 32; 2 Tonbridge AC 107; 3 Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow AC 185.

 

Under 15 Boys: 1 Sean Webb (Ipswich Harriers) 17:29; 2 Richard Horton (Poole AC) 17:36; 3 Jack Goodwin (Bedford and County AC) 18:02. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 57; 2 Tonbridge AC 99; 3 Bedford and County AC 111.

 

Under 15 Girls: 1 Emelia Gorecka (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 16:44; 2 Melissa Hawtin (Oxford City AC) 17:08; 3 Emily Wallbank (Bedford and County AC) 17:08. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 21; 2 Bedford and County AC 110; 3 Winchester and District AC 176.

 

Under 13 Boys: 1 Kenneth Mason (Bedford and County AC) 11:32; 2 Charlie Allen (Hastings AC) 11:39; 3 Monty Wilson (Hastings AC) 11:44. Teams: 1 Chiltern Harriers 74; 2 Bedford and County AC 130; 3 Tonbridge AC 144.

 

Under 13 Girls: 1 Jessica Judd (Thurrock Harriers) 12:26; 2 Emily High-Alexander (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 12:31; 3 Emma Dixon (Brighton and Hove AC) 12:40. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 28; 2 Oxford City AC 89; 3 Guildford and Godalming AC 92.

 

Find the full SEAA results at http://mcs.open.ac.uk/mkac/08seaaxcall.htm

 

Report by Trevor Frecknall