Back to News headlines

The 43rd Girls and 51st Boys AVIVA / ESAA English Schools’ Cross Country Championships 2011 will take place on Saturday 19th March.  There are six races covering three age groups with the first race starting at 12.30pm.

This event is the National event for all the English School Counties with 45 county teams taking part and a total of over 2000 athletes competing.
The course, which is undulating grass, will be held within the parkland at Wollaton Park Nottingham NG8 2AE.  This will probably be the last time that a major cross country event will be held at Wollaton Park and most probably the first and last time that the ESAA Championships will be held on this course.

Wollaton Hall and Deer Park is one of the country’s finest Grade One listed Elizabethan mansions, with an adjacent Camellia House; the oldest cast iron glasshouse in Europe.  It is set within 500 acres of stunning parkland with its own unique history to tell.   Built in the English Renaissance style, the hall was constructed between 1580-1588.  The Park contains an array of important wildlife habitats, including wetlands, grasslands, woodlands and avenues of ancient trees. Roaming free are herds of red and fallow deer in their natural habitat.

Getting to the AVIVA / ESAA cross country championships at Wollaton park.

All County Team coaches and Officials must use the entrance from the A609 (Wollaton Road).  Members of the public can use either Lime Tree Avenue, which is off the Nottingham ring road system, or the Wollaton Road entrance.  The main roads in the vicinity of Wollaton Park will be AA signed to the Championships.  There will be a parking charge of £4 per car per day.  The park will be open top the public from 9.00am with the course closed at 12 noon.

Race Order

12.30   Intermediate Girls' Championship 4.1 Km, followed by Individual presentations.
Jessica Judd from Essex winner of the 2010 event and recent winner of the CAU Cross Country Championships is in fine form, however Alice  Wright from Hereford and Worcester  4th in 2010 should also feature at the front. Along with Emily Smith from Somerset last years Junior Girls winner.

13.00   Junior Boys' Championship   4.1 Km, followed by Individual presentations.
Difficult to make a predication with many of this age group having their first taste of English School Championships.

13.30     Junior Girls' Championship 3.25 Km, followed by Individual presentations
Rebecca Firth West York’s,  5th in 2010 is still in this age group and will be making a determined effort to move into a medal position as will Kate Sheil – Rankin from Surrey already winning the National Championship and finishing 3rd in the CAU  event.

14.00     Intermediate Boys' Championship 5.4 Km, followed by Individual presentations.
Adam Howard from Gtr. Manchester moves up an age from last year, he won in 2010, but this year has seen him win both the CAU and the National Championships. Likewise Xander Tansey 2nd in 2010 from Leicestershire, moves up an age group but has had some good races during the winter.

14.35     Senior Girls' Championship 4.5 Km, followed by Individual presentations.
Kate Holt from Staffordshire will be looking to improve on her3rd place from 2010 as will Jenny WALSH FROM West Yorkshire who finished 5th last year.

15.05      Senior Boys' Championship 6.8 Km, followed by Individual presentations
A very open race with possibly Joshua Grace  5th last year and running for Surrey  hoping to improve, he may be chased  hard  however by Mitch White  from Berkshire who finished just two places behind last year.

Photos by Mark Shearman

 

England Athletics Online store   Click here to visit the Official England Athletics online store. Wear official England Athletics clothing. All 'profits' made by England Athletics are reinvested into the development of athletics in England