Excellent racing from England at Home Nations 5k

Bute Park in Cardiff played host to a thrilling afternoon of racing as England’s athletes delivered a perfect sweep — four team podiums on a course that demanded both speed and skill. 

The course is a flat three lap loop with Cardiff Castle as the backdrop. Although the skies cleared before the start, earlier rain had left the tarmac slick, especially on the bends of the 3 lap route. This meant extra focus, with corners demanding balance, and every surge had to be timed with care. England’s squads adapted brilliantly, using smart racing lines and confident pacing to turn tricky footing into a showcase of control and composure.

Women

England’s senior women delivered a commanding performance - Abbey Brooke was our lead of the chasing pack and was relentless in moving forward closely followed by amazing running from Maddie Jordan-Lee, Jemima Elgood and Ella Semple. 

These strong supporting runs from the rest of the squad this ensured England comfortably made silver on the podium, with all scorers finishing inside the top 10. The U20 athletes, racing alongside the seniors for valuable experience, impressed with mature pacing and fearless racing against seasoned opposition – with a third place on the podium in the team standings. There was an outstanding performance coming from Zara Bratt who has only just turned 16 showing maturity beyond her years.

Men

Charlie Brisley was exceptional, pushing the winner Jack Kavanagh throughout the men’s team, facing a fiercely competitive field. Consistent performances from the rest of the squad kept England in the hunt for the team title, ultimately securing a hard-earned first place overall.

Joseph Tuffin and Finely Proffitt packing closely behind, then with Andrew Penney running well with a second group, he did a great job to bridge the gap. Meanwhile our U20 men were again racing alongside the senior men – Edward Sankey, Jack Sanderson, Joseph Grange and Samuel Stapley all worked very well as a pack, demolishing the competition with first, second, fourth and sixth positions!

Results

Senior women - team silver

• Abbey Brooke (Belgrave Harriers, Bill Foster/Mark Lloyd) – 16:12 - 4th
• Maddie Jordan-Lee (Aldershot Farnham & District, Mick Woods) – 16:17 – 6th
• Jemima Elgood (Nidd Valley Road Runners, Andrew Henderson) – 16:27 – 9th
• Ella Semple (Wolverhampton & Bilston, Dean Miller) – 16:33 – 10th

Senior men - team gold

• Joseph Tuffin (BRAT, Jethro McGraw) – 13:54 – Overall 2nd
• Finley Proffitt (Trafford AC, Dean Miller) – 13:56 – Overall 3rd
• Charlie Brisley (Newham and Essex Beagles, James McNeil) – 13:57 - 4th
• Andrew Penney (Hercules Wimbledon AC, Mark Lloyd) – 14:07 -9th

U20 women - team bronze

• Zara Bratt (Stoke AC, David Bratt) – 16:42 – 1st U17
• Ava Clough (Trafford AC, Richard Goddard) – 16:50 – 1st U20
• Eleanor Foster (North Devon AC, Mark Brace) – 17:03 - 2nd U20
• Isabella Tutt (Halifax Harriers, Steve Man) – 17:17 - 3rd U17

U20 men - team bronze

• Edward Sankey (Mansfield Harriers, Darren Toyn) – 14:27 – 1st U20
• Jack Sanderson (Settle Harriers, Alastair Scholey) – 14:29 – 2nd U20
• Joseph Grange (Chelmsford AC) – 14:33 – 4th U20
• Samuel Stapley (Brighton Phoenix, Joel Kidger) – 14:40 – 6th U20