Impressive performances from England athletes at the 2025 Home Countries International
A misty cold day met the athletes as they took to the start line at Temple Newsam, Leeds for the 2025 Home Countries International. The course ahead of them was a continual rolling set of hills that would be very demanding, although firm underfoot. Full marks must go to whoever designed this challenging, spectator friendly course. All the England athletes took the challenge in their stride producing a series of impressive performances.
Senior Men
The uphill start was underway with the four Englishmen and the Scots to the fore as it weaved its way around lap one as a pack. On lap two Cameron Allen (Houghton Harriers) decided to move to the front and take it on in front of the stately house. He was closely followed by James Kingston (Tonbridge AC, Mark Hookway) and Jacob Cann (Newham & Essex Beagles), Logan Rees (Fife, Ron Morrison) and Jamie Crowe (Central, Derek Easton) of Scotland, as well as Jack Millar (Bristol & West/Thames Hare & Hounds) running for the Midlands. Allen’s lead was short lived as Jack Millar moved to the front to push it along and led a close field at the half-way mark.
Going into the final two laps it was Logan Rees to the fore with James Kingston in close attendance, but still a large pack at the front with Cameron Allen and Millar the closest followers and Crowe and Cann a few metres back in 5th and 6th, so a close battle continued between England and Scotland.
Going into the final lap, Kingston made his move with Rees tucked in close behind and Millar hanging on but only just. It was a strong final lap with Kingston pulling Rees with him and getting away from Millar, so it was clearly between these two now. As they disappeared over the hill and passed the start line for the last time, it was Rees who was full of running heading back towards the finish and the gap was significant to Kingston and that is how it finished. Both men will no doubt be significant challengers for their respective national championships in two weeks time.
The three scoring English runners just pipped Scotland with 12 points to Scotland’s 13 to take the team win.
Senior Women
The course was challenging but the athletes said they enjoyed the multiple laps; the Senior Women ran 8.2k over four laps.
The race started at a steady pace with the England women sitting in the centre of the pack. The England team were packing well and moved through quite quickly, sat just behind Scotland’s Scout Adkin (Moorfoot). Jess Gibbon (Reading AC) and Amelia Quirk (Bracknell AC, Mick Woods) pushed the pace going into the 2nd lap with Mia Waldmann (Reading AC, Mark Booth) sitting just behind alongside Sophie Tarver (Wirral) running for the North. Megan Gadsby (City of Norwich/St Mary’s University, Mick Woods) was running strong and sitting at the back of the front group.
As the laps unfolded, the pack stayed together and Amelia made her move going into the last lap up the long uphill section and opened a gap which she kept to the finish line. Jess finished very strongly for second, just ahead of Mia in third giving England the team win.
Slightly further back, a race unfolded between Elle Twentymann (Rugby & Northampton) and England’s Megan Gadsby crossing the line together and gaining the same time.
Junior Men
Starting down at the bottom of the course the athletes quickly worked their way up the first long drag to enter the switchback section in front of the majestic hall. First to show was Scotland’s Thomas Hilton (Moorfoot) closely followed by England’s Matthew Pickering (Aldershot, Farnham & District, Mick Woods), Quinn Miell-Ingram (Radley, Wendy Miell-Ingram), England debutant Liam Conway (Cambridge & Coleridge, Richard Park) and the South of England’s Joseph Grange (Chelmsford).
As the race entered the final lap it was still unclear who would take the individual title, but with three England athletes in the now smaller lead group of seven, the outcome of the Home Countries International looked assured.
The long climb back to the finish saw England’s Quinn Miell-Ingram power away to take a clear victory ahead of teammate Matthew Pickering, closely followed by 3rd Englishman Jake Stevens (Invicta East Kent, Donald Carter). Debutant and the youngest members of the team Liam Conway won his battle with South of England’s Joseph Grange to complete a clean sweep by finishing 4th.
Junior Women
England Junior women were represented by Eliza Nicholson (Blackheath and Bromley, Tom Craggs), Isabel Holt (Blackburn, Edmund Finucane) and Amelie Lane (Wharfedale).
The race started conservatively with the England trio sitting at the fore of the leading pack for the 1st 2km lap. As lap two commenced, Eliza and Isabel began to push the pace and pull away from the rest of the pack. Behind them the pack was down to six which included Amelie, Scotland’s Zara Redmond (Kilbarchan, Sarah Dempsey), Northern Ireland’s Lucy Foster (Willowfield) and South of England’s Katie Pye (Aldershot, Farnham & District, Mick Woods) and Lucy Wilkinson (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow, Shireen Higgins).
Eliza and Isabel were now locked into a battle and this continued for all of lap two and into the final lap. As they approached the flat section of the course on the final lap, Eliza made a decisive move and pulled away from Isabel extending her lead to go on to claim victory. The fast pace began to take its toll on Isabel, who was overhauled by Zara Redmond and Lucy Wilkinson on the final uphill section and finished in 4th place. Amelie continued to work hard throughout the race to finish in 6th place.
U17 Team
The first races of the day were awarded to the U17s. England gave the opportunity for 8 runners to represent their country - some for the first time - at this meet. The experience enabled these developing runners to see what it was like to compete as part of an England team, spending the night away from home with the team and being able to gain knowledge from the Juniors and Seniors on the team was priceless.
Both teams excelled in the races, the U17 Women saw Ellarose and Isla work together around the winding course to cross the line in 2nd and 3rd. Olivia and Ava backed up the team showing commitment to the undulating course, finishing 8th and 15th representatively. The men’s teams saw a clean sweep of 1/2/3/4 which was an exceptional performance from Team England. Working as a pack over each lap, the finishing positions came down to a uphill sprint finish which saw Matthew claim Cross Challenge Champion and Luke, Myles and Jack completing the team.
Results
Senior Men
- James Kingston - 2nd (26:07)
- Cameron Allen - 4th (26:19)
- Jacob Cann - 6th (26:29)
- Oscar Bell - 8th (26:50)
Senior Women
- Amelia Quirk - 1st (24:12)
- Jess Gibbon - 2nd (24:20)
- Mia Waldmann - 3rd (24:25)
- Megan Gadsby - 8th (24:44)
Junior Men
- Quinn Miell-Ingram - 1st (16:40)
- Matthew Pickering - 2nd (16:43)
- Jake Stevens - 3rd (16:44)
- Liam Conway - 4th (16:50)
Junior Women
- Eliza Nicholson - 1st (19:00)
- Isabel Holt - 4th (19:16)
- Amelie Lane - 6th (19:26)
U17 Women
- Ellarose Whitworth - 2nd (13:13)
- Isla McGowan - 3rd (13:21)
- Oliva Forrest - 8th (13:41)
- Ava James - 15th (13:55)7
U17 Men
- Matthew Clark - 1st (11:35)
- Luke Dunham - 2nd (11:38)
- Myles Fraser - 3rd (11:38)
- Jack Manwood - 4th (11:37)