Performance round-up: October 2026
The clocks have gone back, but that doesn't mean the England teams have paused for the winter. This October there has been plenty of action across the mountains and roads, with the first England cross country trip of the winter season to Roeselare.
Get up to speed with all of the action:
Roeselare
It was a double podium finish in Roeselare, Belgium for the Lotto Cross Cup with James Kingston (Tonbridge AC, Mark Hookway) and Eleanor Foster (North Devon AC, Mark Brace) both finishing in second place in the senior men's and junior women's races.
Success in Morbegno
England Athletics was well represented at this year's Trofeo Vanoni Relays - one of Italy’s most iconic international mountain relay events. We had two very strong U23 teams battling against some of Europe's best mountain runners. It was podium places for both the men's and women's teams.
Double podium for England in Trieste
A strong team of athletes represented England at a point-to-point road race in Trieste, Italy over 10km. There were fantastic performances from all athletes resulted in bronze for both teams. Rebecca Flaherty (Bingley Harriers, Matt Seddon) and Adbimajid Darood (Skyrac AC, Andrew Henderson) were the first English athletes home in fourth and eighth place respectively.
English Cross Country Relays
The National XC Relays returned to Berry Hill Park, Mansfield, bringing together clubs from across the country for one of the highlights of the cross country calendar. National titles were claimed by Loughborough Students AC (Junior Women), St Mary's University Athletics Club (Junior Men), Cambridge & Coleridge AC (Mixed Relay), Herne Hill Harriers (U18 Men and Senior Women), Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow AC (U18 Women), Brentwood Beagles AC (U14 Girls), Salford Harriers AC (U14 Boys), Warriors Pentathlon & Athletic Club (U16 Girls), Brighton & Hove AC (U16 Boys) and Tonbridge AC (Senior Men).
England champions crowned at Manchester Half
Alex Durant and Molly Smith claimed the England half marathon titles at the 2026 ASICS Manchester Half, with closely contested racing in near-perfect conditions on a bright, still morning. In the men's elite race, Alex Durant (City of Sheffield AC), recently returned from competing in the NCAA, clinched the England Athletics title with an impressive 1:02:51. Molly Smith (Herne Hill Harriers) secured the 2026 title in an excellent 1:11:42, holding off Annabel Gummow (Herts Phoenix, Andrew Hobdell) in 1:12:01.
Coming up next month
In November there's lots of exciting races to look forward to: