23 February 2009

It was “National” weekend both north and south of the border as the English and Scottish Cross Country Championships took place on Saturday 21 February at London’s Parliament Hill and Falkirk’s Callendar Park respectively.

In the senior races in Scotland, Ali Hay (Central AC) and Freya Murray (Edinburgh AC) won the men’s and women’s titles. Hay, Scottish Inter-District champion following a brilliant 16th place finish overall in the Bupa Great Edinburgh International Cross Country, produced a mature display of cross country running for his first long course race win over 12K in 37.14, just edging out GB & NI U23 international Tom Russell (Bristol & West) by one second in a thrilling sprint finish.

The senior women’s race was more of a certainty and less of a battle as Scottish Inter-District champion and Scottish National 4K victor Freya Murray dominated from gun to tape to win in 27:24.

GB & NI steeplechase international Hatti Dean (Hallamshire Harriers) took the women’s English Cross Country Championships title in the London with a time of 29.34 in her only her second competitive race of the year. Frank Tickner (Wells City Harriers), who finished 73rd at last year’s World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh and 10th at the European Cross Country held in Belgium in December, won the men’s title in 38.02 and will hope to continue his good form to book a place at this year’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Jordan on 28th March.

In the junior races, three times European Junior Cross County Champion and World Junior 1500m gold medallist Steph Twell (AFD) added to her title tally winning the English U20 title in 17.56, followed closely by 2008 European Junior Cross Country bronze medallist Lauren Howarth (Leigh Harriers & AC) who was just 13 seconds adrift.

Nick Goolab (Belgrave Harriers), who took a win at the Junior Cross Country International in Portugal in early February, won the junior men’s title in 34.09. In Scotland, Beth Potter (Victoria Park City of Glasgow) ran away with victory in the combined under-17/under-20 women’s 4.8K race with 15.59 while Derek Hawkins (Kilbarchan) won the men’s under-20 8K race in 24.47.

For full English results visit: English Cross Country Association

For full Scottish results visit:Scottish Athletics