No podium places but some determined performances from Charnwood AC’s athletes in the face of difficult conditions for the National Cross Country Championships at Wollaton Park Nottingham last Saturday (February 22).

In the Under 13 boys, in a field of 384, 272nd spot for Daniel Oakland in 18:15, followed in by Miles Foord in 295th (18:43) Charlie Coleston-Shields 300th (18:48) James Norman 314th (19:02) and Harry Blewitt-Jenkins 323rd
(19:15) with the team taking 42nd place.

For the Under 13 girls Savana Smith took 94th (17:26) and Florrie Mitchell 161st in a field of 357

With the Under 15 boys, Luke Talbot was 225th (20:22) and Harry Foord 268th out of 364 finishers, while with the Under 15 girls in a field of 390, Isabel Oakland was 88th (21:41) Amelie McCann 106th (21:56) Rachel Newport 112th (22:01) Gracie-Rose Walters 178th (22:53) and Isabel Edwards 243rd (24:13), with the team taking a very creditable 11th place.

In the Under 17 men, Alex Coleston-Shields took 193rd (27:40) with Colin Foord following in 194th 27:44), while in the Under 17 women there were fine runs from Lexie McLoughlin to take 34th (23:34) and Gemma Newport (23:47)

Two more good runs in the Junior Men field, with Thomas Gostelow taking 29th (39:20) and Ethan O’Shea 35th (39:36), while in the Junior Women Amy Hammersley was 47th (29:30)

For the Senior Men, Mark Couldwell finished 296th (51:46) with Peter Swaine 435th (53:50) and Kevin Lomas 1454th (72:11) in a field of over 1700 finishers.

Performance of the day though was again the Senior Women. In a field of over 900 Juliet Potter was 23rd (35:43) followed by Lucy Jones in 51st (37:24) Aimee Seager 105th (39:12) Elsie Butler 117th (39:29) Jane Potter 139th (40:11) and Elaine Seager 640th (52:33) with the team taking a fine 8th place from 94.