English National Cross Country Championships

Wollaton Park, Nottingham

Saturday 22nd February 2020

Four Kingston athletes, travelled to Wollaton Park, in Nottingham, on Saturday the 22nd of February, to compete in the English National cross country championships. A total of 5008 athletes, were in action at the event, with championship races, staged across all of the age categories, from under 13 boys and girls, right up to senior men and women. Wollaton Park had seen heavy and prolonged rain, in the week leading up to the event, and the condtions underfoot were atrocious, with thick mud and huge deep puddles of water.

Performance details for all of the Kingston athletes are as follows

Under 17 Men – 6.7 Kilometres Race

Training partners, Harry Hudson and Tom Smales, were the Kingston representatives, in the under 17 men’s, 6.7 Kilometres race, which carried a field of 286 runners. Both athletes have made solid starts to 2020, which saw Harry take the gold medal, at the County cross country championships, with Tom collecting the bronze. Further medals came their way at the Barton event, which saw another gold for Harry, and another bronze for Tom. Next up was the Northern Counties Championship meeting, in the Yorkshire Dales, which saw tremendous runs from the pair, with Harry taking an 8th place finish, and Tom 32nd place.

The National Championships, saw the pair produce two more excellent performances, where  Harry Hudson ran the course, in a time of 23:55 sec, to take a 15th place finish, and  Tom Smales took 32nd place, covering the course, in a time of 24:38 sec.

Under 15 Girls – 4.8 kilometres Race

Two more training Partners, Georgina North and Aimee Campbell, were in action, in the under 15 girls 4.8 kilometres race. Both girls opened their 2020 cross country campaign, at the County championship meeting, in Grimsby’s Weelsby woods, where Georgina was the silver medallist, and Aimee was the 5th place finisher. Next on the agenda was the Barton event, where Georgina was the gold medallist, and Aimee a 4th place finisher. At the Northern Counties championships Georgina, finished in the middle positions.

At February’s English national championships, Georgina finished in the middle section of the race, running the course in a time of 23:40 sec, with Aimee finishing in the lower middle places, navigating the course, in a time of 25:18 sec.