U20/17/15 Essex / Herts / Middx XC champs

Due to injuries, etc., a small contingent turned up at a wet Basildon where wind and rain greeted our runners. The course, mostly flat in places, also took in some challenging hills around the back of Gloucester Park.

In the Under 17 Men’s race Reuben Fabian had a good run which produced his highest place in a county champs to place 8th, just a minute behind Henry Dover. Reuben will now hope this performance yields him a county vest at the UK Inter Counties XC in March. Alfie Ward, focusing on indoor races at the moment, gave his club vest an outdoor airing for a change and should feel pleased with a solid 15th place.

In the Girls race, run alongside the Boys race, Kezia Beeton was hoping for a top three placing. Unfortunately for Kezia however, she was feeling a bit below par and although she gave it her best shot, 7th was the outcome for the day. Kezia will now hope this will still give her yet another county vest in two months time.

In the U20 Men’s race we had two Woodies on the start line. Having twisted his ankle at the last Met League, Tom Adolphus had been very short of any meaningful training over the past month. Joel Doye was also coming back from injury. On the day Joel was 11th, just over a minute behind the winner. Joel must now focus on this week's Essex Schools where a similar performance may get him to the English Schools. For Tom he was being cautious on his run and although he finished in 12th place he at least came through without any further injury. Tom knows that he would have made the podium on his form prior to the injury.

So a day later in the Hertfordshire Champs on a sunny day in complete contrast to the weather at Basildon, the Stanborough Park course was a good one, undulating and with lots of mud around following all the rain on Saturday.

In the Under 15 girls race Tilly Major got a good start and was in 3rd place having let Phoebe Gill, the outstanding St Albans girl, go well ahead in the early stages. Tilly had a good run, closing down at the end the Chiltern girl Emily Ford who was 30th in the South of England Inter Counties last December. Tilly was happy with 3rd as she will hope to build on that when the Southern comes along in three weeks time where our Under 15 girls strive for silverware.

In the Under 17 girls race Meisha Trend-Evans, our triathlete, had her best cross country race to date. Now part of the GB regional squad for triathlon, Meisha finished 7th, some five places higher than two years ago.

Both Meisha and Tilly are pretty much assured of county vests in two months time.

At Greenford in the Middlesex Champs Emma Lord ran strongly for 12th place in the Under 17 Girls race. Emma will be one of the reserves for Middlesex in the Inter Counties in March.

So now our athletes focus on the Essex Schools or the Met League where once again a fixture clash will mean we have to get as many out as possible to cling into our overall lead.