Individual to team: The National Cross Country Relays
Cross country is one of the purest forms of running, and sport as a whole. It’s the literal grassroots. It’s just you, the mud, and the hills. That is until the National Cross Country Relays roll around each year to Berry Hill Park, Mansfield. Clubs from across the country come together once a year to see an individual sport become a team affair. This year, on Saturday November 2nd, athletes took to the course.
It’s the first event of the winter season that allows athletes to face up against the big guns; and get an idea of their standing ahead of the European qualifiers in Liverpool later this month. It gives young athletes chance to see some of their domestic heroes in action; Callum Elson (known as The Distance Project on social media), and Olympians Phoebe Gill, and Jess Warner-Judd graced the fields in Nottingham for their respective clubs.
What are the relays?
The relays consist of three runners for the senior women’s event, each running 3km; and four for the senior men who contest 5km legs – slightly shorter than the typical cross country. Contrary to the 2023 event, the Mansfield course was dry and firm which only meant fast and fierce racing.
The National Cross Country Relays are athletics heritage. The atmosphere was enhanced by a sea of club tents and flags, and the tempting smell of the burger van providing some warmth on a grey and drizzly day. The unrivalled English club scene didn’t disappoint. Passion, excitement, and inspiration radiated through the course as teammates and spectators screamed their athletes on from the sidelines in the quest for a coveted national title.
So, what happened?
Once the day got underway with the junior girls’ category, medals flowed thick and fast. University of Birmingham were the first across the line, however as a university team (as opposed to a club one) their result wasn’t official. Paris 2024 Olympian, Phoebe Gill, anchoring St Alban’s Athletics Club, pulled her team up from eighth to ensure they were next home to take the title.
Gill said: “I always enjoy Mansfield because you know it’s the shorter out of all the cross country distances… it’s nice to have a fast finish and push through.”
Radley AC that came out triumphant in the junior men’s race by less than 0.1 of a second over Peterborough & Nene Valley. Anchor leg, Quinn Mill-Ingram never looked out of control, but a late surge from Harry Hewitt had Radley hearts in mouths on the home stretch.
A near carbon copy of 2023 came in the senior women’s race. It was a repeat of the podium with Belgrave taking the top spot, and an impressive show of strength in depth from Aldershot, Farnham and District who took silver and bronze with their A and B teams. Nadine Donegan set Belgrave up with a fine sixth on the opening leg. Sarah Astin took the Belles into the lead on leg two, passing over to Kate Axford who finished the job 58 seconds clear of AFD in second.
The senior men’s event wasn’t as straightforward. Last year’s champions, Cambridge and Coleridge had to settle for bronze, while a surprised Shaftesbury Barnet team took gold. Anchored home by Jamie Dee, the Shaftesbury Barnet man had some pressure of leading the race alleviated, believing he was still chasing down a minor medal helping him relax into his race. Dee said: “I was expecting Cambridge and Bedford to be ahead of me.
“I round to the back part of the course and realised I was actually out ahead, and I was like, ‘well, I’ve got to just bring it home now, they’ve done the hard work.’
“I’ve run the last leg before when I was out ahead and it’s a bit more pressure.”
When will it be back?
The National Cross Country Relays will return in 2025, this time under a new event sponsor as Saucony make way after 22 years of endorsing the event. In the meantime, the cross country season promises more mud, hills and grit as we approach the start of the Cross Challenge Series, a target for many with cash prizes and qualification spots up for grabs. The Cross Challenge kicks off with the Cardiff fixture on November 9th, before the Liverpool edition on November 23rd has domestic talent vying for a spot at the European Cross Country Championships at the start of December.
