The club fielded four full teams and one part team in the junior races at the National Cross Country Relays at Mansfield on 4 November.
After heavy overnight rain, the course was slippery in places although the weather stayed fair during the day. There were big fields in all races for the final fixture of the autumn relays season.
In the under 13 girls, Willow Morris got off to a good start coming in 40th. Freya Bell and Lucy Oliver, both very new to cross country, also ran strongly ensuring that the team finished a creditable 70th.
The under 13 boys A team had an excellent performance. After Oliver Douglass had come in 20th on the first leg, Noah Curran and Theo Barron combined to finish 16th, barely a minute slower than the winners and the first north east team.
The under 13 boys B team of Ben Asquith, Oliver Ezeoke and Luca Shaw also did well , coming in 82nd. This was another inexperienced group of runners, so well done to them for finishing a team.
We only had one runner In the under 15 girls. Ines Curran competed hard after a relatively slow start to come through to 20th in a high quality field.
There was some disappointment in the under 15 boys, as Ethan McGlen lost a shoe in the crowded start. Nevertheless, he fought on to finish 49th before Harry Morris and David Race brought the team up to 32nd with strong individual runs.
Our under 17 men’s team maintained their steady improvement of recent competitions. James Morris came in 49th on the first leg, before Charlie McMillan and Will Dixon, in his first race for the A team, brought the team up to 35th.
Overall, this was a good day for our young athletes with a much improved turnout compared to recent years. There were some fine individual, as well as team, performances. Valuable experience, such as dealing with congested starts and changeovers, was gained for future competitions.
A special mention goes to our under 15 boys and under 17 men for competing in two Northern and two National relays in the last 8 weeks. They have been a credit to the club.
Thanks to all the family members and coaches who supported the young athletes and assisted with transport.