Alex Lennon and Zoe Gilbody secured wins within the senior races on the sixty fourth boys and forty sixth women English Colleges Cross Nation Championships on Saturday (March 15).
The occasion, held at Ardingly Showground in East Sussex, attracted massive crowds and noticed individuals line up across the edges of many of the course.
Circumstances had been nigh on good for cross-country working and the bottom was largely agency across the undulating course, fairly completely different to the treacherously greasy mud on the English Nationwide final month.
The senior boys race completed off the proceedings and Lennon as soon as once more stole the present, including victory at English Colleges to his wins on the Inter-Counties Championships (March 8) and Nationwide (February 22).
Alex Lennon (Gary Mitchell)
The 16-year-old was second for a big a part of the race behind Owen Smith, however made his transfer within the latter phases and by no means appeared again.
Lennon, representing Surrey, clocked 17:46 (6000m) and received by 5 seconds from Jack Sanderson, with Smith third in 17:52.
After his victory, Lennon spoke to AW and said it was tough to run round Ardingly Showground due to the quick sharp hills that instantly appeared after the lengthy straights.
“Two weeks I informed you that Parliament Hill was the hardest course I’ve ever carried out,” he mentioned. “Now I need to take again that assertion as a result of Ardingly immediately was more durable. Each time I used to be on just a little little bit of a flat, I used to be pondering’ that is chill’ and I’m having fun with myself.
Senior boys race (Gary Mitchell)
“Then, hastily and out of nowhere, you get a giant incline and also you’re pondering ‘that is terrible’. I used to be sitting within the prime 5 and I’ve to say, Owen Smith was lovely as a result of he took your entire race on. Fortunately, I used to be capable of choose up the tempo within the final 600m and I had the glory of taking dwelling ‘the triple’.”
Lennon, who obtained into working in main college after his PE trainer informed him to do Sutton Colleges, has massive targets in working and needs to give attention to the middle-distances on the monitor.
“This 12 months we’ve obtained the European Underneath-20 Championships [Tampere, Finland] and I need to qualify for that,” Lennon added. “I’d additionally love to interrupt 3:40 within the 1500m as my private greatest is 3:48.17. If all goes effectively, it’s bless.”
Zoe Gilbody (Gary Mitchell)
In equally spectacular trend, Gilbody took victory within the senior women race at Ardingly Showground, capping off a memorable few months over cross-country.
The 18-year-old, who has now triumphed within the junior, intermediate and senior classes on the English Colleges Cross Nation Championships, clocked 13:23 (4100m) and received by seven seconds to Isla McGowan, with Katie Pye third in 13:41.
“I can’t consider it,” Gilbody, representing Shropshire, informed AW. “I couldn’t really feel my legs in the long run as I wished it a lot. I used to be actually proud of the best way that I ran it and I’d deliberate to start out out extra conservatively.
Senior women race (Gary Mitchell)
“I used to be second coming into the final discipline however I believed ‘I’ve carried out this earlier than’. I knew it will come down a dash end. I’ve been doing every part to get this final title and it means a lot.”
Again in December, Gilbody positioned eleventh individually within the under-20 race on the European Cross Nation Championships and was a part of the British cohort – alongside Innes FitzGerald, Jess Bailey, Eleanor Strevens, Lizzie Wellsted and Isobelle Jones – that secured a workforce gold in Antalya, Turkey.
Gilbody’s begin to the 2025 season has additionally been spectacular, with victory on the British Athletics Cross Problem in Glasgow and second place on the English Colleges Cup in Leeds.
Evan Grime (Gary Mitchell)
The intermediate boys race was received by Evan Grime, who has kicked off 2025 with a bang, each on the monitor and in cross-country.
Grime, representing Better Manchester, ran 14:26 (4800m) and took the victory by 5 seconds to Archie Lane, with Rory Barclay-Watt third in 14:37.
“That felt wonderful and I couldn’t have requested for a greater race in all honesty,” the 16-year-old mentioned. “Coming into it I used to be a bit unwell and thought I wanted begin. I wished to get by way of that safely earlier than transferring up the sphere in a while. On the second lap, about two miles in, there was a little bit of a hill and everybody began to decelerate.
Begin of intermediate boys race (Gary Mitchell)
“At that time I believed I’d maintain my tempo and see if anybody goes with me. I appeared behind a few minute later and I had a 10-second hole. I held that effectively and it was job carried out on the end. I believed if I might push like I do know I can then I used to be okay.”
Grime’s win at Ardingly Showground comes off the again of an impressive previous few months. Not solely did Grime break British under-17 1500m (3:49.47) and 3000m (8:23.76) data, however he was additionally topped the nationwide indoor 800m champion for his age group in Sheffield two months in the past.
The primary race of the day on the English Colleges Cross Nation Championships noticed Kitty Scott take the win within the intermediate women class.
Kitty Scott (Gary Mitchell)
Scott, who has a triathlon background, clocked 12:27 and took the win by a powerful margin of 11 seconds, with Jasmine Christmas second after which Olivia McGhee third in 12:40.
“I’m actually completely satisfied as that was very laborious,” Scott informed AW. “The primary lap was okay nevertheless it was a bit tough underfoot. Then the massive lap was very hilly and horrible. I loved it most once we obtained in the direction of the end line.
“My mum and sister at all times ran so I simply sort of adopted them. With triathlon, I couldn’t experience a motorcycle till very late and my dad simply said I needed to study! The week I learnt experience I did my first triathlon. All three sports activities present actually good cross-training and it helps so much with my power.”
{The teenager} has had a unbelievable cross-country season total, with wins on the English Colleges Cup and the South of England Championships, alongside second place on the English Nationwide.
Leo Blyton out in entrance (Gary Mitchell)
Within the junior races, Leo Blyton and Gabrielle Pinder triumphed, with the pair each securing their victories by a margin of 5 seconds.
Blyton, representing Oxfordshire, draped the county flag round him after his win. {The teenager} positioned 197th within the junior class eventually 12 months’s English Colleges Cross Nation Championships in Pontefract, making this achievement much more particular.
In a pulsating race (2850m), Blyton clocked 8:22, with Harry Cantell second and Theo Creed again in third with 8:29.
Gabrielle Pinder out in entrance (Gary Mitchell)
Pinder went into the championships off the again of victory on the English Nationwide and wins at each the North East Colleges’ Inter Counties and Northern Counties Championships.
{The teenager}, representing Cleveland, ran 9:05 (2850m), with Kara Gorman and Olivia Lee (9:15) making up the rostrum.
Full outcomes may be discovered right here
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