Ipswich Harriers and West Suffolk AC were well represented at the English National Cross Country Championships, staged at Wollaton Park in Nottingham.
John Millar led the way for the Harriers, with another fine performance also coming from their under-15 girls, while Megan Newton was the leading performer for West Suffolk.
An in-form Millar, competing in the junior men’s event over a gruelling 10K course, was a superb 11th overall.
Millar coped well with a course which, in addition to its energy-sapping inclines, also had large quantities of mud, bog and also water to wade through, due to all the resent rain. His team-mate Alex Lawrence was 66th in the same race.
The Harriers’ under-15 girls just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth overall. Their squad comprised Sarah Barker (42nd), Holly Fisher (69th), Mimi Salsby (76th), Katie Challinor (84th), Amy Graham (136th) and Imogen Bowyer (313th).
Likewise, the Harriers’ under-13 boys’ team were a fine sixth in their section, spearheaded by Charlie Turner (38th), George Wharam (58th), Elliot Gladwell (97th) and Oliver Hitchcock (115th). Back-up was provided by Kit Evans-Lombe (118th), Joshua Cook (156th) and Max Fisher (311th).
Nathan Goddard also enjoyed a strong run for the Harriers, finishing 18th in the under-15 boys’ race, with club-mate Harvey Gladwell in 320th spot.
Marian Patten (88th) and Lily Woodruff (98th) were in the top 100 of the under-17 women’s age group, while Abigail Rose (59th) and Alice Goodwin (67th) ran well in the junior women’s event.
Over the under-13 girls’ 3K route, Tilly Aldis was a battling 41st and team-mate Amy Goodard 215th, and fellow Harrier Alex Tripp registered 121st in the under-17 men’s race.
West Suffolk AC also coped well with the testing conditions, none more so than Megan Newton, who took part in the first race of the day, for the under-17 women.
Newton challenged from the start and was able to hold her place in the second group, only tiring noticeably on the last lap to finish in a very good 30th place.
An in-form Holly Davies continued her impressive progress with 36th in the junior women’s race, perhaps her best ever showing. Maureen McCarthy was first over-55 veteran, and 226th overall in the senior race.
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