Saturday’s inclement weather did little to subdue the enthusiasm of Sussex Cross Country runners and more than five hundred completed the courses at the first of this season’s Sussex Cross-country fixtures.
The Senior men’s/masters/U20 always produce the largest field and 143 runners completed this event and it was oft times winner Chris Smith from Haywards Heath who managed to shake off the attention of Brighton & Hove’s William Cork to draw first blood. Smith, who is in the O40 group crossed the finishing line some thirty metres clear of Cork clocking 25:10 to 25:17. Filling third place Tomer Tarragano (Brighton & Hove), who is still an U20 recorded 25:17 ahead of club mate Kevin Moore, 25:35, while another U20 runner, Ned Potter from Chichester clocked 25:41 in fifth place.
Reigning League champions Brighton & Hove won the team event with 54 points to Chichester’s 152 points and Haywards Heath’s 158. Brighton & Hove also won the Master’s team event with 19 points.
In the Senior Women’s race Beth Kidger (Brighton Phoenix) established her ability early in the race and romped away from the field to finish over one minute clear of Hailsham’s Harriet Bloor who is still in the U17 age group, in 17:36 to 18:38.
Julie Briggs (Arena 80) who is now in the W45 group took third place in 18:49 and 130 runners completed the course.
Brighton Phoenix were team winner with 31 points to Brighton & Hove’s 35 and Arena 80’s 53 while Arena 80 won the Master’s team event with 12 points.
Brighton Phoenix won the U17 girls with 11 points while Brighton and Hove
A and B took second and third places.
Lewes swept the board in the U17 men’s race with Adam Dray clocking 16:28, for victory from Fenton Davoren, 16:39 and Atticus Mohapi-Dobouny 16:47 and took the team race with a minimum score of 6 points to Crawley’s 18 and Brighton & Hove’s 39..
Crawley won the U15 boy’s race with 10 points from Lewes 17 and Brighton & Hove 36. In the individual race Crawley’s Nicholas Hollan-Ellidge and Ben Connolly (Phoenix) renewed their middle distance track battles with the Crawley runner getting the upper hand soon after the start and winning comfortably in 14:32 to the Phoenix runner’s 14:41 with Archie Guppy just one second further back in third place.
Eleanor Strevens (Eastbourne) who has dominated the U13 age group for the past couple of years looks like doing the same in the U15 group as she romped away from the field to win in 17:36 ahead of Crawley’s Amelia Cox, who clocked 16:18 and Eadie Yelling (Brighton & Hove) 16:23.
The combined Eastbourne/Bodyworks team won the team event with 17 points to Brighton & Hove’s 22 and Lewes 30.
In the U13 races Joshua Dunne (Chichester) took the boy’s race in 11:32 from Max Webb (Crawley) 11:36 and Worthing’s Thomas Edwards 11:45 with Worthing taking the team race with 26 points to Brighton & Hove’s 29 and Crawley’s 32.
Dulcie Yelling (Brighton & Hove) won the girl’s race in 12:08 from Anna Fox (Crawley) 12:18 and Rihanon Daniels (Crawley) 12:28. Crawley winning the team event from Brighton & Hove with 10 points to 14 points with Crawley B team scoring 38 in third place.