It has been a busy December for Sussex Cross Country athletes.
First was the 3rd league fixture at Stanmer Park, Brighton, on December 3, then came the Southern Inter Counties at Oxford the following week.
More than 550 runners took part in the races at Stanmer with the day as usual kicking off with the under 11s.
Lewes ACs’ Rex Hastings crossed the line 1st for the 3rd league race in a row with Brighton & Hove’s Skye Widdows winning in the girls’ 2K.
In the under 13 girls’ race HY took both the top team points along with the individual 1st placing thanks to a stonking run by Isabella Buchanan. Eastbourne’s Evie Lennard was 2nd and Bibi Webb (Crawley) 3rd.
Fin Lumber Fry (Eastbourne) was back competing in the league after missing the second fixture. He comfortably won with Brighton & Hove’s George Gilbert 2nd and Ben Wright (Eastbourne) 3rd. The Eastbourne team scored just 8 points, 1st on the day, with Brighton & Hove in both 2nd (A team) and 3rd (B team).
Rihanon Daniels led her winning Crawley team home in 1st (15 points) in the under 15 girls with Esme Stephenson (Lewes) 2nd and Freda Pearce (Eastbourne) 3rd. The Lewes girls were only 2 points behind Crawley with 17 and Eastbourne 3rd (33).
Finlay Goodman secured his winning position in the under 15 boys with Lucas Gorrill (Team Bodyworks) 2nd and Thomas Matthews (Brighton & Hove) 3rd – a repeat of the Ardingly positions. Like Goodman, Brighton & Hove comfortably took the top team spot with just 9 points to Bodyworks’ 19, and the Brighton & Hove B team closely behind with 24.
Rae Le Fay (Hastings) had a brilliant win in the Under 17 women’s category, some 26 seconds clear of Crawley’s Stephanie Shaw. The under 17 women run their 5K together with the under 20s and seniors and can score as both an under 17 and a senior. Le Fay was an impressive 4th overall, whilst Brighton & Hove AC were the top under 17 women’s team with 18 points to Lewes’ 35 and Eastbourne on 41. 
Amelia Cox (Crawley), who is having a very strong season, was both the overall winner as well as the first under 20 to cross the line. Senior woman, Amy Harris (Phoenix), was 2nd and Lewes’ Isabel Guirdham, also under 20, 3rd. Lewes teammate Rachel Hillman was the first vet (35) in 9th overall.
In the women’s leagues Lewes scored 30, Brighton & Hove A 42 and Phoenix 75 in division 1 whilst Lewes B also topped division 2 and the Vets.
The Brighton & Hove AC team, led by overall race winner James Turner, comfortably won division 1 in the senior men’s category with Lewes 2nd and Phoenix 3rd. Lewes B topped division 2 and the Vets league. 
Joshua Hobbs (Crawley) was 2nd individual and Oliver Pritchard (Team Bodyworks) 3rd, with Matt Geddes (Phoenix) 4th and the 1st under 20. The top vet was Zared Arosaretna (Brighton & Hove) in 14th.
The top cross country runners in the county are selected for the SEAA Inter Counties, which took place at Horspath, Oxford, on December 10.
Sussex enjoyed success across the day starting with a win by Isabella Buchanan (HY) in the Under 13 girls. Together with Bibi Webb (Crawley 8th), Evie Lennard (Eastbourne 11th) and Elodie Hill (Chichester), the girls were awarded team bronze.
This placing was matched by two other Sussex teams – the under 17 women and the senior women.
Yasmin Kashdan (Crawley) won the under 17 women’s race with Rosie Gasson (Brighton & Hove) in 13th, Eleanor Strevens (Eastbourne) 21st and Dulcie Yelling (Brighton & Hove) 33rd.
Amy Harris (Phoenix) was 4th senior woman, Lizzie Keep (Lewes) 21st, Darja Knotkova Hanley (Lewes) 24th and Rachel Hillman (Lewes) 25th.
In the under 15 boys, Brighton & Hove AC’s, Finlay Goodman, had a strong run to place 3rd, with Thomas Matthews the next Sussex athlete in 14th.
The team were 4th.
Fin Lumber Fry (Eastbourne) and George Gilbert (Brighton & Hove) had fine runs in the under 13 boys race placing 7th and 11th respectively, and the team like the under 15s in 4th.
Also 4th were the under 20 women led by Amelia Cox (Crawley) in 4th. Highest placed under 17 man was Charlie Wright in 13th.
Staged alongside the inter counties match is the SEAA Masters Champs where Brighton & Hove AC took team gold – Craig Halsey (V40) individual bronze, Zared Hale 4th and Howard Bristow 12th.
In the women’s race Eastbourne were awarded bronze – Sue Fry (V50) in 7th, Jenny Brown (V50) 8th and Liz Lumber 29th (V55).
The cross country season has been a full and fun one so far, with lots more coming in 2023. First up will be the Sussex Cross Country Champs at Bexhill on Saturday, January 7. Entries in advance only Sussex Cross Country Championships 2023, Little Common, Bexhill - RaceNation (race-nation.co.uk)