True cross country grit was on display as Isabella Buchanan battled for gold at the SEAA Cross Country Champs at Beckenham Place Park on Saturday.
The under 13 HY athlete was pushed all the way, but with sheer determination crossed the line first in front of Aldershot’s Kitty Morgan, both clocking 10.32.
Buchanan was the only individual gold medallist of the day, but there were other top placings for Sussex athletes.
George Gilbert (Brighton & Hove AC) was second in the under 13 boys race (10.07) and fellow club runner, Finlay Goodman (13.28), took bronze in the under 15 boys.
There were six top 10 finishers in total with U17M Miles Waterworth (Phoenix) 6th (18.38), U20W Emily Muzio (Brighton & Hove) 10th (22.10), U15G Freda Pearce (Eastbourne) 10th (15.57) and U13B Fin Lumber Fry (Eastbourne) 6th (10.20).
Two Sussex teams scored high as well.
Lewes AC’s under 15s, made up of Grace Tuesday (16th), Ava James (18th), Esme Stephenson (30th) and India Somerville (34th) were team winners, whilst Brighton & Hove’s under 13s George Gilbert (2nd), Oliver Goodman (22nd), Taylor Thom Watts (23rd) and Louis Ashworth (74th) were bronze medallists.
The SEAA Champs comes during a very busy cross country period where races are coming thick and fast. This weekend, hundreds of endurance runners will head to Ardingly for the South East Inter Counties Schools Cross Country.
Meanwhile, many other athletes have seen their indoor seasons get up and running.
One of these was Brighton & Hove’s Amber Anning, who last weekend, competing indoors at Arkansas, broke her own 400m club and county record. Her time of 51.56 puts her 6th on the British indoors All-Time list.
Also impressive was Worthing District Harrier Gavin Stephens, competing in Iceland, breaking the V45 indoor record clocking 50.95.