For many Sussex athletes the Cross Country season will come to an end this weekend with the final races in this year’s Sussex Cross-country League at the Hickstead Showground on Saturday.
True for a few leading senior and more Young athletes there are still a couple of Inter-county events plus the National and English Schools championships but this will not affect the main body of Sussex cross-country runners.
John Gill and his Haywards Heath helpers have managed to change the course at the last minute to avoid cancellation.
Please take note of the details published below.
The League champions will be decided as will the team winners but a few runners have already done enough to guarantee a league title.
Ethan Scott (East Grinstead) has already assured himself of the U13 title but in the girls U13 title Bethany Cook (Bodyworks), who has been the outstanding Sussex cross-country runner this season, needs to run on Sunday and beat Brighton & Hove’s Rebecca Losh if she is going to take the League as well as the championship title.
Lizzy Coomber (Lewes) will be the senior women’s champion but a victory from Beth Kidger (Brighton Phoenix) could force Coomber to share the title.
Maya Ramnarine from Hastings looks set to take the U15 Girls’ crown while there are three still in with a shout in the U15 boys and the U17 Boys is still fairly open, though Brighton & Hove’s Thomas Eames is currently leading.
Chris Smith (Haywards Heath) has two senior victories under his belt but, as in several cases he needs to turn up and run to take the title.
In the team events the most interesting is the senior men’s race, where, after some twenty years as League champions Brighton & Hove are currently headed by local rivals Brighton Phoenix.
Much will depend who can get their athletes to Hickstead instead of the Worthing Half-marathon which unfortunately is scheduled for a weekend clash on Sunday.
The Sussex League events on Saturday start at 12.30 with the U13 Girls race and will end with the senior men’s event at 2.50. Races for U11s will precede the League events at 12.00 while even earlier at 11.00 the Sussex Primary Schools finals will be held.
British Indoor Championships and European Trials.
More than a dozen Sussex athletes will be heading for Sheffield this weekend for the British Championships and European Championship Trials.
Hoping for another trip to, and maybe another medal, at the European Games next month will be Hastings born Lee Emanuel who will be racing in the 3000m and he will be joined in that event by Brighton & Hove’s Will Gray.
Three Sussex runners, Brighton Phoenix’s Robbie Fitzgibbon and Archie Davis and Brighton & Hove’s Ian Crowe-Wright race in the 1500m while Phoenix’s Spencer Thomas and Finley Bigg compete in the 800m alongside Charlie Baldwin from Crawley.
Ollie Smith (Chichester) runs in the 400m and Brighton & Hove hurdlers Matt Hewitt and Cameron Fillery race in the 60m hurdles.
In the field events Elise Lovell (Hastings) and Crawley’s Surrey athlete Jo Rowland will be long jumping and Crawley’s Sam Heawood will be putting the shot
If you have any queries or want more information regarding this post, please Email Reg Hook.