Sussex School’s cross-country runners face a tough time at Leeds this weekend when they compete in the English Schools Cross-country championships in possibly snow at Temple Newsam.
Sussex have lost a couple of their leading runners from Saturday’s race through injuries which makes life even tougher if they are going to get the high team placing that looked possible earlier in the week.
In the senior boy’s (U19) age group Tom Eames who, until last Saturday, had dominated his age groups in Sussex this season has had to withdraw with a hip injury, an injury that explains his disappointing run at the ECCU championships last week.
This is a major blow as the senior team was expected to challenge for a high team place.
The other major blow comes in the Intermediate boys’ (U17) team where Joe Smith was expected to be one of the high scoring members of the team.
Sussex still have Bethany Cook in the Junior (U15) race, where she was runner up last year. She has yet to be beaten this season and there are high hopes of another gold medal.
The junior team was also second last year but there are only Cook and Rebecca Losh, of last year’s scoring four that are still in the same age group.
Much the same can be said about the Intermediate boys who finished in third place last year.
Currently the course is muddy and with rain and snow forecast it could be another really testing course.
There are too many major championships piled on each other at this time of the year and the athletes will be getting very tired. It would not be unusual for see unexpected results from this final cross-country championship of the season.
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The Hastings Half-marathon will be held on Sunday.
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