Northern Athletes Shine at Parliament Hill Fields

There were record entries and finisher at Parliament Hill Fields for the English Cross Country Association Championships. Northern athletes managed to collect a total of 10 individual medals which included 4 championship gold medals and 6 team medals of differing colours.
Seniors
It was a clean sweep in the senior men’s race as Charlie Hulson of Sale picked up his first national cross country title, he was followed home by Andy Hayes of Hallamshire with Morpeth’s Nicholas Swinburn taking the bronze.  2014 Northern Champion Dan Garbutt of Durham City was 4th.
Although both Leeds City and Morpeth packed their first four scorers well it was not enough to add team gold to individual gold. Leeds picked up the bronze while Morpeth finished 5th and will both regret not having full squads available as medals went begging
Sara Astin of Manx AC picked up the bronze in the senior women’s race and also led home Manx AC to a very respectable 7th place in the team race. A number of good endurance runners have come out of the Isle of Man in recent years of which Sara is the latest.
Juniors
Amelia Pettitt of Vale Royal who missed out on an individual medal in the Northern Championships last month when she finished 4th went one better at the national and picked a bronze and in doing so led home the Cheshire club to silver medals in the team race.
Liverpool Harriers junior men who dominated at the Northern had to settle for silver medals behind the strong Tonbridge AC. Disappointing to note on a day of records for finishers only 10 clubs finished teams in this race and only two came from the North.
Under 17s
Harriet Knowles-Jones has blazed a trail all season which none have been able to match, after her emphatic win in the Northern last month she added the English title in equally impressive style with another large winning margin. Birtley AC women who won the Northern team title added a National bronze medal to their season tally.
James Gormley of City of Sheffield was not able to add the national title to his Northern title but he did pick up a silver medal in a tight finish with Kent’s Alex Yee, both where a distance behind the winner Mahamed Mahamed of Southampton.
Under 15s
Tilly Simpson of Hallamshire who won the Northern title at Ponterfract was the only Northern  medal winner in this age group as she picked up bronze medal. This was the second individual medal of the day for the Yorkshire club.
Under 13s
Northern athletes picked up both individual titles in this age group. Tommy Dawson of City of City of Leeds  who finished second behind Joshua Dickinson at last month’s Northern went one better at Parliament Hill Fields as he collected gold.
Olivia Mason of Border Harriers continued in her winning ways by adding the national to the Northern with another outstanding demonstration of front running. Manchester Harriers girls collected the team bronze to add the gold they won at Pontefract.
Results
Photos Steve Gaines & Judith Temperton