Sunday 28th December saw the final Northern Athletics Road Race championship of 2025 at the Ribble Valley 10km Road Race.
Excellently organised by George Davies, Blackburn Harriers and the team from Run Through the very popular festive race saw nearly 1500 finishers. A crisp morning led for great running conditions on the very quick undulating course held over rural roads to the west of Clitheroe.
In the Ladies race Verity Ockenden, Swansea Harriers was the overall race winner in a time of 32.18. Both Verity and the Mens race winner Matt Ramsden will compete for GB & NI in the upcoming World XC Championships in Tallahassee, Florida. We wish them well! Isabel Holt, the very talented u20 athlete from Blackburn Harriers took the Northern Athletics 10km title finishing 2nd overall in a time of 33.32. 2nd place was Laura Hesketh, Clayton le Moors Harriers in 33.55 and 3rd place was Emily Simm, Blackpool & Fylde AC in 34.18.
In the team event Leeds City AC with Katrina Chalmers, Steph Kessell, Charlotte Van Zelst were Northern Athletics champions. Border Harriers 2nd with Kate Maltby, Rachel Lowe, Bella Tiffin-Lowe. Steel City Striders 3rd with Abbie Pearse, Caroline Brock, Emily Green
In the Mens race the first three athletes across the line were from Northern Athletics affiliated clubs. Ollie Lockley was the early pace-setter as a group of four athletes broke clear of the field with a very large chasing pack. In the end it was GB athlete Matt Ramsden, Blackburn Harriers in 29.05 with a 7 second victory over Biruk Kebede, Clayton-le-Moors Harriers in 29.12. Ollie Lockley, Leeds City AC hanging on for 3rd in 29.30.
In the team event Leeds City AC completed the full set of Northern Athletics Road Champs victories over 5km, 10km and 10mile. Ollie Lockley, Gavyn Chalmers and Joe Sagar making up the team. Salford Harriers were a very deserving 2nd place and with 2025 victories at the Spring 12-Stage and Autumn 6-Stage it sets up 2026 as a potentially vintage year for the cross-Pennine rivalry. Josh Birmingham, Marc Brown and Callum Davidson scoring for Salford. In 3rd place was Ilkley Harriers with Nathan Edmonson, Dominic Coy, Christos Tzelis
Northern Athletics are delighted to be able to support the event as the host of our annual 10km Championships and we look forward to continuing this support in 2026.
Mick Hill
NA Exec Committee, Road Running
