The English National Cross Country Championships made a long-awaited return to the North East on February 21, with Sedgefield hosting the event for the first time at Hardwick Park.
Organised in partnership with Sedgefield Harriers, supported by Durham County Council and sponsored by SportsShoes.com, the championships were staged in the region for the first time since 2013 and in County Durham for the first time in 25 years.
Of the 3,800 athletes involved, around 1,800 were junior runners, while the biggest single field of the day was 1,300 in the senior men’s race.
A demanding three-lap course awaited the senior men, while the senior women faced two laps of the same testing terrain. Hugo Milner underlined his return to full fitness by reclaiming the senior men’s title with a decisive move on the final lap of the 12.4km race.
The Derby AC athlete, who won this championship in 2024 but missed last year through injury, went straight to the front from the gun. Fresh from a front-running victory at the UKA Cross Challenge in London, Milner adopted similar tactics in Sedgefield, immediately stretching the field.
This time, however, he was not alone. James Kingston of Tonbridge AC matched the early pace and the pair quickly established a clear lead over the rest of the field. For much of the race they ran stride for stride, each covering the other’s moves as the gap behind continued to grow.
The decisive moment came on the third and final lap. Milner increased the tempo and, unlike earlier in the race, Kingston was unable to respond. The Derby runner gradually edged away and maintained his advantage to the finish, crossing the line in 37:07.
Kingston followed just three seconds later in 37:10 after a strong run throughout.
Richard Slade of Chiltern Harriers AC secured third place in 38:10, while Calum Johnson of Gateshead Harriers and Tonbridge’s Ted Higgins completed the top five.
Milner said: “I went out really hard and I thought if anyone comes with me then I will just keep the pace on it. I wanted to see if anyone would try and stick with me and credit to James [Kingston] because he really pushed the pace.
“After the first lap I thought it was quite windy so I let James do most of the work and then on the last lap I knew I had a bit left so I really pushed on. I had a bit of a stitch on that last kilometre so I was just holding on.”
The senior women’s 8.3km contest was decided much later, with the outcome unclear until the closing stages of the second lap.
Lucy Jones and Molly Smith of Herne Hill Harriers were prominent from the early stages, alongside Amelia Quirk of Bracknell AC. The trio led deep into the race before Smith lost contact, leaving Jones and Quirk to contest the title.
The pair remained locked together heading towards the finish, but Jones found the stronger finish in the closing stages to pull clear and take victory.
Jones, who finished fourth in this event last year, had targeted another top-four placing but went one better to secure her first national cross country title. She was visibly emotional after crossing the line.
Last year’s winner, Jessica Gibbon of Reading AC finished fourth this time around while Aldershot Farnham & District’s Niamh Brown took fifth.
Jones said: “It was nice to not be in a slop fest for once, it was pretty dry which meant it was good going. I sat in, felt good and then bided my time and it seemed to work.
“I was pretty confident that I was feeling good and if I needed to then I’d be able to kick quite hard. I started to press with a kilometre to go and I felt a gap open up and I knew then that I had to just go.
“I had no massive expectations, I really wanted to finish at least fourth or above so I’m thrilled.”
Rebecca Flaherty produced the most commanding performance of the day to take the under-20 women’s title.
The Bingley Harriers athlete moved clear over the 6.1km course and steadily extended her advantage, eventually winning by 25 seconds. It was the largest margin of victory across the championships.
Behind her, the battle was for the remaining podium places. Maisey Bellwood of Keighley & Craven AC found herself under pressure in the closing stages, with Ava James of Brighton & Hove AC closing fast.
Bellwood held her form to secure second place, while James finished strongly to take third.
Isabel Holt of Blackburn Harriers and Tilly Nickell of Team Bath AC completed the top five.
In contrast, the under-20 men’s 10.1km race produced the closest finish of the day.
Biruk Aduna Kebede of Clayton-le-Moors Harriers and Matthew Pickering of Aldershot Farnham & District broke clear early and remained locked together throughout the race. Neither athlete was able to establish a decisive gap, with the pair matching each other stride for stride across the three laps.
The outcome was only settled in the closing metres. Rounding the final bend, both athletes launched into a sprint for the line, but it was Kebede who had the slight advantage and was able to edge ahead to claim the title.
Pickering was forced to settle for second after a closely fought contest that was only decided in the final strides. Cambridge & Coleridge’s Cosmo Benyan was third, while Quinn Miell-Ingram (Radley AC) and Jack Sanderson (Settle Harriers) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
There was more close racing in the under-17 events.
Highgate Harriers’ Sonny Allen took victory in the women’s race, moving clear to finish ahead of Kitty Scott and Isabella Tutt, who completed the podium.
The men’s under-17 contest was decided in a sprint finish. Rory Barclay-Watt and Ben Allen were locked together heading into the closing stages, but it was Barclay-Watt who found the stronger finish to take the win. Joseph Scanes secured third place.
In the under-15 races, Theo Creed claimed the boys’ title, while Gabrielle Pinder took victory in the girls’ event.
The youngest champions of the day were crowned in the under-13 category, where Madison Kindler and Luis Da Silva secured their respective wins.
Full results here.