This Saturday saw the English National Cross Country Relays take place after a year off due to Covid at Berry Hill Park, Mansfield. This popular event received over 1000 team entries for the 15th consecutive year and this year 1048 teams across all age groups took part.
Two teams of our Under 20 men made the long trip to run in their event which took place over the parkland course with a wooded section thrown in for good measure. The event was something of a reunion given that some of the team, who have run together for several years across the age groups, are now away at university. The athletes competed in teams of 3 and each covered a leg of 3k competing against 62 other teams in their age group.
The A Team finished a creditable 26th overall in a total time of 28.56.3. Joe Chamberlain led off with a solid leg of 9.46.7. Joe handed over to Sam Burnell who ran the fastest leg by a Dacorum runner in making up over twenty places during his 9.28.05 leg. Freddie Truman-Williams brought the team home and made up a couple more places with his leg of 9.41.45.
The B Team also performed well and indeed after Jamie Bailey’s opening leg of 9.45.20, they were in front of the A Team by a couple of metres. Tom O’Reilly made up several places on the second leg with his time of 9.57.05 and Angus Saunders on the last leg continued this progression with his run of 10.14.80 picking up a couple more places. Overall, the team’s time 29.57.0 was good enough for 37th place overall and were 8th best B team. Well done to all for your fine runs.
