Innes FitzGerald enjoys runaway win at English Schools Champs

Devon athlete enjoys 52-second clear victory at Wollaton Park in Nottingham as Zoe Gilbody, Molly Carvell, George Couttie, Sam Plummer and Joe Scanes also take gold on Saturday

A major cross-country event returned to the grounds of Wollaton Hall for the first time since the all-age group English National of 2020.

Increasing costs of hiring the estate had been given as the reason, but it was also noted back then that the grounds were left seriously rutted by the numerous parked cars. However it was the expense of hiring the venue that was given as the real reason for it falling off of the calendar.

This was backed up by Wendy Smith, the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, who noted that the unitary authority of central Nottingham is one of the poorest in the country with an above average number of low council tax band houses, which mean the council has to look to all means that it can to try and balance its books.

For the second time in eight days the younger runners were again called upon to compete in a national championships and it was again for their counties albeit in the school whole academic year age groups rather than the UKA designated ranges. This meant that runners moved from the top of their age group to what they all term bottom year.

In the team stakes, Surrey had two wins, while Kent were second in all three boys races.

Senior girls

Innes FitzGerald was the most predictable winner of the day and the Exeter runner duly opened out the biggest margin of the afternoon after an equally dominant under-17 Inter-Counties win the previous week over Zoe Gilbody. Here the 16-year-olds margin over second-placed Rebecca Flaherty was nearly a minute as Lauren Russell took third.

Organisers struggled to remember a bigger margin of victory in the entire history of the championships. Bear in mind FitzGeralds race was only 4.5km as well, which she completed in 15:21 and which meant she had only a limited amount of ground to create such a lead.

Flaherty was always in the hunt for silver but Eve Whitaker was an early bet for a medal before she was given the jump by Russell, who had come from outside the top half-dozen or so in the second half of the race.

The tall FitzGerald noted that her start was not very good but then took the lead on the first corner.

Thereafter the margin increased although the Devon runner said: I was pretty sure that I was going slower on the second lap.

Following a win in the Euro Cross Trials at Sefton Park and a fourth spot in the under-20 race at the European Championships in December, FitzGerald has been undefeated winning the English National and two Belgian Cross Cup races this year.

Flaherty said: I was second from the start, while Russell added: I started slowly then worked my way through, but has improved from ninth in the Southern Championships to fifth in the English National, after 62nd in this race the previous year.

Senior girls: 1 I FitzGerald (Devon) 15:21; 2 R Flaherty (West Yorkshire) 16:13; 3 L Russell (Middlesex) 16:22; 4 E Whitaker (North Yorkshire) 16:25; 5 A Lane (West Yorkshire) 16:27; 6 Y Kashdan (Sussex) 16:31; 7 O Martin (Oxfordshire) 16:35; 8 H Reynolds (Norfolk) 16:36; 9 S Livingstone (Devon) 16:38; 10 S Nicholls (Somerset) 16:41; 11 E Platt (Greater Manchester) 16:47; 12 S Duval (Staffordshire) 16:50; 13 I Barwell (Lincolnshire) 16:54; 14 A Stratton (Lancashire) 17:00; 15 E Inch (West Yorkshire) 17:01; 16 J Elvin (Essex) 17:03; 17 H Waugh (Northumberland) 17:04; 18 I Downes (Shropshire) 17:06; 19 J Leggate (Cambridgeshire) 17:08; 20 M Hughes (Buckinghamshire) 17:11; 21 C Marshall (Warwickshire) 17:13; 22 A Jubb (Hertfordshire) 17:14; 23 T Ford (Humberside) 17:14; 24 M Freeland (Buckinghamshire) 17:14; 25 E Brooks (Lincolnshire) 17:16; 26 A Ita (Derbyshire) 17:18; 27 I Frost (Hertfordshire) 17:19; 28 C Rawstron (West Yorkshire) 17:21; 29 A Cox (Sussex) 17:23; 30 H Clark (Kent) 17:25; 31 C Firth (Kent) 17:27; 32 I Courtney (Dorset) 17:27; 33 A Edgson (Greater Manchester) 17:31; 34 L Jones (Cambridgeshire) 17:31; 35 H Weedall (Cheshire) 17:34; 36 E Gibbins (West Yorkshire) 17:35; 37 I Wrightam (Leicestershire & Rutland) 17:36; 38 M Barker (Essex) 17:36; 39 K Webb (Surrey) 17:37; 40 F Griffiths (Greater Manchester) 17:39; 41 I Richardson (West Yorkshire) 17:40; 42 K Hewitt (Surrey) 17:41; 43 J Mawdsley (Hereford & Worcestershire) 17:42; 44 M Trueman (Leicestershire & Rutland) 17:42; 45 D Wilson (Hertfordshire) 17:42; 46 B Rawlinson (Shropshire) 17:42; 47 C Barennes (West Yorkshire) 17:42; 48 I Burke (Greater Manchester) 17:43; 49 L Milliner (Devon) 17:43; 50 L Denece (Surrey) 17:43; 51 C Thornley (Gloucestershire) 17:44; 52 C Dewar (Buckinghamshire) 17:44; 53 O Gregory (Cheshire) 17:45; 54 K Brady-Jones (Merseyside) 17:47; 55 S Lomas (Surrey) 17:48; 56 A Royden (Kent) 17:50; 57 J Charlton (West Midlands) 17:50; 58 S Latham (Hertfordshire) 17:50; 59 G Hodson (Lancashire) 17:50; 60 H Watson (Essex) 17:51; 61 G Phelan (Merseyside) 17:52; 62 I Bungay (Northumberland) 17:52; 63 J Sails (Northumberland) 17:53; 64 E Shield (Buckinghamshire) 17:54; 65 D Wilkinson (Hampshire) 17:54; 66 E Strevens (Sussex) 17:58; 67 E Yelling (Sussex) 18:01; 68 L Creasey (Cleveland) 18:01; 69 E Muelas (Hampshire) 18:01; 70 G Mason (Hertfordshire) 18:03; 71 A Hedge (Hertfordshire) 18:03; 72 I Mansley (Cambridgeshire) 18:05; 73 K Maher (Lancashire) 18:06; 74 I Pieters (South Yorkshire) 18:06; 75 S Huxtable (Cumbria) 18:07; 76 L Norton (Wiltshire) 18:07; 77 F Crowley (Hertfordshire) 18:08; 78 E Webb (Kent) 18:10; 79 N Mason (Greater Manchester) 18:10; 80 J Robertson-Dover (Humberside) 18:11; 81 K Flockhart (Berkshire) 18:12; 82 L ONeill (Middlesex) 18:13; 83 S Banks (West Midlands) 18:13; 84 O East (Hampshire) 18:13; 85 B Rogers (West Yorkshire) 18:14; 86 O Brown (Berkshire) 18:14; 87 I Cunningham (Lancashire) 18:15; 88 I Chesterton (Bedfordshire) 18:17; 89 S Barker (Devon) 18:17; 90 L Bryan (Leicestershire & Rutland) 18:18; 91 E Phillips (Norfolk) 18:19; 92 M Kelly (Durham) 18:20; 93 K Youp (Hampshire) 18:20; 94 C West (Sussex) 18:21; 95 A Reed (Cambridgeshire) 18:21; 96 R Vinton (Suffolk) 18:22; 97 K Wilkinson (Dorset) 18:23; 98 A Aberley-Barker (Staffordshire) 18:24; 99 A Goodhand (Kent) 18:25; 100 P Barker (Staffordshire) 18:25

TEAM: 1 W Yorks 127; 2 Herts 294; 3 G Manchester 317; 4 Sussex 373; 5 Kent 403; 6 Devon 413; 7 Surrey 456; 8 Lancs 461; 9 Northumberland 513; 10 Bucks 541; 11 Cambs 559; 12 Hants 562; 13 Leicester & Rutland 618; 14 Cheshire 637; 15 Essex 638; 16 Middx 772; 17 Dorset 792; 18 Berks 817; 19 Durham 832; 20 Lincoln 840

Inter girls

The race was the first away on a surprisingly mild afternoon and on a course that was soft to firm in horse racing parlance.

Gilbody was up against her Wreake & Soar Valley team-mate Saikira King and top year beat bottom year to maintain an established order. Both had won English Schools titles before, Gilbody in 2020 and King in 2022. Both are also pupils at Ratcliffe College. The margin was only five seconds at the line, while Isla McGowan was a predictable third.

This order was soon established after Gilbody took the lead at the corner after the first small lap. She noted that she had run here three times before and each time it was a different lap.

It took her some time to get into her stride as she said she was boxed in and added: I got stuck behind a big group, so I dropped back.

King kept her club team-mate close but had no answer on that downward swoop to the finish. McGowan was second in the English National behind Gilbody and second in the schools race last year and here had a few yards to spare over fourth placed Sophie Jacobs, who was second in the under-17 Southern.

Inter girls: 1 Z Gilbody (Shropshire) 11:50; 2 S King (Leicestershire & Rutland) 11:55; 3 I McGowan (Oxfordshire) 12:10; 4 S Jacobs (Bedfordshire) 12:15; 5 B Trow (Shropshire) 12:17; 6 I Jones (West Midlands) 12:20; 7 R Brook (Gloucestershire) 12:22; 8 E Nicholson (London) 12:23; 9 L Harris (South Yorkshire) 12:25; 10 K Pye (Surrey) 12:29; 11 L Langan (North Yorkshire) 12:39; 12 C Westcott (Berkshire) 12:40; 13 M Taylor (Nottinghamshire) 12:41; 14 L Danobrega (Bedfordshire) 12:41; 15 F Murdoch (Greater Manchester) 12:43; 16 T Nickell (Wiltshire) 12:44; 17 E Harvey (Cheshire) 12:45; 18 E Spencer (Gloucestershire) 12:45; 19 M Hoshiko (Merseyside) 12:47; 20 C Dillon (Durham) 12:47; 21 A Mills (Suffolk) 12:48; 22 E Ford (Hertfordshire) 12:48; 23 M Pearce (Buckinghamshire) 12:48; 24 L Quinn (Hampshire) 12:49; 25 I Saunders (Leicestershire & Rutland) 12:52; 26 S Roiditis (Greater Manchester) 12:54; 27 R Gasson (Sussex) 12:54; 28 F East (Hampshire) 12:54; 29 E Bartlett (Berkshire) 12:55; 30 L Belshaw (Essex) 12:55; 31 I Wharton (Cheshire) 12:56; 32 M Shorey (Devon) 12:56; 33 A Clough (Greater Manchester) 12:57; 34 E Davey (Berkshire) 12:58; 35 V Isaacs (Surrey) 12:58; 36 R James (London) 12:59; 37 E Wells (Dorset) 13:01; 38 I Edwards (Hampshire) 13:03; 39 K Battle (South Yorkshire) 13:03; 40 A James (Sussex) 13:03; 41 L MacDonald (London) 13:04; 42 S Massie (Berkshire) 13:04; 43 O Carroll (London) 13:04; 44 E Smart (Hampshire) 13:04; 45 A Kemp (Surrey) 13:05; 46 G Tolputt (Somerset) 13:05; 47 L Wilkinson (Buckinghamshire) 13:05; 48 I Waugh (Derbyshire) 13:06; 49 N Robinson (North Yorkshire) 13:08; 50 H Coy (West Yorkshire) 13:08; 51 M Barlow (Kent) 13:08; 52 I Bryson (Devon) 13:09; 53 L Farr (Bedfordshire) 13:09; 54 I Gray (Wiltshire) 13:09; 55 E Norman (Surrey) 13:10; 56 J Heller (Berkshire) 13:10; 57 S Shaw (Sussex) 13:11; 58 P Worthy (Hampshire) 13:11; 59 R Gildaley (Cumbria) 13:12; 60 O Aldham (North Yorkshire) 13:12; 61 E Creasey (Cleveland) 13:13; 62 R Dickety (Norfolk) 13:13; 63 A Smethurst (Greater Manchester) 13:13; 64 K Shaw (Essex) 13:14; 65 F Baxter (Buckinghamshire) 13:14; 66 A Cox (Sussex) 13:14; 67 M Fieldsend (Berkshire) 13:15; 68 N Taylor (Dorset) 13:15; 69 S Barratt (Norfolk) 13:16; 70 L Brown (Surrey) 13:17; 71 L Kirkley (North Yorkshire) 13:17; 72 L Mico (Hereford & Worcestershire) 13:18; 73 R Le Fay (Sussex) 13:18; 74 L Mitchell (Kent) 13:18; 75 I Moore (Suffolk) 13:19; 76 I Crossley (Kent) 13:19; 77 L Barlow (Middlesex) 13:20; 78 S Honkowicz (Warwickshire) 13:20; 79 L Chance (Avon) 13:20; 80 H Munday (Middlesex) 13:21; 81 E Hudson (Sussex) 13:22; 82 A Jones (Lancashire) 13:22; 83 P Old (Northumberland) 13:23; 84 M Slattery (London) 13:23; 85 A Bell (Durham) 13:23; 86 T Gray (Hertfordshire) 13:24; 87 S Clough (Greater Manchester) 13:25; 88 A Matthews (Kent) 13:26; 89 L Bickerton (Dorset) 13:26; 90 Z Jetha (London) 13:27; 91 E Stephenson (Sussex) 13:27; 92 E Symonds (Surrey) 13:27; 93 D Gladwell (Suffolk) 13:28; 94 E Sinclair (Cheshire) 13:28; 95 E Symes (West Midlands) 13:29; 96 D Davies (Somerset) 13:29; 97 C Phillips (Humberside) 13:29; 98 E Baker (Kent) 13:30; 99 R Mooney (Cornwall) 13:30; 100 I Johnstone (Northumberland) 13:31

TEAM: 1 Berks 240; 2 London 302; 3 Surrey 307; 4 Hants 310; 5 G Manchester 332; 6 Sussex 344; 7 N Yorks 445; 8 Kent 511; 9 S Yorks 629; 10 Wilts 652; 11 Suffolk 666; 12 Dorset 696; 13 Bucks 713; 14 Essex 717; 15 Leics & Rutland 745; 16 Avon 776; 17 Cheshire 805; 18 Derbys 810; 19 Durham 811; 20 W Midlands 821

Junior girls

This was the most closely contested race of the day as just a second separated the top three as Molly Carvell just got the nod over Ellarose Whitworth and Olivia Forrest. Kitty Scott and Olivia McGhee followed in close order and just 14 seconds covered the top 10 as they all swept down the final hill to the line.

A surprised Carvell said: I cant believe it as I didnt think I would get into the top 10 as I was only 15th in the (English) National and I had been injured and ill all December and January and missed races.

She added that she was down in the 20s but, as the race unfolded, she was feeling very good and was in the lead in the woods for a bit. Her rivals went ahead until that final mad dash for the line.

It was also a good race for runner-up Whitworth who was only 25th last year and 11th in the English National, while third placed Forrest was fourth there. Whitworth and Forrest missed the Inter-Counties while Carvell was 52nd. Given this, is it sensible to stage two national championships eight days apart?

Junior girls: 1 M Carvell (Merseyside) 12:16; 2 E Whitworth (Lincolnshire) 12:17; 3 O Forrest (Essex) 12:17; 4 K Scott (Surrey) 12:18; 5 O McGhee (Warwickshire) 12:20; 6 K Webb (Buckinghamshire) 12:22; 7 P Quinn (Devon) 12:23; 8 G Turner (South Yorkshire) 12:25; 9 D Stollery (Essex) 12:25; 10 J March (Middlesex) 12:30; 11 O Steer (Devon) 12:36; 12 G Igoe (South Yorkshire) 12:38; 13 M Thomson (Gloucestershire) 12:39; 14 S Wood (Wiltshire) 12:39; 15 B Wharin (Gloucestershire) 12:40; 16 T Ferguson (Surrey) 12:41; 17 I Pastor (Merseyside) 12:42; 18 I Harrison (London) 12:42; 19 P Langlands (Leicestershire & Rutland) 12:43; 20 L Power (Leicestershire & Rutland) 12:45; 21 I Hall (Channel Islands) 12:45; 22 D Connor (Sussex) 12:46; 23 L Smith (Kent) 12:47; 24 M Davies (Oxfordshire) 12:47; 25 S Chapman (Buckinghamshire) 12:48; 26 T Robertson (Surrey) 12:49; 27 S Ciceksever (London) 12:50; 28 P Boyle (Cumbria) 12:50; 29 S Richmond (Kent) 12:51; 30 O McManus (Greater Manchester) 12:52; 31 T Thursfield (Staffordshire) 12:54; 32 J Davey (Somerset) 12:54; 33 B Taylor (Suffolk) 12:56; 34 P Evans (Dorset) 12:56; 35 F Pearce (Sussex) 12:56; 36 C Campbell (Oxfordshire) 12:57; 37 D Woodcock (Cumbria) 12:57; 38 I Widdowson (Suffolk) 12:58; 39 M Smithers (Sussex) 12:58; 40 M Reeves (London) 12:58; 41 C Stuart (Shropshire) 12:59; 42 S Hutchinson-Thompson (Greater Manchester) 12:59; 43 L Webb (Buckinghamshire) 12:59; 44 I Cherrett (Dorset) 12:59; 45 L Sheridan (Berkshire) 12:59; 46 B Webb (Sussex) 13:00; 47 P Henson (West Yorkshire) 13:00; 48 L Agoston (Hereford & Worcestershire) 13:00; 49 M Jobbins (Surrey) 13:01; 50 M Schofield (West Yorkshire) 13:02; 51 P Taylor (Hampshire) 13:02; 52 B Buckley (West Yorkshire) 13:02; 53 D Fellows (West Midlands) 13:03; 54 C McKee (West Yorkshire) 13:05; 55 I Bennetts (Northamptonshire) 13:05; 56 J Hall (Hertfordshire) 13:05; 57 I Porter (Lincolnshire) 13:06; 58 C Cole (Wiltshire) 13:07; 59 B Hughes (Cheshire) 13:07; 60 A Towlson (Leicestershire & Rutland) 13:08; 61 J Christmas (Cambridgeshire) 13:08; 62 F Collins (Hereford & Worcestershire) 13:08; 63 I Kaur (Surrey) 13:08; 64 G Griffiths (Staffordshire) 13:08; 65 S Coppola-Johansson (Surrey) 13:10; 66 E Whyman (Sussex) 13:10; 67 E Sheffield (Gloucestershire) 13:10; 68 I Hill (Greater Manchester) 13:11; 69 A Kirk (Middlesex) 13:11; 70 A Chappell (Kent) 13:12; 71 M Minielly (London) 13:12; 72 K Leitch (Lancashire) 13:13; 73 S Muscott (Devon) 13:14; 74 G Baker (Somerset) 13:14; 75 M Watts (Kent) 13:14; 76 I Forrest (Essex) 13:15; 77 K Harrison-Sargent (West Yorkshire) 13:16; 78 I Hall (Greater Manchester) 13:17; 79 K Pye (Durham) 13:17; 80 E Warn (Essex) 13:17; 81 J Lamb (Northamptonshire) 13:18; 82 S Maxwell (Wiltshire) 13:19; 83 I Wilson (South Yorkshire) 13:19; 84 A Taylor (Lancashire) 13:20; 85 S Bartalotta (Greater Manchester) 13:20; 86 K Otterson (Northumberland) 13:20; 87 O Avery (Gloucestershire) 13:20; 88 H Harrison (Essex) 13:20; 89 H Martineau (Avon) 13:20; 90 S Jack (London) 13:21; 91 E Foster (Devon) 13:21; 92 E Dias (Berkshire) 13:21; 93 R Crossley (Kent) 13:21; 94 K Corkin (London) 13:21; 95 S Chesterfield (Nottinghamshire) 13:21; 96 J Holloway (Cornwall) 13:22; 97 C King (Cheshire) 13:22; 98 R Adams (Suffolk) 13:22; 99 J Walsh (Sussex) 13:22; 100 V Rudkin (Leicestershire & Rutland) 13:22

TEAM: 1 Surrey 223; 2 Sussex 308; 3 London 340; 4 Essex 371; 5 W Yorks 391; 6 Kent 393; 7 Gloucs 415; 8 G Manchester 509; 9 Devon 522; 10 Mersey 525; 11 Leics & Rutland 534; 12 Bucks 592; 13 Hereford & Worcs 637; 14 Dorset 639; 15 Wilts 659; 16 Suffolk 677; 17 S Yorks 687; 18 Middx 737; 19 Cumbria 743; 20 Oxford 759

Senior boys

Luke Birdseye came from behind to take second behind George Couttie after just heading him in the under-20 race at Prestwold Hall the previous weekend. This week the margin was three seconds as opposed to two the previous week.

Couttie did not show in the early stages, as a big group battled for supremacy. At about 2km it was Brandon Pye ahead of Will Singleton and Ed Bird, before Shropshire man Singleton took his turn in front of Couttie and Bird, before dropping right out of contention.

James Dargan also then joined in the fun as Birdseye began to move up before the lead changed again as Bird had his go at the head of the field with the medal places now settled, albeit not in the finishing order.

Finally Couttie got the jump and Birdseye moved up to snatch second, but the top two adopted different tactics to in their under-20 Inter-Counties battle the previous week. Birdseye said: I wanted to work through.

Couttie said: Last week I went for it but this week I was more conservative but on the second lap Ed (Bird) came past, but then I felt good so put the hammer down and went for it.

Runner-up Birdseye and third-placed Bird both ran for Britain in last months World Championships in Australia, but neither had an answer against the winner in Nottingham on Saturday.

Senior boys: 1 G Couttie (North Yorkshire) 19:12; 2 L Birdseye (Berkshire) 19:17; 3 E Bird (Dorset) 19:18; 4 J Dargan (Hampshire) 19:33; 5 J Keir (Kent) 19:34; 6 D Galloway (Shropshire) 19:36; 7 N Campion (Bedfordshire) 19:41; 8 M Pickering   (Surrey) 19:42; 9 W Rabjohns (Dorset) 19:42; 10 M Waterworth (Sussex) 19:42; 11 E Primett (Hertfordshire) 19:43; 12 L McCay (Merseyside) 19:44; 13 J Blevins (Northumberland) 19:45; 14 B Pye (Durham) 19:45; 15 G Mastrolonardo (North Yorkshire) 19:45; 16 H Dover (Suffolk) 19:48; 17 M Ruby (Dorset) 19:52; 18 W Strickley (Merseyside) 19:55; 19 C Norman (Surrey) 19:57; 20 J James (Oxfordshire) 19:59; 21 W DeVere Owen (Northumberland) 20:00; 22 D Stoneman (Avon) 20:00; 23 J Richardson (Cheshire) 20:03; 24 J Stevens (Kent) 20:07; 25 M Geddes (Sussex) 20:09; 26 E Coutts (Kent) 20:09; 27 Q Meill-Ingram (Oxfordshire) 20:10; 28 A Wilson-Spence (Hereford & Worcestershire) 20:15; 29 J Tilley (Northumberland) 20:17; 30 J Peck (Suffolk) 20:18; 31 A Sproston (Sussex) 20:19; 32 C Foley (Surrey) 20:22; 33 E Brady-Jones (Merseyside) 20:23; 34 J Rees Gara (Greater Manchester) 20:23; 35 W Singleton (Shropshire) 20:24; 36 A Adams (Warwickshire) 20:24; 37 F Hart (Gloucestershire) 20:25; 38 D Fisher (Somerset) 20:26; 39 T Jones (Merseyside) 20:26; 40 F McGrath (Berkshire) 20:27; 41 J Macdonald (Kent) 20:30; 42 T Carpenter (Lincolnshire) 20:31; 43 C Chilton (Surrey) 20:32; 44 D Holman (Lancashire) 20:34; 45 I Morgan (Cambridgeshire) 20:35; 46 A Poulston (Merseyside) 20:35; 47 J Taylor (London) 20:36; 48 K Tung (Shropshire) 20:37; 49 M Morgan (Cambridgeshire) 20:40; 50 A Riley (Sussex) 20:40

51 B Peck (Suffolk) 20:40; 52 A Hamud (Middlesex) 20:41; 53 Z Clemens (Cornwall) 20:41; 54 H Hewitt (Lincolnshire) 20:42; 55 W Sutcliffe (Merseyside) 20:43; 56 T Emery (Middlesex) 20:43; 57 G Thomas (Berkshire) 20:44; 58 D Van Aardt (Leicestershire & Rutland) 20:44; 59 J Reeve (Durham) 20:45; 60 T Claridge (Kent) 20:46; 61 L Buttrick (Nottinghamshire) 20:47; 62 M Brunnock (Hereford & Worcestershire) 20:49; 63 W Walker (Lancashire) 20:50; 64 L McCormack (Greater Manchester) 20:51; 65 F Roden (West Yorkshire) 20:51; 66 L Roche (Northumberland) 20:53; 67 O Conway (Oxfordshire) 20:55; 68 J Wilson (Cheshire) 20:55; 69 P Welsh (Derbyshire) 20:56; 70 H Yelling (Sussex) 20:56; 71 T Bongaerts (Norfolk) 20:57; 72 D Richardson (Durham) 20:57; 73 B White (Hampshire) 20:57; 74 S Beedell (Lincolnshire) 20:58; 75 A McDonald (Hertfordshire) 20:58; 76 R Foster (Dorset) 20:58; 77 J Winship (Hampshire) 20:58; 78 S Greenstein (Hertfordshire) 20:59; 79 H Totton (Buckinghamshire) 20:59; 80 I Henderson (Gloucestershire) 21:00; 81 M Sunderland (Surrey) 21:00; 82 C Parker (Berkshire) 21:00; 83 H Kentish (Buckinghamshire) 21:01; 84 B Simpson-Alexander (North Yorkshire) 21:01; 85 C ONeill (Hertfordshire) 21:01; 86 A Finch (Hertfordshire) 21:02; 87 J Cumberland (Oxfordshire) 21:03; 88 I Rothwell (Cambridgeshire) 21:04; 89 J Bailey (Middlesex) 21:04; 90 R Chang (Wiltshire) 21:04; 91 A Currie (Kent) 21:05; 92 T Adler (Surrey) 21:07; 93 J McKenny (Durham) 21:07; 94 W Hall (Lancashire) 21:08; 95 M Holden (Lancashire) 21:08; 96 L Newton (Sussex) 21:08; 97 T Bowman (Lancashire) 21:09; 98 J English (London) 21:10; 99 M Walton (Northumberland) 21:10; 100 R Carr (Northamptonshire) 21:11

TEAM: 1 Mersey 203; 2 Kent 247; 3 Surrey 276; 4 Sussex 283; 5 Northumberland 365; 6 Oxfordshire 435; 7 Herts 446; 8 Suffolk 454; 9 Berks 479; 10 Lancashire 512; 11 Dorset 514; 12 Durham 531; 13 G Manchester 558; 14 Hampshire 561; 15 N Yorks 610; 16 Middx 611; 17 Cambridge 635; 18 Lincolnshire 668; 19 Hereford & Worcs 790; 20 Gloucestershire 805

Intermediate boys

Sam Plummer dominated from the start although he feared that he would run out of steam in the second half of the race. However it was not to be, as he was comfortably ahead of the Surrey pair of Alex Lennon and Jacob Pearce at the tape.

Plummer was just headed by Scot Craig Shennan in the under-17 Inter-Counties, a race that Lennon did not contest as he was eighth in the under-15 event and Pearce had a poor run.

While Plummer was never troubled, Lennon just got the better of his team-mate at the line and celebrated in his usual loud fashion as Surrey totally dominated the team race.

Plummer said: I sat behind for 2km then I made a little move and then could see a gap behind but I was so tired going up the hill.

He added: I was second in the Inter-cCounties but didnt do the National and this was good race for the whole season.

Third-placed Pearce said he needed a good race as I was only seventh last week, but was full of praise for Surrey team-mate Lennon, describing him as a beast.

English National under-15 winner Owen Ulfig was way back in 31st, a fact that seemed to emphasise the difference that a year makes in these school races. So top year normally beats bottom but while Plummer was in a class of his own, Lennon was the example that broke the rule.

Inter boys: 1 S Plummer (Essex) 16:41; 2 A Lennon (Surrey) 16:59; 3 J Pearce (Surrey) 17:00; 4 A Burgess (West Midlands) 17:00; 5 H Maxwell (Wiltshire) 17:03; 6 L Conway (Cambridgeshire) 17:04; 7 O Calvert (Northumberland) 17:06; 8 M Clark (Lancashire) 17:09; 9 E Busfield (Derbyshire) 17:15; 10 J Nugent (Nottinghamshire) 17:16; 11 S Stapley (Surrey) 17:17; 12 A Ballard (Essex) 17:23; 13 A Whitlock (Kent) 17:24; 14 J Trangmar (Cambridgeshire) 17:30; 15 B Andrews-Callec (Channel Is) 17:31; 16 S Perry (Isle of Man) 17:32; 17 R Cawley (Dorset) 17:33; 18 L Gorrill (Sussex) 17:33; 19 F Goodman (Sussex) 17:34; 20 J Pepin (Hampshire) 17:35; 21 W Atkins (Hampshire) 17:35; 22 D Millard (Somerset) 17:36; 23 E Willis (Surrey) 17:37; 24 G Stubbs (Hertfordshire) 17:38; 25 J Close (Northumberland) 17:41; 26 D Smith (Lancashire) 17:44; 27 J Grange (Essex) 17:46; 28 W Pridden (Hereford & Worc) 17:46; 29 T Chadwick (London) 17:46; 30 D Martin (Gloucestershire) 17:47; 31 O Ulfig (Staffordshire) 17:47; 32 I Stabler (North Yorkshire) 17:48; 33 T Webb (Somerset) 17:48; 34 J Hunt (Surrey) 17:49; 35 R Price (Hampshire) 17:50; 36 T Gilliver (Derbyshire) 17:50; 37 O Wallek (Sussex) 17:50; 38 M Falle (Devon) 17:52; 39 Z Dunne (Norfolk) 17:53; 40 S Wilson (Gloucestershire) 17:54; 41 O Head (Kent) 17:55; 42 S Barber (North Yorkshire) 17:55; 43 S Hembry (Hereford & Worc) 17:56; 44 T Taylor (Suffolk) 17:56; 45 H Barker (Middlesex) 17:57; 46 T Ronchetti (Kent) 17:59; 47 L Gambling (Suffolk) 17:59; 48 T Cropley (Hertfordshire) 18:00; 49 C Morgan (Oxfordshire) 18:01; 50 R Gayer (Hertfordshire) 18:02; 51 O Gill (Lancashire) 18:02; 52 E Kelso (Northumberland) 18:02; 53 R Baines (Channel Islands) 18:03; 54 C McConnon (Middlesex) 18:03; 55 N Hammett (Bedfordshire) 18:04; 56 G Martin (Essex) 18:05; 57 T Ash (Lincolnshire) 18:06; 58 J Maxwell (Wiltshire) 18:07; 59 S Tilley (Suffolk) 18:08; 60 A Pinder (Buckinghamshire) 18:09; 61 H Sheffield (Gloucestershire) 18:09; 62 S Scrase-Field (London) 18:10; 63 M Murray (Durham) 18:10; 64 O Buck (London) 18:11; 65 N Paterson (Kent) 18:11; 66 F Shepherd (Kent) 18:11; 67 N Heal (Somerset) 18:12; 68 K Gibson (Cornwall) 18:12; 69 O Newbery (Dorset) 18:12; 70 H White (Hereford & Worc) 18:13; 71 T Hooper (North Yorkshire) 18:13; 72 A Peaker (West Yorkshire) 18:14; 73 M Collins (Northamptonshire) 18:14; 74 A Rolfe (Cumbria) 18:15; 75 A Durham (Essex) 18:17; 76 C Benyan (Cambridgeshire) 18:17; 77 J Walton (Greater Manchester) 18:18; 78 J McAllen (Suffolk) 18:18; 79 J Brown (Cleveland) 18:21; 80 J Hunt (Surrey) 18:21; 81 J Sanderson (North Yorkshire) 18:23; 82 F Sutcliffe (Sussex) 18:23; 83 H Parker McLain (Shropshire) 18:23; 84 H Fraser (Kent) 18:24; 85 N Gallagher-Thompson (W Yorks) 18:24; 86 S Collinson (Lancashire) 18:24; 87 I Achchi (Buckinghamshire) 18:25; 88 S Davis (Oxfordshire) 18:26; 89 L Hatton (Merseyside) 18:26; 90 J Lamb (Lancashire) 18:27; 91 S Bentham (North Yorkshire) 18:27; 92 B Jamieson-Wannell (N Yorks) 18:27; 93 R Baxter (West Yorkshire) 18:27; 94 C Lewis (Somerset) 18:28; 95 R Haigh (Surrey) 18:28; 96 H Gunthorpe (Lincolnshire) 18:28; 97 T Morris (Lincolnshire) 18:28; 98 H Richardson (Hampshire) 18:29; 99 F Hall (Durham) 18:30; 100 C Prendergast (Kent) 18:30

TEAM: 1 Surrey 153; 2 Kent 315; 3 Essex 342; 4 Hants 381; 5 N Yorks 409; 6 Sussex 411; 7 Lancs 492; 8 Suffolk 537; 9 Northumberland 562; 10 Somerset 593; 11 London 617; 12 Cambs 646; 13 Middx 677; 14 Herts 737; 15 Northants 763; 16 W Midlands 840; 17 G Manchester 841; 18 Derrbys 855; 19 W Yorks 893; 20 Devon 893

READ MORE: 2023 Inter-Counties coverage

Junior boys

Joe Scanes came from behind to beat long-time leader Neil Homer after a lower key run in the under-15 race at the Inter-Counties, where he was 26th. He was the most surprised runner of the day as his face told the story of a complete turn-up for the books.

Evan Grime was the early leader from Noah Homer but fell back behind his rival as Fred Jones went second. Homer continued to lead until Scanes swooped at the finish. I was leading pretty much the whole way, lamented Homer, but Scanes was running out of his skin in that last mad dash for the line.

I was behind at the start and at the end I took the lead with 200m to go then just pressed home, said the surprised winner, who earlier this winter placed fifth in the Southerns, followed by ninth in the English National.

Runner-up Homer says he is an avid reader of the AW results web pages: I am always waiting for the previous race report, he said.

He helped relegate West Midlands team-mate Jones to fourth behind Pio Aron.

Junior boys: 1 J Scanes (Kent) 14:04; 2 N Homer (West Midlands) 14:09; 3 P Aron (G Manchester) 14:13; 4 F Jones (West Midlands) 14:14; 5 E Grime (G Manchester) 14:22; 6 G Wagstaff (Hereford & Worc) 14:22; 7 A Lane (Warwickshire) 14:24; 8 S Collins (Nottinghamshire) 14:26; 9 W Birchall (Dorset) 14:29; 10 E Withnall (Derbyshire) 14:35; 11 S Wyatt (Avon) 14:36; 12 R Barclay-Watt (Devon) 14:36; 13 D Asmelash (Cleveland) 14:37; 14 O Davis (West Midlands) 14:38; 15 T Thake (South Yorkshire) 14:40; 16 T Loughlin (Wiltshire) 14:41; 17 G Watkins (Essex) 14:42; 18 R Gambling (Suffolk) 14:45; 19 J Hill (Kent) 14:51; 20 S Aspey (Lancashire) 14:52; 21 A White (Greater Manchester) 14:54; 22 T Vestey (Somerset) 14:55; 23 J Delahaye (Warwickshire) 14:56; 24 D Jelfs (Surrey) 14:57; 25 O Reynolds (Hampshire) 14:58; 26 S Lambert (Warwickshire) 15:01; 27 H Cleary (Kent) 15:02; 28 J Lonergan (Durham) 15:03; 29 A Fraser (Greater Manchester) 15:04; 30 I Lamerton (Devon) 15:07; 31 B Pold (Cheshire) 15:07; 32 F Kelly (Suffolk) 15:07; 33 T Roberts (Buckinghamshire) 15:09; 34 T Ye (Greater Manchester) 15:10; 35 T Ford (Hertfordshire) 15:11; 36 M Taylor (Merseyside) 15:11; 37 J Norris (West Yorkshire) 15:13; 38 E Sone (Surrey) 15:13; 39 M Luck (Dorset) 15:14; 40 W Phillips (Lincolnshire) 15:14; 41 B Catchpole (Kent) 15:15; 42 W Delamere (Merseyside) 15:15; 43 F McLaren (Essex) 15:15; 44 E Sparey (Avon) 15:16; 45 O Morgan (West Midlands) 15:16; 46 S Ball (West Midlands) 15:17; 47 J Smith (Buckinghamshire) 15:17; 48 P Paul (Gloucestershire) 15:18; 49 J Branch (Hertfordshire) 15:18; 50 S Blackwell (Suffolk) 15:18; 51 T Holland (Surrey) 15:19; 52 E Prendergast (Kent) 15:20; 53 A Phillips (Middlesex) 15:21; 54 L Norden (Essex) 15:21; 55 A Kelly (Essex) 15:22; 56 H Potton (Essex) 15:22; 57 D Campbell (North Yorkshire) 15:22; 58 J Palmer (West Yorkshire) 15:22; 59 B Beale (Durham) 15:23; 60 O Nagalingam (Hertfordshire) 15:23; 61 O Loveday (Cambridgeshire) 15:23; 62 G Gilbert (Sussex) 15:23; 63 M Needham (Cambridgeshire) 15:24; 64 F Dobson Emmas (G Manchester) 15:24; 65 S Thursfield (Staffordshire) 15:24; 66 F Palmer (Northumberland) 15:25; 67 L Draper (Kent) 15:25; 68 N Williamson (Durham) 15:25; 69 L Trubridge (Cornwall) 15:25; 70 J Chapman (Merseyside) 15:27; 71 G Dutton (London) 15:27; 72 T Wightman (Gloucestershire) 15:27; 73 A Bedford (South Yorkshire) 15:27; 74 T Glew (Devon) 15:27; 75 P Fitzmaurice (Kent) 15:28; 76 F Boniface (Sussex) 15:28; 77 F Rowe (Essex) 15:28; 78 R Owen (Cheshire) 15:29; 79 L Hayes (Devon) 15:29; 80 L Hemmings (Lincolnshire) 15:30; 81 J Stockton (Shropshire) 15:30; 82 T Mythen (Surrey) 15:31; 83 F Lumber-Fry (Sussex) 15:31; 84 T Silvey (Buckinghamshire) 15:32; 85 L Elmqvist (Kent) 15:33; 86 B Hutton (Sussex) 15:33; 87 A Roberts (Sussex) 15:33; 88 E Faulkner (Buckinghamshire) 15:34; 89 K Halsey (Warwickshire) 15:34; 90 F Harris (Northamptonshire) 15:34; 91 J Ramshaw (Durham) 15:35; 92 G Marsh (North Yorkshire) 15:35; 93 M Phelan (Merseyside) 15:35; 94 I Martin (Hampshire) 15:35; 95 T Murphy (Hertfordshire) 15:36; 96 H Ward (Lancashire) 15:36; 97 T Spurr (Gloucestershire) 15:37; 98 T Matthews (North Yorkshire) 15:37; 99 T Jepson (Lancashire) 15:37; 100 G Campbell (Northamptonshire) 15:39

TEAM: 1 G Manchester 156; 2 Kent 207; 3 W Midlands 214; 4 Essex 302; 5 Warwickshire 443; 6 Herts 473; 7 Suffolk 480; 8 Devon 514; 9 Surrey 519; 10 Durham 537; 11 Sussex 555; 12 Bucks 555; 13 Mersey 623; 14 Cheshire 711; 15 Hants 717; 16 London 737; 17 W Yorks 755; 18 N Yorks 800; 19 Lancs 859; 20 Cambs 860