This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014at 2:03 pm by zoe.leahy@activenation.org.uk

Supporting English Schools X-Country Championships

Active Nation was proud to support an event which saw more than 2,000 of the country’s top young cross country runners compete against each other to prove they are the best.

The English Schools Athletics Association’s National Cross Country Championship is the most eagerly anticipated event of the winter for young athletes. Organised entirely by volunteer teachers, it brings together the best athletes in each County in England to compete for the honour of being the best in the Country.

As a charity on a mission to persuade the nation to be active, we are passionate about providing ways to enable young people to take up sport and exercise. These championships were a great opportunity for Active Nation to sponsor an event that inspired 2,160 of the country’s top young athletes to perform at their best on the challenging Castle Donington course.

Runners were selected by County Team Managers to represent their County. Teams comprised of a maximum of 12 athletes, of which only 8 were allowed to compete. The first 6 finishers in each team counted towards the team competition – finishing positions were added up, and the team with the lowest score won.

Liverpool Harrier Matthew Shirling successfully defended his senior boys’ title. The 18-year-old overcame a strong challenge from last year’s intermediate champion Zak Miller and will hope to use his victory as a springboard to the World Junior Championships this year.

“I felt very good,” he said. “My confidence is very high,” he told Athletics Weekly magazine.

Leicestershire’s Amy Griffiths provided a popular senior girls’ victory in her home county.

Triathlete Ben Dijkstra also provided a victory on home territory, the 15-year-old from Burton-on-the-Wold in Leicestershire winning the intermediate boys’ race a year after his triumph in the junior boys’ event.

Warrington’s Harriet Knowles-Jones – running for Greater Manchester – won the intermediate girls’ race.

The junior boys’ champion is Cheshire’s Matthew Willis, while the junior girls’ race was won by 13-year-old Saskia Millard from Wandsworth in London.

The Hampshire and Vectis county team won both the Junior Boys’ and Intermediate Boys’ team events, London won the Junior Girls’ race, Surrey won the Intermediate Girls’ race, Kent won the Senior Boys’ event and Essex won the Senior Girls’ team competition.