It’s a busy festive season in the UK again as we bring you the highlights.
RIBBLE VALLEY 10km including North of England Championships, Clitheroe, Lancashire, December 28
Matthew Ramsden led six other runners through the 30-minute barrier to win by seven seconds over Biruk Kebede in a personal best 29:05 in his first race since finishing sixth at the Euro Under-23 Championships two weeks ago.
It was here last year that the Blackburn Harrier set their previous best of 29:23 to finish sixth. Behind, Ethiopia’s Kebede also bested her previous best time of 29:23, which Ramsden just bested last year.
Verity Ockenden also ran the Euro Cross in Portugal and comfortably led junior Isabelle Holt by more than a minute in the women’s section in 32:18. Holt, the England Under-20 cross country champion, ran 33:32 for the distance in his first run.
Veteran Laura Hesketh finished third in 33:53.
In general. 1 M Ramsden (B’bourne) 29:05; 2 B Kebede (CleM) 29:12; 3 O Lockley (Leeds) 29:30; 4 Jay Sanderson (Settle, U20) 29:45; 5 G Chalmers (Leeds) 29:48; 6 J Birmingham (Salph) 29:53; 7 N Edmonson (Ilk) 29:55; 8 O Donkin (Barton) 30:02; 9 J Sagar (Leeds) 30:04; 10 B Lawrence (Berry U20) 30:05; 11 J Firth (Thad) 30:05; 12 L Johnson (St Hell’s U20) 30:07; 13 S Dickinson (York) 30:15; 14 S Loughlin (Liv PS) 30:17; 15 J Gilbert (Kent, M45) 30:17
M40: 1 B Cole (Ton) 30:27; 2 K Darcy (Salph) 31:17
M45: 2 J Cleaver (Ross) 31;40
M50: 1 J Hatcher (Border) 33:44; 2 S Shaw (ESM) 34:36
M55: 1 D Bennett (Roch) 35:53; 2 P Leybourne (Salph) 36:07; 3 J Ratcliffe Herne H) 36:12
M60: 1 R Johnson (Alt) 37:06; 2 J Convery (Bing) 37:26; 3 A Bramham (Horw) 37:49
M65: 1g Dawson (Bowland R) 38:49
M80: 1 K Kar 56:48
Women. 1 V Ockenden (Swan) 32:18; 2 I Holt (B’burn, U20) 33:32; 3 L Hesketh (CleM, W40) 33:53; 4 M Stenhouse (R&N) 34:16; 5 E Simm (BWF, W35) 34:18; 6 K Maltby (boundary, W40) 34:28; 7 K Ballantyne-Chalmers (Leeds) 34;36; 8 R Brown (Border, W40) 34:39; 9 J Elgood (Nidd) 34:46; 10 S Kessell (Leeds, W35) 34:46; 11 I Padfield (W Tempo) 34:59; 12 A Pearse (Steel) 34:59
W40: 4 K Latham (Nantes) 35:24
W45: 1 V Robertshaw (B’burn) 40:33
W50: 1 L Blizzard (Warr) 41:34; 2 K metcalf (Eden) 41:34; 3 L Middleton 41:47
W55: 1 J damage (western) 40;59
W60: 1 Jay Hodkinson (Preston) 45:00
W65: 1 S Burns (CleM) 45:48
BUNTINGFORD YEAR END 10, Hertfordshire, 28 December
Oscar Bell followed up his win in the Met Cross-Country League three weeks ago by winning here by over three minutes and did so in a personal best of 49:39.
In the women’s over-45s, Victoria Knight came out on top in 61:40, reclaiming the title she last won in 2023 before a long lay-off and returning in October with some modest Park Runs.
In general. 1 O Bell (Herts P) 49:39; 2 M Elbayan (Lut) 53:15; 3 S Coxon (NHRR) 54:32; 4 A Beaumont (B Stort) 54:38; 5 C O’Neill (Herts P) 55:07; 6 S Pedley (Herts P) 55:17
M45: 1 D Cherguit (FVS) 57:42; 2 V Riviere (Ware) 58:18
M50: 1 N Sayers (NHRR) 60:14
M55: 1 S Aiken (Trent P) 61:45
Women. 1 V Knight (C&C, W45) 61:20; 2 R Woodhouse (Herts P) 61:44; 3 C O’Connor (St Alb’s) 61:51
W50: 1 S Warren (C&C) 68:28
W60: 1 D Rushman (Herts P) 71:00
HEREFORD COURIERS CHRISTMAS 10km, Herefordshire, December 27
In general. 1 M Brunock (W tempo) 31:29; 2 H White (Here, U20) 31:31; 3 C Jones (W Tempo) 31:33
Women. 1 E Powell (W pace) 35:57
W45: 1 H Knight (CLC) 39:47
W55: 1 N Morgan (Chep) 42:07
WHEATON ASTON 10km, Staffordshire, December 27
In general. 1 J Morris (W&B) 32:06
M45: 1 C Gidlow (Newport) 32:16
M55: 1 G Postins (Snyed) 37:08
Women. 1 R Timmings (BRAR, W35) 36:44
W50: 1 C Beddow (Run & H) 41:02
CHESTER ROUND THE WALLS RACE, Cheshire, 26th December
Total (4.25 M). 1 C Larkin (Helsby) 20:18; 2 L Morris (W Chwsh, U20) 21:08; 3 S Hollins (W Chesh) 22:06
M50: 1 J Myers (Helsby) 23:34
Women. 1 I Gelder (Morning) 24:23; 2 S Hunter (Ack, W35) 24:45
W50: 1 A Woolgar (Chest Tri) 27:34
CLEVEDON BOXING DAY 4, Somerset, December 26
In his first race for more than six months, Felix McGrath, fifth in the Midland Cross-Country, won comfortably from Ben Hamblin in 18:33, but the distance is just under four miles.
Deborah Bruce did a Bristol & West double, taking the women’s race by 44 seconds from Claire Hammett in 22:05.
In general. 1 F McGrath (B&W) 18:33; 2 B Hamblin (N Som) 19:06; 3 D Fisher (Mock) 19:25; 4 B Robinson (B&W) 19:31; 5 T Loughlin (T Bath) 19:35; 6 H Evans 8:05 p.m
M40: 1 M Bialagonski 20:48
M50: 1 S Wood (Cleve) 22:04
M60: 1 James (Wales) 10:30 p.m
M70: 1 D Bedwell (B&W) 27:45
Women. 1 D Bruce (B&W, W35) 22:05; 2 C Hammett (THH) 22:49; 3 M Thomas (B&W) 23:06; 4 Bridger-Morales (New Somme) 23:28
W45: 1 J Meek (Tav) 24:16
W55: 1 N Morgan (Chep) 26:00
W60: 1 L Porter (Avon Tempo) 27:21
EAST HULL BOXING DAY 10km, Humberside, December 26
Becky Briggs won the women’s race from fifth in 34:22, her fastest in seven years, with the Hull runner last winning here in 2018 in a personal best of 34:09.
In general. 1 S Spencer (Fit M&F) 32:35
M50: 1 D Whiting (Bev) 35:12
Women. 1 B Briggs (CoH) 34:22
W60: 1 D Broom (Penni) 45:09
Glynneath Boxing Day 5, Port Talbot, West Glamorgan, December 26
In general. 1 M Roderick (Tri Hard) 26:12
M60: 1 N Barnes (P Talbot) 30:58
Women. 1 N Sutton (R4All) 29:12
VALE OF AYLESBURY BOXING DAY 5km, Buckinghamshire, December 26
In general. 1 S Gebreselassie (Belgium) 15:38
M50: 1 S Coombes (L Buzz) 16:44
U15: 1 L Blyton (Bic) 16:07
Women. 1 A Weight (Sell) 17:38
WITHAM BOXING DAY 5, Essex, December 26
Callum Charleston won by more than two minutes in 24:00 and Lizzie Welstead almost equalized her lead with a women’s win in 26:51.
In general. 1 C Charleston (AFD) 24:00
Women. 1 L Wellstead (Col H) 26:51; 2 H Luff 29:36
HILLINGDON CHRISTMAS MORNING ROAD RACE, Ruislip, Middlesex
James Laing secured his sixth victory at the annual event on Christmas morning, maintaining his monopoly on the race with Rob Thompson since 2010. Gavin Collette reports.
Catriona Paterson completed her hat-trick in back-to-back years while Kate Seldon completed her 53rd consecutive appearance in the race, promoting Hillingdon AC since 1966.
Total (3.2M). 1 J Laing (Hill) 16:55; 2 A Strinic (Hill, U17) 18:12; 3 D Thompson (Hill) 19:24
Women. 1 C Patterson (Hill) 19:52; 2 H Laing (Hill) 20:43; 3 M Spencer (Hill, W45) 23:20
