A recap of the pre-Christmas period from the UK intercity scene.
SOUTH OF THAMES CCA 12km CHAMPIONSHIP, Wimbledon Common, London, 20 December
The race returned to one of its historic venues for the first time in decades with two new names as champions as Molly Smith and Alex Howard came out on top.
While the Association’s five-mile race a month earlier highlighted and awarded medals to the winners of the under-20 races, this event recognized veteran age-group leaders as well as providing one of the longest championship distances for women.
Howard had a comfortable victory over his Tonbridge team-mate Jamie Macdonald as their club comfortably retained the team title from 2023 winners Belgrave Harriers, adding a 12th point trophy for good measure.
After finishing sixth in this event in 2024, Howard finished seventh in the South of England Championship.
Tonbridge’s third top scorer in ninth place overall was 2022 and 2023 individual winner Ben Cole, who joined the veteran M40 in first place here.
The run came less than 24 hours after the 40-year-old ran the fastest veteran five mile time in 25 years at 23:53 at the Friday Night Lights event at Battersea Park.
Behind, Simon Coombs and Mark Tennyson picked up the M50 and M60 gongs.
Women’s winner Molly Smith won even more comfortably, coming home more than a minute ahead of Phoebe Barker, as third-placed Emily Bradley guided Belgrave to team gold, their fifth in successive years.
It completed a double for the Herne Hill Harrier, who won the 5-mile race at Lloyd Park, Croydon, four weeks ago before setting a best 10km time of 33:33 in Leeds. Those two races followed a 2:34:07 clocking at the Frankfurt Marathon in late October.
Belgrave’s third scorer was 2018 individual 5 mile winner Sharon Haileselassie as six of their runners finished in the women’s top 13.
In general. 1 A Howard (Ton) 40:12; 2 J MacDonald (Ton) 40:40; 3 N Armitage-Hookes (Kent) 40:48; 4 S Somerville (Belgium) 40:57; 5 J Turner (B&H) 41:03; 6 T Foster (G&G) 41:12; 7 E Chuck (Dulw R) 41:29; 8 Jay Sanderson (G&G) 41:32; 9 B Cole (Ton) 41:57; 10 J Claridge (Ton) 41:58
M40: 2 Z Arasaretnam-Hale (B&H) 43:28
M50: 1 S Coombes (Herne H) 44:32; 2 A Whitwah (Holiday) 48:05; 3 N Tearle (G&G) 48:16
M60: 1 M Tennyson (G&G) 50:47
M65: 1 D Ogden (S Lawn) 53:11
TEAM (6 goals). 1 Tonbridge 51; 2 Belgrave 105; 3 G&G 161; 4 Kent 226; 5 Herne Hill 275; 6 Dulwich R 365
TEAM (12 goals). 1 Tonbridge 247; 2 Belgrave 381; 3 G&G 648
Women. 1 M Smith (Herne H) 44:14; 2 P Barker (Ton) 45:26; 3 E Bradley (Belgium) 46:43; 4 R Whyte-Wilding (Belgium) 47:25; 5 A Bloomfield (E&E) 47:32; 6 S Haileselasie (Belgium) 49:24
W40: 1 S Swaine (Herne H) 53:38
W50: 1 S Biggs (Stragh) 52:08
W60: 1P McHutchon (Stragh) 65:58
TEAM (6 goals). 1 Belgrave 49; 2 Herne H 94; 3 Kent 124
WEST YORKSHIRE LEAGUE, Leeds, December 20
Host club City of Leeds dominated over 9.23km at Middleton Park with the top six senior men finishing led by Joe Firth.
It was a similar story in the women’s race, with sisters Ellie and Hannah Hobbs leading Leeds to a top three finish.”
Men. 1 J Firth (Leeds) 28:44; 2 W Tigue (Leeds) 28:54; 3 S Flanagan (Leeds) 29:05; 4 N Marsh (Leeds) 29:14; 5 H Butler (Leeds) 29:53; 6 T Antcliffe (Leeds) 29:59
M40: 1 M Snow (Leeds) 31:09
M45: 1 M Burrett (Leeds) 32:48
M60: 1 S Webb (Bing) 40:26
U20: 1 W Walker (V of York) 30:40
TEAM: 1 Leeds 21; 2 City of York 122; 3 Knavesmere 202
U17: 1 A Robson (H’gate) 15:47; 2 L Richardson (York) 16:03; 3 Y Alem (Leeds) 16:14
TEAM: 1 York 16; 2 Leeds 25; 3 Halifax 29:00
U15: 1 T Hastings (Wake) 13:27; 2 C Sanderson (Settle) 13:35; 3 J Bastow (York) 13:38
TEAM: 1 Wakefield 22; 2 York 28; 3 Leeds 30 p.m
U13: 1 W Thornton (Wake) 11:24; 2 J Neill (Haly) 11:25; 3 A Hadfield (York) 11:44
TEAM: 1 Leeds 21; 2 Wakefield 25; 3 Bingley 39
Women. 1 E Hobbs (Leeds) 22:57; 2H Hobbs (Leeds) 23:03; 3 S Van Zelst (Leeds) 23:04; 4 B Penty (Knaves, W40) 23:16; 5 J Robertson-Dover (York, U20) 23:51; 6 Jay Jagger (Holmf, W40) 23:52
W50: 1 Jones (Holmf) 25:17
W65: 1 S Cordingley (Bing) 28:34
TEAM: 1 Leeds 14; 2 York 50; 3 Knavesmer 73
U17: 1 I Tutt (Wake) 14:09; 2 C McKie (K&C) 14:55; 3 C Clark-Taylor (Otley) 15:41
TEAM: none closed
U15: 1 McGoldrick (Settle) 11:48; 2 J Lovett (York) 12:06; 3 I Forsythe (H’gate) 12:26. 1:
TEAM: 1 Leeds 17; 2 York 20; 3 Halifax 44
U13: 1 S Levin (Fract) 11:37; 2 And Reversal (Valt St) 12:02; 3 E Simpson (Bing) 12:1
TEAM: 1 Bingley 22; 2 York 25; 3 Valley Striders 38
GLOUCESTERSHIRE LEAGUE, Inc Avon, Gloucestershire, Somerset & Wiltshire Championships, Bath, 14th December
Felix McGrath, fifth in the 2025 Midland Championship, took the main men’s race and the Avon title with it as Tom Chandler was a solitary second ahead of Gloucestershire winner Ben Robinson in third overall.
Bath University pair Sophie Jacobs, sixth in the South of England U20 Championships, and Madeline Barker came out in the women’s race, but the county’s first qualified runners were W45 Amber Gascoigne, who took the Wiltshire title.
Men. 1 F McGrath (B&W/Avon) 31:51; 2 T Chandler (Bath U) 32:37; 3 B Robinson (B&W/Glouc) 33:01; 4 S Wilson (Chelt/Gluck, U20) 33:53; 5 M Threlfall (T Bath/Wilt) 34:14; 6 2 Peter 34:26
U17: 1 T Vesty (Mock/Som) 17:43; 2 A Enstone (T Bath/Wilt) 18:11; 3 O Gagg (Taunt/Som) 18:26
U15: 1 Jay Maynard (Swin/Wilts) 12:01; 2 T King (T Bath/Wilt) 12:07; 3 J Shingler (Chelt/Glouc) 12:18
U13: 1 H Rogers (B&W/Avon) 10am; 2 C Cox (Swin/Wl;ts) 10:02; 3 A Jakubowski (T Bath/Avon) 10:02
Women. 1 S Jacobs (Bath U, U20) 23:21; 2 M Barker (Bath U) 23:53; 3 A Gascoigne (T Bath/Wilts, W45) 24:02; 4 F Davies (Bath U/Glouc) 24:09; 5 Jay Taylor (Bath U/Som, U20) 24;10; 6 E Ingram (Taunt/Som) 24:12
U17: 1 O Paul (T Bath/Wilt) 20:12; 2 M Thomson (Chelt/Gluck) 20:41; 3 O Avery (Glouc/Glouc) 20:49
U15: 1 E Hutchins (Avon) 13:34; 2 J Hathway (Stroud/Glouc) 13;36; 3 I Wightman (Cjelt/Glouc) 13:39
U13: 1 R Shaw (Wales/Somerset) 10:21; 2 O Lynch (T Bath/Wilts) 10:44; 3 L Leach (Stroud.Glouc) 10:52
WESSEX LEAGUE inc Dorset Championships, Canford, Dorset, December 14
Men. 1 C Collins (Pool, U20) 33:11; 2 C Wadlow (Pool) 34:28; 3 B Penfold (W’borne, U20) 34:37; 4 H Reynolds (TVH) 34:39; 5 B Smith (B’mth) 35:10
M40: 1 L Terry (Pool) 36:09
M50: 1 Jay Bassinder (Pool) 37:54
M60: 1 J Critchlow (Purb) 38:31
U17: 1 B Mitchell (Pool R) 14:51; 2 O Canavan (B’mth) 14:58; 3 May 1 (Bmt) 15:17
U15: 1 R Austin (B’mth) 12:12; 2 H Samways (Poole R) 12:17; 3 C Harrison (Pool) 12:40
U13: 1 Z Armitage (N For J) 11:39; 2 S Hollyman (Poole R) 11:45; 3 A Ewen-Matthews (Pool) 11:49
Women.1 N Taylor (Poole, U20) 24;19; 2 D Davies (Wells) 24:55; 3 D Andrews (Pool) 26:29;
U17: 1 I Cherit (B ‘mth) 16:24; 2 D Abernethy (Wells) 5.45pm
U15: 1 I May (Bmt) 14:25; 2 O Eves (W’borne) 14:43; 3 A Magill (Poole) 2.40pm
U13: 1 A Moores (Poole) 12:25; 2 E Fowler (Ports) 12:54; 3 I Beasley (Pool) 13:04
