A large crowd had gathered Sefton Park because English Schools Cross-Country Championship returned to Liverpool this weekend.
School-age athletes represented their counties in one of the most prestigious events in the schools cross-country calendar on Saturday (March 14) as it returned to the Liverpool course.
Bright skies and dry conditions made the popular Park field a memorable day of racing, with Alex Lennon and Katie Pye claiming the senior titles to close the programme.
The senior boys race brought the day to a fitting finale and it did Alex Lennon who came out victorious once again, successfully defending the title he won last year.
Although Lennon started as the pre-race favourite, the race was far from straightforward. Jack Sanderson matched him step by step throughout the 6km race, with the pair locked at the front for most of the race.
The decisive moment came at the final bend as the runners entered the long finish line. Lennon found another gear to pull away from Sanderson to secure the win in 19:08, four seconds ahead of his rival.
The result also mirrored last year’s ranking, with Sanderson again finishing second. Michael Clarke the chair took third place, while Rory Barclay-Watt and: Edward Holden ranked fourth and fifth respectively.
Lennon arrived in Liverpool in strong form, having won the Under-20 race Intercity Cross Country Championship last weekend, and his latest win capped off an impressive winter campaign.
He said: “I wasn’t sure how this race was going to go with Michael Clarke because I hadn’t raced him yet, so I was pretty happy to see it was just me and Jack. I brought it home with a good sprint finish and finished the job.
“I didn’t feel too much pressure because recently I’ve been trying to work on going into the race not being nervous and just feeling pretty relaxed, which definitely helped a little bit.
“I really couldn’t have asked for a better cross country season. My whole goal for the season was to become world and European champions, so when I did that, it was such a great feeling.”
The senior girls’ race ensured a new champion after last year’s winner Zoe Gilbody dropped out of the age group, and Katie Pye took the opportunity to end his English schools career with gold.
After finishing third in the race last year, Pye returned determined to go one better and produced a composed performance over the 4.4km course.
In a familiar plot from the previous weekend’s cross-country event, the race turned into a battle between Paye and Ava James. James won the Inter-Counties with Pye second, but this time the order was reversed.
Pye gradually built up the lead in the closing stages and won in 15:32 to secure the memorable victory. James finished second, meanwhile Eleanor Foster won the third place. Imogen Edwards and: Sabrina Coppola Johansen rounded out the top five.
The result also secured a senior double for Surrey, with both Lennon and Pye representing the county.
“I’m so happy. I wanted this for a long time. I’ve been third twice in English Schools and then second in Inter-Counties last week. I knew it was going to be a tough race but I wanted it so bad I think my determination got me through.
I’ve learned over the years that I run better if I run slower. By the time you get to the senior girls, there’s time to get through the race, so I just ran my own race, I didn’t get caught out by the fast start and it paid off.”
Saw the intermediate boys race Freddie Gibson produce a dominant display to win over 5km.
Despite competing sparingly during the cross country season, it Mini London Marathon the champion proved his quality by breaking away from the field to take a comfortable victory with a score of 15:49.
He said: “The goal before the race was just to finish in the top five, but I felt so good in the 2km race that I thought, why not just for that?”
Tom Ford finished second, back Finn McLennan taking the third. Ewan Whitnall ahead in fourth place Oakley Knipe in the fifth.
The intermediate girls’ race also produced another high profile competition with several athletes enjoying successful winters.
However, it happened Sonny Allen who once again came out on top, adding the English Schools Under-17 title to the triumph he recently secured in the tournament. National Cross Country Championship in Sedgefield.
Allen completed the 3.8km course in 12:36.
He said: “This is a whole new level that I’ve reached now. I go to these races and I’m the one who has to win. It’s a lot of pressure, but I feel blessed to have that pressure.”
Beth Lewisinter-county under-17 champion, finished second, while Gabriel Pinder, Last year’s junior girls’ champion, moving up an age group, finished third.
Summer Smith finished fourth, with Izzy Wheeler rounding out the top five.
One of the most dramatic moments of the day came in the junior boys race where Luis da Silva and: Thomas Hastings battled over the 3.2km course.
Neither athlete was able to break away and the pair crossed the line together in 9:51, and in the end victory was awarded to da Silva by the narrowest of margins.
Zachariah Rush Won the bronze medal by just three seconds from the leading duo.
The junior girls race also provided a late twist. Madison Kindler controlled most of the race, but a fade in the closing stages opened the door for a late challenger.
Mia McGoldrick Seized the opportunity and successfully completed his first English Schools title, covering the 3.2km course in 10:49.
Jess Take finished second, while Sienna Love the chair took third place.
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