Huge crowds travelled right down to Ardingly Showground for the once a year cross-country championships, with English Colleges celebrating its a centesimal anniversary
Alex Lennon and Zoe Gilbody secured wins within the senior races on the sixty fourth boys and forty sixth women English Colleges Pass Nation Championships on Saturday (March 15).
The development, held at Ardingly Showground in East Sussex, attracted giant crowds and noticed other people line up across the edges of many of the direction.
Stipulations have been nigh on absolute best for cross-country working and the bottom was once most commonly company across the undulating direction, somewhat other to the treacherously greasy dust at The Nationwide ultimate month.
The senior boys race completed off the complaints and Lennon as soon as once more stole the display, including victory at English Colleges to his wins on the Inter-Counties Championships (March 8) and The Nationwide (February 22).
Alex Lennon (Gary Mitchell)
The 16-year-old was once 2nd for a big a part of the race, at the back of Owen Smith, however made his transfer within the latter levels and not seemed again.
Lennon, representing Surrey, clocked 17:46 (6000m) and gained via 5 seconds to Jack Sanderson, with Smith in 3rd with 17:52.
After his victory, Lennon spoke to AW and mentioned it was once difficult to run round Ardingly Showground on account of the quick sharp hills that seemed after lengthy straights.
“Two weeks I told you that Parliament Hill was the toughest course I’ve ever done,” he mentioned. “Now, I wish to take again that observation as a result of Ardingly these days as the hardest direction I’ve run on. Each and every time I used to be on a bit little bit of a flat, I used to be pondering’ that is sit back’ and I’m playing myself.
Senior boys race (Gary Mitchell)
“Then, all of a sudden and out of nowhere, you get a big incline and you’re thinking ‘this is awful’. I was sitting in the top five and I have to say, Owen Smith was beautiful because he took the entire race on. Luckily, I was able to pick up the pace of the last 600m and I had the glory of taking home ‘the triple’.”
Lennon, who were given into working in number one college after his P.E trainer instructed him to do Sutton Colleges, has giant objectives in working and desires to concentrate on the middle-distances on target.
“This year we’ve got the European Under-20 Championships [Tampere, Finland] and I want to qualify for that,” Lennon added. “I would also love to break 3:40 in the 1500m as my personal best is 3:48.17. If all goes well, it’s all bless.”
Zoe Gilbody (Gary Mitchell)
In similarly spectacular type, Gilbody took victory within the senior women race at Ardingly Showground, capping off a memorable few months over cross-country.
The 18-year-old, who has now triumphed within the junior, intermediate and senior classes on the English Colleges Pass Nation Championships, clocked 13:23 (4100m) and gained via seven seconds to Isla McGowan, with Katie Pye 3rd in 13:41.
“I can’t believe it,” Gilbody, representing Shropshire, instructed AW. “I couldn’t really feel my legs in spite of everything as I sought after it such a lot. I used to be truly pleased with the best way that I ran it and had deliberate to begin out extra conservatively.
Senior women race (Gary Mitchell)
“Coming into the last field I was second but I thought ‘I’ve done this before’. I knew it would come down a sprint finish. I’ve been doing everything to get this last title and it means so much.”
Again in December, Gilbody positioned eleventh in my opinion within the under-20 race on the Eu Pass Nation Championships and was once a part of the British cohort – along Innes FitzGerald, Jess Bailey, Eleanor Strevens, Lizzie Wellsted and Isobelle Jones – that secured a crew gold in Antalya, Turkey.
Gilbody’s 2025 season has additionally been spectacular, with victory on the Scottish Inter District Championships and a 2nd position end on the English Colleges Cup.
Evan Dust (Gary Mitchell)
The intermediate boys race was once gained via Evan Dust, who has began this season with bang each at the observe and in cross-country.
Dust, representing Higher Manchester, ran 14:26 (4800m) took the victory via 5 seconds to Archie Lane, with Rory Barclay-Watt 3rd in 14:37.
“That felt amazing and I couldn’t have asked for a better race in all honesty,” the 16-year-old mentioned. “Getting into it I used to be a little bit sick and concept I wanted a just right get started. I sought after to get via that safely earlier than shifting up the sector afterward. On the second one lap, about two miles in, there was once a little bit of a hill and everybody began to decelerate.
Get started of intermediate boys race (Gary Mitchell)
“At that point I thought I’d hold my pace and see if anyone goes with me. I looked behind about a minute later and I had a ten second gap. I held that well and it was job done at the finish. I thought if I could push like I know I can then I was okay.”
Dust’s win at Ardingly Showground comes off the again of an excellent previous few months. No longer best did Dust spoil each British under-17 1500m (3:49.47) and 3000m (8:23.76) information, however he was once additionally topped the nationwide indoor 800m champion for his age team.
The primary race of the day on the English Colleges Pass Nation Championships noticed Kitty Scott take the win within the intermediate women class.
Kitty Scott (Gary Mitchell)
Scott, who additionally has a triathlon background, clocked 12:27 and took the win via an excellent margin of eleven seconds, with Jasmine Christmas 2nd after which Olivia McGhee 3rd in 12:40.
“I’m really happy as that was very hard,” Scott instructed AW. “The primary lap was once ok however a little bit difficult underfoot. Then the massive lap was once very hilly and terrible. I loved it maximum after we were given in opposition to the end line.
“My mum and sister always ran so I just kind of followed them. With triathlon, I couldn’t ride a bike until very late and my dad just stated I had to learn! The week I learnt how to ride I did my first triathlon. All three sports provide really good cross-training and it helps a lot with strength.”
{The teenager} has had an incredible cross-country season general, with wins on the English Colleges Cup and the South of England Championships, along a 2nd position end at The Nationwide.
Leo Blyton out in entrance (Gary Mitchell)
Within the junior races, Leo Blyton and Gabrielle Pinder triumphed, with the pair each securing their victories via a margin of simply 5 seconds.
Blyton, representing Oxfordshire, draped the county flag round him after his win. {The teenager} positioned 197th within the junior class eventually 12 months’s English Colleges Pass Nation Championships in Pontefract, making this success much more particular.
In a pulsating race (2850m), Blyton clocked 08:22, with Harry Cantell 2nd and Theo Creed again in 3rd with 08:29.
Gabrielle Pinder out in entrance (Gary Mitchell)
Pinder went into the championships off the again of victory at The Nationwide and wins at each the North East Colleges’ Inter Counties and Northern Counties Championships.
{The teenager}, representing Cleveland, ran 09:05 (2850m), with Kara Gorman and Olivia Lee (09:15) making up the rostrum.
Complete effects can also be discovered right here
