Chichester athletes help Sussex have best day at regional cross country championships

The fixture gives a good indication to competitors about what to expect in the UK National at Nottingham in March as five of the top ten counties in the UK are in the South East, including top national county Surrey.

Against this standatrd of competition, not only did the Chichester contingent shine but the Sussex teams had their best ever all-round showing, finishing runners-up to Surrey. Powerhouses such as Essex, Middlesex and Kent were left in their wake.

Teamwise the highlight of the day for Sussex was a win in the under-15 boys’ race with Eastbourne’s Byron Roberts the race winner and Chichester’s Joe Stewart having the race of his life to finish the crucial 4th Sussex scorer in 15th and give his team a winning seven-point margin over runners-up Middlesex.

Less than half a minute further back was Max Gayle for the county’s high-flying B team with Ivo Edgar also having a fine race in 81st, having only been brought into the team on the morning of the race.

There was team silver for Sussex in the under-17 race where Chichester’s Molly Smithers continued her fine season’s form in third place overall and once again top Sussex athlete.

Also making the top 10 was Elodie Hill with her best race ever to be third Sussex athlete home.

On a day of unparalled success for Sussex there was another team silver in the under-20 race with local athlete Emily Carman in 9th and Chichester’s Ela Pemberton 3rd Sussex scorer in 16th to secure the medals.

There was team bronze in the under-15 girls’ race with Isabella Lendrum another Chichester athlete who had a best ever performance. Finishing 2nd Sussex athlete after county champion Isabella Buchanan from Hastings, Lendrum was next home for the team in 5th with more than half a minute fo spare over the rest of the Susex squad.

Just edged out of the medals in fourth were the under-13 girls’ team, for whom Emmy Pemberton led the Sussex team home in 12th, with Amelia Adams close behind in 22nd. With Chichester having four runners in the Sussex squad, Heather Hand was 38th and Poppy Alden 62nd.

The under-17 men battled hard over their 5k course with Sussex being led home by Eastbourne’s Fin Lumber-Fry in third and Chichester’s Stanley Wilkes and Ben Stewart in 58th and 84th respectively, barely a minute behind the top 10.

This Saturday is the third Sussex League fixture taking place at Ardingly Showground but Chichester will be missing some of their best athletes due to their respective schools, Bishop Luffa and Churchers, having reached the National finals of the Schools Cup.