Chichester athletes shine on national, international and county stages

Following his fine top 10 finish in the British Universities Championships, Loughborough student Ned Potter gained selection for the World Universities cross country championships as part of a very strong GB team.

With athletes competing from across the globe, Potter found himself part of the mixed relay team and was rewarded with a team world silver medal, one of the many successes brought home by the GB squad.

Corporate Challenge - race winners' gallery.

His exertions did the 20-year-old no harm as just a few days later he stormed round the streets of Chichester in a near record breaking run in the Corporate Challenge series.

Already club senior record holder over 3000 and 5000ms on the track, Potter will be aiming to move up the national rankings this summer.

Meanwhile, fresh from setting the club’s highest ever placing at the English National championships at the end of February, Harry Leleu travelled to Leivin in France for his season opener triathlon, the European Triathlon Cup, an indoor event with heats and finals all taking place on one action packed day.

Chi Runners have day to cherish on Parliament Hill.

The format of the event involves heats, repechage, semi-finals and culminating in Elite Men’s A and B finals.

After an early scare when false starting in his opening heat, Leleu got to grips with the event and clawed his way back to eventually make the A final which was certain to be hotly contested as it included world No2 at the Olympic distance, Frenchman Vincent Luis.

With virtually nothing separating the leading half dozen after the swim, the bike leg was just as close and frenetic with all to play for on the run. The Chichester man was able to summon up extra powers of energy at the end of a gruelling day to finish just off the podium in fourth place and just eight seconds behind winner Luis who justified his world ranking.

With all three disciplines firing well, Leleu is looking forward to a busy season where he will be looking to move up his position in the Elite senior ranks.

And so to evergreen James Baker. After his best time for a couple of years in the second Corporate Challenge race in mid-March, veteran Baker knew he was on good form and lined up with over 2000 fellow runners in the highly-regarded Hastings Half Marathon.

Now in the over-45 age group, the Chichester man notched a resounding win by over a minute from his nearest challenger.

Baker’s time of 1hr 10min and 12secs would be respectable on any course but is especially praiseworthy at Hastings where the runners have to negotiate over 900ft of ascent during the 13.1 miles.

This was Baker’s fastest time since 2017 and almost exactly two minutes outside his all-time best set in 2003, all of 19 years ago.

Last but not least, three members of Chichester Runners & AC gained selection for their counties to run in the English Schools Cross Country Championships in Tonbridge, Kent.

This is one of the most difficult races to gain selection but all three Chichester athletes came away with team medals from the 40 counties competing, two of which were gold.

Bishop Luffa pupil Harvey McGuinness ran in the Intermediate age group for Sussex and had a storming run to come home fourth scorer for his team in 44th place.

Sussex won by a single point from home favourites Kent.

Chichester’s other two runners were both running for Hampshire schools in the junior age category.

Ditcham Park pupil Ben Ward also had a fine run to finish 79th in his race and 5th Hampshire scorer to help give his team the gold medal in the boys’ race.

There was not quite a golden treble from the Chichester runners as Hampshire had to give way to Surrey and settle for silver medals in the Junior Girls’ race where Churchers’ student Ela Pemberton also made the top 100 with a fine 90th spot.