Sussex’s finest cross country runners vie for league honours at Goodwood

Not only were a host of previous county champions on view but such is the standard in Sussex in recent years that several potential National medallists were speeding round the tough, undulating course.

Under-15s

Folowing their silver medals two weeks earlier in the County Relays at the same venue, much was anticipated from Chichester in the under 15 races and both teams did not disappoint. Misssing Harry Dunne from the boys relay team, it was Max Gayle who stepped up to have his best ever run for the club to finish 5th with Ben Stewart and younger brother Joe in 8th and 9th respectively.

Their total of 22 points was second to an inspired Eastbourne trio who occupied the first three places but well ahead of the rest. Harry Cruttenden and Ivo Edgar provided good back-up in 16th and 23rd respectively.

In the girls’ race there were two former National champions in the field at under 13 level so it was an amazing performance from Elodie Hill to snatch a fine 4th place in such elevated company.

Chichester’ success did not end there as Isabella Lendrum was having the race of her life in 9th with Rose Pemberton 14th and Isla Pearson 23rd. Their team total of 27 poiints was tied second with Crawley on 27th and just 3 behind favourites HY AC from Hastings.

Under 17s

The standard of under 17 running in Sussex has been of the highest standard for several years but 2024/25 looks to being a bumper season. Running in the senior women’s race, the under-17 women accounted for exactly half of the top 20 places and included Molly Smiithers in 4th and Ela Pemberton in 8th.

With 3rd scorer Carrie Anelay close behind in 13th, things could not be closer at the top of the table with Eastbourne on 21 points, Chichester on 25 and Crawley and Brighton tied one point behind on 26.

Always important to have back-up in this age group, there were encouraging runs from Charlotte Hayes in 24th and Hannah Clarke in 26th. The under 17 men had an equally stern test of their fitness over the same 5K course as the women including the steep gradients of the senior lap.

Fielding two full teams, both in the top 10, it was Stanley wilkes who ran a well-controlled race to finish 4th with Will Bailey 17th and Sam Wyatt 20 for a total of 41 points, a single point outside the top 3. Good packing from Micah Williams 23rd , Kai Lendrum 29th and Monty Hill 30th scored 92 points for 9th.

Senior women’s race

In can be safely said that Saturday’s overall performance from Chichester’s women was the best in their 40 year history of the club. The place to start must be with team runners-up spot in Division 1 of the senior race with Chichester’s quartet just edged out by a strong Brighton & Hove squad but far and away in front of the rest.

Showing the way was Imogen Matthews, currently combining her workload ofhospital medical duties in Hastings with her traning schedule. Always in the top 10, Matthews surged through the field in the latter stages for an outstanding second place. Anya Barrett was not far behind in 7th and top under 20 with under 17’s Smithers and Pemberton 12th and 17th overall for a team total of 38 points, 7 behind Brighton but a full 42 in front of the third placed team Lewes on 80.

The B team were equally as impressive with a runner-up spot in Divison 2 thanks to seniors Charlotte Reading and Grace Wills in 19th and 26th respectively with veteran Emily Alden 28th overall and 2nd in her over 40 age group.

Together with Alden, Becky Pearson in 40th and 3rd v35 and Lisa Pemberton 42nd and 2nd v45 combined to lead the new 35 to 50 veterans age group. Good runs from Kim Nelson in 63rd overall and Sue Baker 92nd and 4th v60 enabled the over 50 team to finish 8th.

Senior men

With Chichester’s two fastest senior men from the relays not in action on Saturday, it was left to the club’s talented seniors to fly the flag in the senior men’s race.

Will Broom, new course record holder after his outstanding run at the relays, did not want to risk aggravating a slight strain on the hilly course and Mikey Kwoka was in marathon action in his native Poland.

There was a sad duty to perform when the senior men had lined up with the runners and spectators giving a minute’s applause to mark the tragic death earlier in the week of Brighton Phoenix athlete Robbie Fitzgibbon at the age of 28.

It was at Goodwood that Fitzgibbon had his first ever run for his club as an under 13 and his career led him to GB international vests.

When the racing got under way it was Matt Jolly who led the A team home in 32nd with Mark Grundy 62nd, Jason Boswell 67th and Steve Davy packing well for 229 points and 6th in Division 2.

For the B team Kevan Watkins in 72nd led home Andrew Smith in 78th, Joe Turner 91st and Tim Brown 98th. Stuart Luxton and Peter Dunne completed the scoring in 100th and 111th respectively.

Under-11s and under-13s

As usual the day’s programme started with the under 11 and under 13 races. As with the other age groups, the overall standard among the juniors is very high but the Chichester contingent of 26 athletes were up to the challenge.

In fact all four girls in the under 11 race finished in the top 10. Amelie Adams in 4th led home Leah Stopps in 6th, Poppy Alden in 7th and imogen Younghusband in 9th. There is no team competition for the under 11s but Chichester would have had a comfortable victory which looks promising for the future.

In a very competitive boys race, Nathaniel Jolly finished a fine 5th with Oscar Squires 18th, Ethan Cowell 23rd, Raafferty Hinton 30th, Fred Strickland 37th, Freddie Ford 40th and Daniel Webster 44th.

There was another good run from Emmy Pemberton in the under 13 girls race in 5th palce with the leaders in sight all the way. Supporting well for the A team were Matilda Hammond in 30 and Olivia Pearson in 31st for a team total of 66 points in 7th place. Also running well were Rebekah Jolly in 32nd, Abbie Cruttenden 39th, Sophie Platt 42nd and Eve Strickland 45th.

In a near record field Alfie Luxford was the best placed of Chichester’s under 13 boys in 20th place followed by Isaac Page 26th and Levi Pearce 34th for an A team total of 80 points for 10th place. Maddox Matthews in 35th, Dexter Hinshelwood in 42nd and Reuben Hughes combined well for the B team with 122 points in 12th place with reserves Sebastian Berger in 49th and Finlay Hill 54th.

The next league fixture is at Glyndebourne on Saturday, November 9, where athletes will not only be vying for club positions but aiming to catch the selectors eye before the first of the Inter-County fixtures, the South East Counties event in December.