Hallamshire Harriers old a
nd young dominate at South Yorkshire Cross Country Championship
Local bragging rights were on offer at Graves Park on Sunday, at the South Yorkshire Cross Country Championship. Hallamshire rose to the challenge with the famous red vest out in force. The steep hills and thick slippery mud of the park offered a tough alternative to Christmas shopping for the 500 plus runners taking part.
The men led off proceedings, back on the course where they won at the Northern Cross Country Relays, with Hallamshire taking up more than half the top 20 placings, to comfortably take the team prize. Chris Law led home the men in 2nd place with Evan Brown in 3rd and John Birch in 4th. Tom Bailey also won the V40 title.
The women also performed strongly with Eve Pannone finishing a strong 3rd and Nicola Squires finished first V35 in an excellent 9th place.
After the senior races the course became increasingly churned up, but Hallamshire continued to be at the front. Euan Patton took a dominant victory in the U17 boys race. Jonah Cooper repeated the feat winning the U15 boys with Jack Winter taking a fine second place.
The younger Hallamshire runners were even more dominant. The U13 boys claimed 4 of the first 5 place. Brothers Tom and Joe Thake leading the boys home, in 1st and 2nd respectively, with Evan Skuhl in 3rd and William Martin in 5th , after a fine sprint finish.
The youngest U11 runners book ended a fine day for Sheffield’s oldest club. Max Taylor took the title with Jacob Dawe a close second and Beau Pronesti 3rd. Ollie Howson and Will Clarke offered great support finishing 4th and 6th respectively.
Not be outdone by the boys, the U11 girls also comfortably won their team competition. Jessica Thake matched her older brother, winning the individual gold. Neela Watkinson finished a fine second. Freya Hill, Isobel Maxwell and Taylor Baum offered strong support.
Further afield, Lauren Hayes, competing for the GB women’s team at the European Cross Country Championship, won an amazing team gold medal less than a year after giving birth to her first child.
The next major cross country fixture will be the Yorkshire Championship, taking place at Kiveton Park Rotherham on the 8th of January.
