Lucy Reid (photo), from Tonbridge Athletic Club, continued her return to full fitness by helping Kent to an emphatic team victory at the South of England Inter Counties Cross Country Championships, on Saturday. Reid only returned to competitive action the week before, but on this occasion broke away with county team mate Holly Dixon on the first of two laps of the six kilometre long race, at Lloyd Park, Croydon.
Reid eventually finished 14 seconds behind Dixon, but hung on for second place and with two other runners in the top five, Kent won with 11 points to Surrey’s 30. Harriet Woolley (21st) and Annabel Carter (26th) both had good runs to score for the Kent B team, which finished 3rd ahead of Sussex, Hampshire and Essex.
James Petrie finished 11th in the under 13 boy’s race, scoring for the Kent team that finished as runners-up, as did Ollie Head in the under 15s, with his 18th place. Imogen Amos was 13th in the under 20 women’s race, again helping a Kent team to second spot. In total, 29 Tonbridge distance runners represented Kent, across the age groups, although there were no senior or under 20 men’s races at the championships.
The South of England veteran’s championships were held in conjunction with the inter counties event and Ben Reynolds followed up his Kent victory from the week before, with a silver medal in the over 50 men’s race. The Tonbridge men’s team in this age group placed 9th.
On Sunday, at the Telford 10km road race, Verity Hopkins took over a minute from her personal best when she recorded 35.20, whilst Ben Cole showed that he is gradually returning to his best form, recording 30.27.