Photo – James Kingston at Liverpool
Tonbridge Athletic Club’s James Kingston was so close to making his first Great Britain senior team at the cross-country trial on Saturday. The event is included in the UK Cross Challenge event, held annually, in Sefton Park, Liverpool. The top four finishers in the men’s race were guaranteed spots on the Great Britain team to race in the European Championships, to be held in Portugal, in December, although two places at the selectors’ discretion will complete the six-man team.
It is no exaggeration to claim that the race, at Liverpool, attracts a greater depth of top-level UK distance runners than any other event, either on the roads, country or track. The men’s race is held over eight kilometres and as is often the case was quite muddy in places, although still fast as not particularly hilly. It comprised three laps and within half a lap the field was being strung out by the fast pace set by the UK road 10k record holder Rory Leonard, although it wasn’t long before he was joined at the front by the UK’s second fastest 5000m runner this year, Scott Beattie. These two built a lead, with James Kingston positioned outside the top ten for much of the race.
Kingston started the final lap in ninth, but by the time he reached the final 400 metres was in sixth and challenging for fifth. With less than 50 metres to go Logan Rees of Scotland produced a sprint that nudged Kingston back that one significant place. Beattie ran 23.50, winning by 14 seconds from Leonard. Kingston was timed at 24.31 in 7th, less than two seconds behind the two runners in front. Nearly a thousand finished the race, with incorporated the Lancashire league race. Alex Howard had a fine run to place 32nd, with Calum Laing 90th.
The under 23 competition was held over two laps of the senior race, where Jake Brislane finished 16th, Jamie Macdonald 35th and Tom Claridge 52nd. Toby Bawtree and Harrison Fraser both performed well to finish 22nd and 23rd in the under 20 men’s race, whilst Annabelle Souter was 45th in the under 20 women’s event.
Also on Saturday, the Kent Veterans Cross Country Championships took place at Central Park, Dartford. Tonbridge AC had two individual gold medallists, with Elle Baker winning the over 35 women’s race and Ben Reynolds the over 60 men’s event. Lizzie Owen being 3rd in the over 45 women’s race was the other individual medal winner for the club.
Team-wise Tonbridge won the over 60 men’s competition with Reynolds being joined by Mark Pitcairn-Knowles (4th) and Graeme Saker (9th), as the scorers. Tonbridge teams won silver medals in three other events, the over 50 men, over 35 women and over 45 women.
On Sunday, Holly Hayward won the women’s race at the Marden 10k in 39.58.
Above – Elle Baker and Ben Reynolds won at the Kent Veterans Championships