An Excellent Start to the 25/26 Essex XC League for the Green & Gold.

For the season’s opening Essex cross country league season staged on the One Tree Hill course at Basildon, there was individual success for the boys and men whilst for the women and girls their victories were to come as the team results showed Chelmsford heading the points charts in two groups.

Mason Sanford started the ball rolling as he put in another solid run to take the under 13-year boys’ race whilst Dylan Law also can be well pleased to follow him through. James Pollard 16th and Noah Hammond 20th completed the team for a score of 39 points - just shaded by SS Athletics with their better packing. At this age level Bella Kehoe 7th led the Chelmsford girls with Leila Robinson 13th only four seconds down Issabella Perks 42nd and Scarlett Metcalfe 45th gave the team fourth place.

To the under 15`s age group and Jamie Gilbey saw the green and gold of CAC leading the field home. With Jake Boarer 11th, Khaya Fakazi 25th and Oscar Stollery 29th completing the team third place was taken. Edward Delaney 30th, Charles Jackson 41st and Daniel Smith 51st were other finishers here. No surprise that Brentwood`s Heidi Woodley should lead the girls’ event, but it was the team packing of Chelmsford stealing the honours with Isla Kehoe 2nd, Lily Sanford 3rd, Beatrix Cooke 4th and Francessca Phillips 6th giving an overwhelming 15 points whilst backing up Erin Kelly placed 7th.

For the under 17-year men Jacob Parrott 4th, Joseph Delaney 7th, Austin Kelly 8th and Daniel Pollard 11^th we also saw good team packing but just pipped by Havering. For Chelmsford Max Chivers 12th and Ben Smith 17th were handily placed in reserve. Only disappointment of the day for CAC came from the under 17 women with only two turning out, but now well placed with Katie Cox 5th and Jessica Walker 6th.

And so, to the seniors and both men and women showed up as winners. For the men Jacob Hurrell led the field of a record 291 finishers home. With Thomas Woodward 11th, Tom Rehal 15th, Ethan Reilly 18th, Sebastian Cirillo 33rd and veteran Nick Hunter 70th a team placing of fourth was taken - just one point shy of Havering although Southend and Colchester Harriers were clear for leading positions. Mark Sanford a previous winner of county medals but now in the veteran class and having his first race since 2017 placed 103rd (must be children Mason and Lily egging him on). Other placings Peter Waite 105th, Sam Eida 150th, David Phillips 167th and our over 60`s Peter Tullett 181st and Mick Bridgeland 209th.

For the women a very solid team performance found them scoring 49 points to top that of Havering (67) and Colchester Harriers (101).  Megan Williams finished 5th with Hannah Bolton 7th, Rachel Broome 13th and new member Antonia Moore 24th. Back up came from veteran Wendy King 28th with Emma Cox 32nd, Laura Durn 39th, Emily Cooke 41st, Anna Nuttall 59th and Samantha Kelly 95th. Looks like mums and dads are being brought along by their youngsters.

Not part of the league races but included in the programme are races for under 11`s and in the boy’s race there was a very good run from Samuel Miller for the Chelmsford Endurance team as he finished second. With Ben Padfield 17th, Tom Jaggard 20th, George Jaggard 27th the team took fourth although on equal points to Woodford. Also showing in the results George Hunnybun finished 29th, Max Porter 32nd, Jobie O`Sullivan and Rory Casey 49th. Only lad for CAC was Toby Hatt being 13th. For the girls Hannah Hogben 8th and Olivia Bilby 14th show as CAC whilst the Endurance squad had Coco Phillips 16th, Evie Law 20th, Alice Coker 24th, Lily Wiltshire 23rd, Cleo Robinson 53rd and Edith Murray 55th.

Report written by Roy Meadowcroft

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