Prestwold Hall in Loughborough was the setting for the Derby Runner Midlands Counties Cross Country Championships and the Grade I listed stately home and its parkland were an ideal venue.

The schedule began at 10.03am and the U13 Girls followed by the U13 Boys; U15 Girls and Boys, U17 Women and Men, Senior Women, U20 Women, U20 Men and Senior Men. Runners went hard and fast from the outset, determined to do their best for their club while testing their physical and mental fitness.

The Senior Women’s race and was 8K (5 miles) in distance. In the mix was Gemma Steel of Charnwood AC, Cloe Hubbard of Newark AC and Steel’s teammate Juliet Potter who battled for all important places before Steel raced to victory in 29:50. Hubbard was second in 30:00 and Potter third in 30:09 – only 19 seconds between them.

Over to the Senior Men – the last race of the day over 12K (7 miles). The ever speedy Omar Ahmed of Birchfield Harriers was amongst the combatants along with rising star Ben Dijkstra of Leicester Coritanian AC who has been impressive on the road and was looking to repeat this on grass. They were shoulder to shoulder at 8K but the experienced Ahmed was the winner in 36:44 followed by Dijkstra in 37:03. Ahmed’s teammate Kadar Omar Abdullahi was third in 37:18.

It was another successful outing for this long established event that dates back to 1879 but now with a different and popular venue.

Image courtesy of Bryan Dale