The Saltires made it a weekend to remember at the National Cross Country Championship this weekend. Tackling an unusually dry course at Bolesworth Castle, some 23 Thames athletes headed north for the biggest race of the season.
In the men’s race, Neil Ibata was the first from Thames to cross the line, finishing in 108th – over 100 places ahead of his finishing position in the same event last year. Club Captain James Hoad had a similarly strong run, finishing not far behind Neil in 111th. Behind him, Richard Ollington (132nd), Macgregor Cox (148th), Josh Carr (170th), and James Bartram (171st) closed out the scoring team, helping the team finish 13th in the six-to-score national standing.
But it was the Thames women who stole the show. Fielding one of their strongest teams in the ladies’ history, all four Thames scorers finished comfortably inside the top 100, with Lizzy Apsley leading the team home in 34th. Finishing fast behind her was Beth Murray, who closed in 36th to round off one of her most impressive seasons yet. Claire Hammett (40th) and Ruby Woolfe (56th) rounded out the scoring team – helping the Thames ladies seal a fifth place in the overall team standing: their best-ever finish in the National.
Festivities followed in the pubs of Chester before the teams enjoyed a Sunday-long run to Wales and back the next morning. A weekend well spent!