We look at the leading contenders for the final major domestic cross-country championships of the winter

After a two-year break due to the pandemic, the English Schools Cross-Country Championships returns to the calendar with a race in the Hop Farm at Paddock Wood in Kent on Saturday (March 19).

With the most recent edition of the championships being held in Liverpool back in March 2020 – just a few days before the first Covid-related lockdown – predictions are harder than usual to make. This is especially due to the event having different age groups to the other major championships, with athletes at the bottom of their age group in the English National last month keen to make the most of being top of their age group in the English Schools this weekend.

Given the English Schools’ well-publicised financial problems, the search for sponsorship is sure to be a talking point this weekend. AW brought the issue to light at the start of this year and since then the English Schools Athletics Association (ESAA) has raised close to £30,000 via its GoFundMe page.

One thing is for sure, the ESAA’s various annual events continue to act as a springboard for the champions of the future. Among many other examples, Keely Hodgkinson finished runner-up at the English Schools Cross Country on an icy Temple Newsam course in Leeds four years ago but is now going for gold at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade this weekend.

READ MORE: Athletics world rallies in support of English Schools

Timetable – March 19
12.30pm Intermediate girls 3875m
1.00pm Junior boys 4395m
1.30pm Junior girls 3190m
2.00pm Intermediate boys 5750m
2.35pm Senior girls 4395m
3.05pm Senior boys 6995m

Senior boys

2020 champion: Matthew Stonier – Kent
2020 Trophy holder: Derbyshire Trophy – Lancashire
2020 Wigan Trophy (highest 8th place finisher) – Cambridgeshire

Defending champion Fraser Sproul missed the big events this winter but did win the Northern Schools title and looks like he has specifically being targeting this event all winter.

Louis Small, the 2020 inter boys runner-up, was third in the Inter-Counties under-20 race at Preswold Hall last weekend, is the best of those running here and should be among the medallists again.

Fellow Kent runner Matthew Taylor was the leading athlete in the English National under-20 in eighth but it could be the under-17s who also challenge for medals.

English National champion Sam Mills has raced lightly and missed the Inter-Counties, where Ben Brown in second was first Englishman, and this pair will again be in the medal hunt despite their relative youth.

Northern champion Jacob Deacon has been the most consistent athlete this winter, also winning medals in the English National and the Inter-Counties Championships, while Southern winner Ed Bird should also be prominent.

Athletes to watch
1 Seamus Robinson (Avon) (81st in 2020) 5th National U17, 9th CAU U17, 14th Liv’pool U17, 3rd SWS, 2nd SWIC
25 Luke Birdseye (Berks) (71st in 2020) 2nd South, 8th National U17, 5th CAU U17
26 Sam Hodgson (Berks) (35th in 2020) 11th CAU U20, 24th National U20, 8th South U20
73 Max Creasey (Cleveland) (154th in 2020) 2nd Northern Sch, 3rd Nth
101 Fraser Sproul (1st in 2020) 1st Northern Schools
121 Sam Mills (Devon) (26th in 2020) 1st National U17, 1st NII U17, 10th Liv’pool U17
133 Ed Bird (Dorset) (39th in 2020) 6 CAU U17, 4th National U17, 1st South U17, 1 Liv’pool U17
187 Woody Jerome (Hants) (3rd in 2020) 31st National U20, 38 Liv’pool U20
195 Ben Brown (Hants) (34th in 2020) 2nd CAU U17, 7th National U17, 2nd Liv’pool U17
241 Jack Small (Kent) (13th in 2020) 6th CAU U20, 14th National U20, 6th South U20, 21st Liv’pool U20
242 Matthew Taylor (Kent) (15th in 2020) 8th National U20, 5th South U20, 35 Liv’pool U20
244 Louis Small (Kent) (2nd in 2020) 3rd CAU U20 10th National U20, 3rd South U20, 12th Liv’pool U20
253 Rhys Ashton (Lancs) (4th in 2020) 5th CAU U20, 2nd North U20, 39th Liv’pool U20
254 Jacob Deacon (Lancs) (DNC 2020) 3rd CAU U17, 3rd National U17, 1 North U17, 3rd Liv’pool U17
349 Josh Blevins (Northumberland) (43rd in 2020) 12th CAU U17, 7th Nth U17, 33rd Liv’pool U17, 3 Northern Schools
409 Joe Ponter (Somerset) (38th in 2020) 11th National U20, 5th SWIC, 2nd SWS
385 Rowan Miell-Ingram (Oxfordshire) (66th in 2020) 8th CAU U20, 4th NII U20, 15th Liv’pool U20

Senior girls

2020 champion: Olivia Mason – Cumbria
2020 Trophy holder: Foyston Trophy – London
2020 H Witham Trophy (highest 8th place finisher) – Kent

The UK Inter-Counties under-20 champion Pippa Roessler is a much better athlete than the one who finished 16th in 2020 but was only 13th in the English National this winter.

Her biggest rival may well be Surrey team-mate Ellen Weir. She has been ultra consistent all year with top threes in the Inter-Counties, National and Southern Championships and was also a fine 14th in the Europeans.

Other under-20s who will be in the mix include national bronze medallist Megan Harris and Inter-Counties bronze medallist Louise Hackett.

From the younger under-17 age group, the 2020 inter girls runner-up Kiya Dee should challenge as should Southern champion and English National runner-up Hattie Reynolds.

Leading contenders
1 Megan Hornung (Avon) (17th in 2020) 5th National U17, 2 SWS 13:32, 2 SWIC 17:52
61 Grace Roberts (Cheshire) (4th in 2020) 10th National U17, 14th CAU U17, 6th North U17, 18th Liverpool U17
157 Megan Harris (Essex) (37th in 2020) 3rd National U20, 4th South U17, 13th Liverpool U17
170 Kiya Dee (Glos) (2nd in 2020) 3rd National U17, 8th CAU U17, 10th Liverpool U20, 1 SWIC, 5 SWS
325 Hattie Reynolds (Norfolk) (60th in 2020) 2nd National U17, 13th CAU U17, 1 South U17
134 Hannah Blundy (Dorset) (104th in 2020) 7th National U17, 4 SWS, 4 SWIC
277 India Barwell (Lincs) (130th in 2020) 8th National U17, 7th North U17, 2 Ang Schools
293 Ellen Donald (London) (DNC 2020) 11th CAU U20, 41st National U20, 6th South U20
433 Louise Hackett (Staffs) (40th in 2020) 3rd CAU U20, 2 Mids U20, 14th Liverpool U20
457 Pippa Roessler (Surrey) (16th in 2020) 1st CAU U20, 13th National U20, 2 South U20, 34th Liverpool U20
463 Ellen Weir (Surrey) (110th in 2020) 2nd National U20, 2nd CAU U20, 3 South U20, 6th Liverpool U20, 14th Euro U20

Inter girls

2020 champion: Beatrice Wood – Wiltshire
2020 Trophy holder: Leicester Trophy – Surrey
2020 R Brown Trophy (highest 8th place finisher) – Lancashire 

Zoe Gilbody won the junior girls race two years ago despite being a year younger than most of her rivals and though she hasn’t been quite as impressive this winter and had an underpar Inter-Counties run, she will still be a major contender.

The clear favourite though is Jess Bailey the English National under-17 champion as a first year and she was the first English runner in the Inter-Counties and in this race will be top of her age group and keen to go one better than in 2020.

Bailey was also a mere fraction behind Gilbody at the 2020 English Schools in Liverpool.

Zoe Gilbody (closest to the camera) pips long-time leader Jessica Bailey to win the junior girls #EnglishSchools title by the thickness of a vest. Neither athlete knew who has won for almost 10min. pic.twitter.com/J6K193iseB

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) March 14, 2020

The 2020 bronze medallist Sophie Nicholls will also be a challenger while Inter-Counties bronze medallist Evie Thomson and 2020 fourth-placer Ruby Vinton might also contend though the latter has raced lightly.

Yasmin Kashdan was fourth in the English National and is another likely medallist while Lilia Harris might be the best of the rest from the under-15 age group after Gilbody.

Surprise Inter-Counties under-17 champion Evey Powell is not entered.

Leading contenders
3 Holly Lathwell (Beds) (311th in 2020) 11th National U17, 3rd South U17
14 Milly Dunger (Beds) (59th in 2020) 6th CAU U15, 12th National U15, 5th South U15, 10th Liverpool U15
37 Maddie Hughes (Bucks) (141st in 2020) 6th National U17, 9th CAU U17, 4th South U17
97 Jess Bailey (Cumbria) (2nd in 2020) 1st National U17, 2nd CAU U17, 1st North U17, 1 Northern Schools, 2 Liverpool U20
307 Zoe Gilbody (Shrops) (1st in 2020) 5th National U15, 114th CAU U15, 1st Mids U15, 2nd Liverpool U15

READ MORE: Thrilling races at 2020 English Schools Champs

409 Sophie Nicholls (Somerset) (3rd in 2020) 7th CAU U17, 3 SWIC, 2 SWS, 21 Liverpool U20
421 Evie Thomson (S Yks) (47th in 2020) 3rd CAU U17, 9th National U17, 4th North U17
422 Lilia Harris (S Yks) (56th in 2020) 3rd National U15, 2nd CAU U15, 2nd North U15, 4th Liverpool U15
445 Ruby Vinton (Suffolk) (4th in 2020) 13th South U17, 1st Anglian Schools
457 Rachel Clutterbuck (Surrey) (31st in 2020) 12th National U17, 15th CAU U17, 7th South U17
462 Adela Svihalkova (London) (20th in 2020) 10th National U15, 5th CAU U15
476 Yasmin Kashdan (Sussex) (42nd in 2020) 4th National U17, 2nd South U17
505 Rebecca Flaherty (W Yorks) (24th in 2020) 5th CAU U17, 3rd North U17

Intermediate boys

2020 champion Fraser Sproul (Cumbria)
2020 Trophy holder: Yorkshire Trophy- Kent
2020 Newcastle 900 Trophy (highest 8th place finisher): Greater Manchester

Robert Price, a mere 85th in 2020, has won everything this winter – National, Inter-Counties and Northern titles, as well as Liverpool, Cardiff and Milton Keynes. However, here he will be up against older runners from the under-17 age group.

Isaac Morris was second in the English National under-17 as a first year in the age group and will be hard to beat on that form. He did not run the Inter-Counties where Brandon Pye was the leading under-17 first year in fourth.

READ MORE: 2022 Inter-Counties coverage

The 2020 champion Ben Peck has raced very lightly and missed the two big championships but on his form from Liverpool (leading English under-17 and just ahead of Morris) and a win at Cardiff.

The 2020 junior runner-up Henry Dover was the second best in the Inter Counties in seventh.
While Price stands out among the under-15s there may be others who could challenge.

The 2020 National winner Alden Collier will definitely do better than he did in the last English Schools where he was 333rd.

He followed Price home in this year’s National but was off-form in the Inter-Counties event.

Leading contenders
37 Alden Collier (Bucks) (333rd in 2020) – 2nd National U15, 16th CAU 2015, 4th South U15, 6th Liverpool U15
49 Isaac Morris (Cambs) (- in 2020) 2nd National U17, 9th Liverpool U17
61 Robert Price (Cheshire) (85th in 2020) 1st National U15, 1 CAU U15, 1st North U15, 1st Liverpool U15
133 Will Rabjohns (Dorset) (3rd in 2020) 38th National U17, 5th South U17
146 Brandon Pye (Durham) (25th in 2020) 4th CAU U17 1st Northern Schools, 9th National U17, 2nd North U17
181 Oscar Schofield (Greater Manchester) (DNC 2020) 4th National U15, 8th CAU U15, 2 North U15, 3rd Liverpool U15
197 James Dargan (Hants) (4th in 2020) 11th CAU U17, 13th National U17, 4th South U17
241 Hayden Gear (Kent) (17th in 2020) 10th CAU U17, 12th National U17, 3rd South U17
445 Benjamin Peck (Suffolk) (1st in 2020) 1st Anglian Sch, 7th Liverpool U17
446 Henry Dover (Suffolk) (2nd in 2020) 7th CAU U17, 15th South U17

Junior boys

2020 champion: Ben Peck – Suffolk
2020 Trophy holder: Chesterfield Trophy – Kent
2020 Lockhurst Lane Trophy (highest 8th place finisher) – Berkshire

Jake Meyburgh has dominated the under-13 boys age group all year having won the English National, Inter-Counties and Southern but he won’t start favourite.

The year older Alex Lennon defeated him in the Surrey Schools and was easily the first junior boy in both the Inter-Counties and English National where he was a respective fourth and fifth.

The others who competed in the under-15s don’t look as good medal hopes but by being older may have an advantage from those competing from the under-13s apart from Meyburgh especially as the National and Inter-Counties runner-up Thomas Thake is not entered.

George Wilson, Ruben Price, Oliver Head and Finlay Goodman should all finish comfortably in the top ten even though they were short of it in the major under-15 races.

As none of those competing here have ever run in an English Schools before, there could be a big surprise and an athlete finishing anonymously in the under-15s could have been targeting this race specifically.

Midland champion, National bronze medallist and Inter-Counties fourth Fred Jones is another under-13 missing as is English National fourth-placer Noah Homer and the next best under-13 in the race is likely to be Northern champion Evan Grime who was top five in the big championships.

Leading contenders
181 Evan Grime (Greater Man) 5th CAU U13, 5th National U13, 1st North U13, 2nd Liverpool U13
197 Ruben Price (Hants) 18th National U15, 26th CAU U15
265 Joshua Adkin (Leics) 6th National U13, 8th Mids U13
277 George Wilson (Lincs) 16 National U15, 5th North U15, 1st Anglian Schools
241 Oliver Head (Kent) 19th National U15, 24th CAU U15, 11th South U15
457 Alex Lennon (Surrey) 4th CAU U15, 5th National U15
458 Jake Meyburgh (Surrey) 1st National U13, 1st CAU U13, 1st South U13
472 Finlay Goodman (Sussex) 15th National U15, 33rd CAU U15

Junior girls

2020 champion: Zoe Gilbody – Shropshire
2020 Trophy holder: Rochdale Trophy – Berkshire
2020 Stedman Trophy (highest 8th place finisher) – Lancashire 

Again all athletes are making their English Schools debut so there could be a few surprises but as she won the English National under-15 race as a first year and also ran well in the UK Inter-Counties and North of England race, Isabella Waugh will be hard to beat.

The under-13 English National champion Katie Webb is also in the field and should place highly but traditionally it is the under-15s who dominate.

READ MORE: Coverage of this winter’s English Schools Cross Cup

Shaikira King who ran well in the all big under-15 events is another potential winner while South of England champion Katie Pye and runner-up Ella Davey may also be in the medal hunt.

Freya Woodhead who won the Northern Ireland international, is another strong contender.

Leading contenders
27 Ella Davey (Bucks) 6th National U15, 61st CAU U15, 2nd South U15
38 Katie Webb (Bucks) 1st National U13, 2nd CAU U13, 4th South U13
109 Isabella Waugh (Derbys) 1st National U15, 3rd CAU U15, 3 North U15
121 Freya Woodhead (Devon) 9th CAU U15, 1st SWIC, 1st NII
122 Olivia Steer (Devon) 6th National U13, 5th CAU U13, 1 SWIC, 1 SWS
157 Lyla Belshaw (Essex) 7th CAU U15, 11th National U15
265 Shaikira King (Leics) 4th National U15, 4th CAU U15, 2 Mids U15, 1 Liverpool U15
302 Holly Cross (Mersey) 4th National U13, 7th CAU U13
385 Isla McGowan (Oxfordshire) 8th CAU U15, 22nd National U15, 3rd Mids U15
457 Katie Pye (Surrey) 8th National U15, 15th CAU U15, 1st South U15, 1st SES
464 Maya Jobbins (Surrey) 3rd CAU U13, 24th National U13, 11th SES

Key to races
CAU = UK Inter-Counties, Mids = Midlands, National = English National, NII = Northern Ireland International, SES = South England Schools, SWIC = South West Inter-Counties, SWS = South West Schools