The 2026 Northern Cross Country Championships took place at Pontefract on Saturday January 24th on a day which managed to stay dry. (ALL AGE GROUP RESULTS). A big thank you to Linzi Lancashire who team managed on the day and managed to take photos of the athletes too as well as manage the team tent. The day started off with the U17 Women’s Race featuring 78 runners which had Lottie Hesketh and Emma Robertshaw on the start line. Just six seconds separated the two athletes – Lottie coming home in 32nd place in 21.04 whilst team mate Emma ran 21.10 in 34th, both having good races. This was followed by a smaller race for the Junior Women having forty one runners on the start line. Freya Neild and Holly Moffatt raced in this which ended with Freya placing 22nd in a time of 23.55 alongside team mate Holly who came home in 30th spot witnh a time of 25.48.
All Photos courtesy of Linzi Lancashire on Blackburn Harriers Facebook Page (HERE)
Lottie Hesketh (775) – Emma Robertshaw (776)
Freya Neild (963) – Holly Moffatt (960)
One of the runs of the day for the Harriers came in the U17 Men’s race which saw Sam Aspey lead the team home with his 5th placed finish in 18.58 out of a field of 106 athletes. Henry Ward was the next one home in the blue & white in 46th spot (20.27) with team mates Max Winstanley in 54th (20.37), Theo Robinson in 56th (20.41), Tom Falencki (74th) running 21.28, Max Belshaw in 82nd place (21.49), Loucas Lancashire in a time of 22.25 placing 90th and Liam Bennison in 99th position with a time of 23.07. Well done to all the lads. Three lads took on the U13 Boys race – Thomas Stewart, Edward Russell-Blackburn and Ben Hawksworth who lined up at the start in a 125 strong field. Thomas just missed out on a top 20 spot running 11.48 in 23rd place with team mates Edward posting a time of 12.19 in 49th and Ben taking 88th place in a time of 13.05.
L-R Tom Falencki – Liam bennison – Loucas Lancashire – Sam Aspey – Henry Ward- Max Winstanley – Max Belshaw – Theo Robinosn
One hundred and twenty nine runners took part in the U15 Girls race with two Blackburn Harriers amongst the competitors – Millie Jordan and Charlotte Smith. Millie came home in the top 20 with a time of 16.42 in 19th place alongside Charlotte running 17.39 in 54th spot. Just two athletes again in the Junior Men’s race – Thomas Monks and Ethan Cutler which saw Thomas come home in 31st spot running 31.01 with Ethan in 38th place in a time of 31.46 – 52 runners in the field. The Harriers had just one athlete in the Senior Women’s race after some last minute withdrawals and what a race she had. V45 Louisa Powell-Smith who has already won the Senior Women’s Red Rose League Series and won the Stanbury Splash Fell race just a week ago, came home in 14th place with a time of 32.27 out of field of one hundred and forty one runners. Three hundred and seventeen finishers in the Senior men’s race won by Gateshead athlete Calum Johnson in a time of 38.21. The Harriers had four athletes running – Ross Harrison, Chris Davies, Mark Chippendale and Chris Balderson. Ross was returning from a two month lay off with an injury and came home steadily in 72nd spot (43.46) followed by V45 Chris Davies in 157th (48.55), V55 Mark (231st) running 54.32 and V60 Chris Balderson 271st with a time of 58.03.
Millie Jordan (479)
Charlotte Smith
Thomas Monks
Ethan Cutler
Louisa Powell-Smith
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Over in America, Charlotte Williams was at it again, this time at the Alachua County Sports and Event Center Invitational and Multi-EventWomens Weight Throw College on Friday 18th January. Having broken the school record last week in the Weight event, she went and did it again this week. Setting the new record of 17.02m, Charlotte threw a new record and new PB of 17.67 in winning her second competition in a row.
(VIDEO)
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Out on the road, two hundred and sixteen runners took on the St Annes 10 mile road race on Sunday January 25th which was won by Chris Willaims in 52.24. V55 Mark Almond ran in this one finishing in 21st place overall and 2nd V55 in a time of 65.12. (RESULTS).
