Hugo Milner (Derby) and Jess Gibbon (Reading) sealed senior victories at the second British Athletics Cross Challenge fixture at Teardrop Lakes in Milton Keynes.

Reading’s Gibbon overcame Jenny Nesbitt (Chris Jones, Cardiff) and Kate Avery (Shildon) to win the senior women’s race overall, with a nine-second cushion over her nearest opponent as she crossed the finish line. It was her first ever victory at a British Athletics Cross Challenge event in her career.

Nesbitt led on the final lap but Gibbon, who was third in the opening fixture in Cardiff, overtook the Cardiff athlete in the closing stages to earn number one spot in the contest.

In the senior men’s race, Milner came away with the win ahead of Southampton’s Zakariya Mahamed (Idris Hamud) by three seconds.

The Derby athlete won the opening fixture in Cardiff and showed his skills over the cross country terrain once again as he came away for another victory to continue his excellent cross country season so far.

Daniel Jarvis (Tim Eglen, Bedford and County) earned a podium spot in third ahead of City of York’s Sam Dickinson (Liam O’Neill).

Megan Keith (Ross Cairns, Inverness), who competed for GB & NI at the European U20 Championships earlier this summer, continued her great 2021 form to grab the win in the women’s U17 / junior women’s race. Following a strong display, she comfortably ran out as the winner ahead of Charlotte Alexander (Luke Gunn, Tonbridge) and Jess Bailey (Matthew Long, Leven Valley).

Scotland’s Hamish Armitt (Giffnock North) was triumphant in the men’s U17 / junior men’s race, taking the win narrowly ahead of Liam Rawlings (Colin Lancaster, Shrewsbury) and Osian Perrin (Andrew Walling, Menai).

Robert Price (Andrew Carter, Vale Royal) and Sophie Jacobs (James Bennett, MK Distance Project) were the under 15 race winners, while Will Birchall (Wells City Harriers) and Libby Hale (John Griffiths, Swansea) were first across the line in the under 13 races respectively.

The British Athletics Cross Challenge series rolls on to Liverpool on the 27 November in an event which will also act as the trials event for the 2021 European Cross Country Championships.

Results