SUN SHINES ON RUSHMAN AND GIBBON WHO SECURE CROSS CHALLENGE FINAL WINS

Brett Rushman (coach: Andrew Hobdell, club: Hertfordshire) and Jess Gibbon (Oxfordshire) won the senior races at the UK Athletics Cross Challenge Final and UK Inter Counties Championships as the sun shone down on Wollaton Park in Nottingham.

A blistering senior men’s contest ended with Rushman taking one of the biggest victories of his career as he sprinted away from James Kingston (Mark Hookway, Kent) in the closing stages.

Rushman was up front in a group containing Kingston, Jack Millar (David Bedwell, Avon and Somerset) and Omar Ahmed (David Lawrence, Warwickshire) for much of the contest and this leading quartet broke up the field heading into the final large laps. But as the laps wound down and the undulating course unfolded, it was Rushman and Kingston who parted ways from the rest as they had eyes on victory.

The Hertfordshire athlete attacked the final hill and that move would ultimately claim him the win ahead of Kingston, so they crossed the line as the one-two.

A superbly timed sprint finish from Cameron Allan (Craig Winrow, North East) saw him come through from sixth to third in the final 70 metres as he pipped Ahmed and Millar to the line. Not only did it earn him a place on the Challenge final podium, but it earned him the overall Series win.

Northern Ireland took the Inter Counties team win ahead of Surrey and Yorkshire.

In one of the most dominant displays on the cross country circuit across the winter season, Jess Gibbon stormed to victory in the senior women’s race to be crowned the overall Cross Challenge and Inter Counties winner.

Wearing the white and blue of Oxfordshire, Gibbon – who won at the recent English Nationals – carried on her fine form over the terrain, putting her foot down in the early stages as a sign of intent.

Olympic triathlon champion Georgia Taylor-Brown (Greater Manchester) returned to her cross county roots in style, and she was the only athlete to go with the early hot pace of Gibbon on the first small lap. Further back, Sophie Tarver (Bill Foster, Merseyside) was the only other athlete to break away from the large group – someway behind the pair – as they entered the first of two large laps.

It was halfway through the first of these that Gibbon started opening up a margin on Taylor-Brown and it would be the decisive move of the contest as the lead kept extending. There was over a 30 second gap back to Taylor-Brown who would hold on for second with Tarver a further 30 seconds back in a strung out top three.

The Inter Counties team title went to Surrey, with the white roses of Yorkshire ahead of the red roses of Lancashire.

Aron Gebremariam (Warwickshire) retained his U20 men’s title from last year with a superb victory, pulling away from William Rabjohns (Mark Pauley, Dorset) on the final downhill sprint to round-off a brilliant performance.

Gebremariam was a key protagonist throughout the race, pushing on the pace for long periods alongside Matthew Pickering (Mick Woods, Surrey) and Rabjohns who had broken away early on. However, as the race reached its crunch point, the Warwickshire athlete put the pressure on the trio, inviting a fast-finishing Sebastian Beedell (Cambridgeshire) into the mix.

Similar to 2024, Gebremariam was a narrow victor as he took it by five seconds from Rabjohns – who was crowned the 2024/25 Cross Challenge winner in the process – after a strong finish down the hill from Wollaton Hall. Beedall came through for third position, going past Pickering with confidence in the final sprint for the line.

Essex took the Inter Counties team win ahead of Suffolk and Warwickshire.

There was a superb display by Freya Bradley (Neil Miller, Avon and Somerset) who ran one of the best cross country races of her career to date to win the U20 women’s race.

She motored away from her opponents as they entered the final hill stage, and that attack proved important as she maintained her composure to cross the line first. Overall Challenge series winner Zoe Gilbody (Sarah Benson, Shropshire) was second, clear ahead of Charlotte Dillon (North East) in third.

There was a battle royale in the U17 women’s race which saw last week’s English Schools champion Katie Pye (Mick Woods, Surrey) come out on top as she pipped the Glasgow winner, Isla Mcgowan (Ros Kelling, Oxfordshire). Pye continued her form which saw her take the win in Leeds last Saturday.

It was a close contest with many athletes in contention across the demanding course, but Pye moved away from McGowan in an exciting finish. The latter would ultimately take the series title after some fine displays across the five fixtures.

Sabrina Coppola Johansen (Stuart Flack) made it two Surrey athletes on the podium as she came through for third ahead of Jessica Taylor (Scotland East), meaning Surrey took the team title ahead of Yorkshire and Scotland East.

Surrey’s Alex Lennon (Nick Hancock) took home the U17 men’s title ahead of Scotland West’s James Alexander (Alex Chalmers) in an entertaining conclusion. Luke Dunham (Andrew Hobdell, Hertfordshire) – who won the overall Challenge series – rounded off the podium places.

Lennon’s victory and some good packing from the team further down the field saw his Surrey crowned Inter Counties team champions, with Yorkshire and Great Manchester taking the silver and bronze medals.

In a dramatic finale to the U15 boys contest, Ewan Withnall (Graham Lamb, Derbyshire) overcame the challenge of Finn Maclennan (Cambridgeshire) to take the tape first.

The pair were locked in battle as they came around the final corner – with Caspian Holmes (James McDonald, Surrey) also within reach – before the long downhill straight, but it was Withnall who opened a fine margin as he wound up the pace. Maclennan tracked him but he could not live with the devasting kick from the Derbyshire athlete who earned a superb victory and the overall series crown in the process, winning four of the five fixtures.

Holmes spearheaded Surrey’s Inter Counties team win as they got the better of Yorkshire and Sussex.

Kitty Scott (Mick Woods) was another Surrey success story of the day as she won the U15 girls race.

Gabrielle Pinder (North East) was close behind and held off the challenge of Freya Brown (Scotland East) to take second place on the Cross Challenge and Inter Counties rostrum. Kara Gorman (Shireen Higgins, Buckinghamshire) – seventh on the day – was crowned the overall series champion after fine performances earlier in the series.

The top four scorers for Surrey all came in the top 16 so they secured the team victory ahead of Scotland East and Essex.

It was a clean sweep across the Cross Challenge series for Madison Kindler (Paul Forrest, Essex) who triumphed in the U13 girls race and also add the Final and Inter Counties titles to her growing collection. Much like her previous races, she featured at the front from the early stages, and she dug deep to shake off the opposition at Elizabeth Griffiths (Bill Boyd, Leicestershire & Rutland) and Elizabeth Hutchings (Avon & Somerset) to seal her first win from five races. Surrey took the Inter Counties title ahead of Merseyside and Berkshire.

Gloucestershire’s Jack Shingler won the mad dash for the finish line after a strong performance in the U13 boys race. Zakariya Rush (Warwickshire) and James-Dean Docherty (Mike Dunphy, Hertfordshire) were given the same time in the two-three positions.

11^th placed Albert Yates (Peter Crook, Lancashire) won the series overall. Additionally, Berkshire took the U13 boys team title from Kent, then Middlesex.

For the first time, there were men and women’s para races at the Cross Challenge series, kicking off the programme on a glorious day in Nottingham.

Sam Fernando (Steve Doig, Fife) was a convincing winner in the men’s race, 30 seconds ahead of Kellam James (Ross Tyrell, Wreake & Soar Valley) with Finlay Maclennan (Inverness) rounding off the podium.

The women’s para race title went to Ella Richards (Hayley Ratcliff, Torbay) who was an impressive winner on the day, with Rebecca O’Rourke and Maddy Markham (Lytham St Annes) coming home with the silver and bronze medals.

Results: https://results.sporthive.com/events/7304099165435330560