Mansfield Harriers Impress at the County Championships
Mansfield Harriers went into the first Championship of 2026, the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Combined County Cross Country Championships with big numbers and hopeful of a successful day.
The club came away with a phenomenal haul from the Notts event with the sixty three athletes collecting seventeen individual medals, fourteen team medals including nine gold and twenty eight athletes selected to represent the county at the Inter Counties in March. In the Derbyshire event a further eight athletes finished taking another two individual medals and two athletes selected to run for the county.
The first race of the day was the Under 11 girls who had been impressing throughout the winter and the club were confident a solid team performance would see the girls take a first title. They did not disappoint, Everly Chijioke had her best race to date taking the individual bronze, with Lucy Pate 4th, Isla Huntington 7th, Junia Freeman 8th and Emily Horsnall 11th the team came away as County Champions. The Under 11 boys were led home by Logan Payne in 4th followed by Leo Adams 10th, Alex Woods 14th and Ronnie Skevington 21st as the team took the bronze medal.
The Under 13 boys have struggled to get a team out all winter but went into the event with three quality athletes committed to the race. Denny Thurgood was in front from gun to tape to be crowned County Champion backed up by Harvey Evans 4th and Jack Whysall 7th, the team came away with the win and all three athletes qualified for County Vests. The Under 13 girls have put in a string of terrific team performances so far this winter and would have been favourites coming into the competition. The girls did not let themselves down with Scarlett Brumfitt taking individual silver, Esme Evans 5th and Catherine Rivis 7th taking the team victory. Strength in depth saw Evelyn Wheat 8th, Lauren Pate 10th and Daisy Brewster 11th take the bronze team medal with Scarlett, Esme, catherine and Evelyn all qualifying to run for the County.
Not to be outdone by the Under 15 girls also went into the race as favourites and a superb set of performances saw them take both gold and silver team medals. Charley Whysall had her best race of the winter to win a high quality race with Evie Clifton 4th and Isla Millns 5th taking the gold medals. Myannie Westwood was next home in 6th, Lucy Beardsmore 9th and Maisie Lowe 10th took the silver team medal with the first four Mansfield athletes back selected for the County. Teddy Macintyre had by far his best run of the winter in the Under 15 boys race placing 5th followed by Minhea Radu 10th and Will McClemens 15th the boys took a well deserved silver team medal with Teddy earning a County vest.
The Under 17 boys went into the race knowing they would have to run strongly to take a team win and every one of them delivered to earn Mansfield another win. After a long term injury Jack Pares showed a welcome return to form coming in 3rd, James Hickman 5th, another returning from injury Ollie McClemens 8th, Charlie Taylor 10th, Dan Adams 12th and Oliver Buglass 16th, with Jack, James and Ollie qualifying for the County. The Under 17 and 20 women raced together in the team event with Mansfield taking another team gold. Grace Manson 2nd in the Under 20, Amy Newbould 5th with Emily Pares 5th and Keira Morley 7th in the Under 17 with all four qualifying to run for Notts. In the Derbyshire U20 race Katrina Prior placed 5th and Katie Leese 6th with Katie qualifying to represent her county.
The senior ladies took a silver medal by the narrowest margin and the Masters took gold. For the ladies Carolyn Hay was 3rd overall and 1st F45, Hannah Wragg 5th and Sarah Maston 21st with Carolyn and Hannah qualifying for the County. In the masters Cristina Dinescu was 11th overall and 3rd W35, Kirsty Huntington 13th, Gillian Newbould 17th, Kath Malone 18th and Sharon Armitage 47th. Molly Peel was 2nd senior lady in the Derbyshire event qualifying for the Inter Counties with Lottie Riddle 8th, Nic Hubbard 22nd and Maddy Collinge 34th in the Masters race.
The men included the Under 20, Senior and Masters and a dominant team performance had Mansfield take Gold in the Nottinghamshire men and masters age groups. Alex Hampson won his first Nottinghamshire County cross country title leading the senior team with Jacob Nugent 2nd also 1st Under 20, Paul Wright 3rd also 1st M35, Eddie Holden 4th also 2nd Under 20, Ed Sankey 6th also 3rd Under 20, Liam Watson 7th also 2nd M35. For the Masters gold medal team Jan Bailey placed 14th and 2nd M45, Dan Nugent 15th and 3rd M45, Drew Hirst 21st and Dan Trainor 22nd. Recent recruit Kole Perkins showed great promise placing 14th, Chris Kilburn placed 23rd, Jamie Macintyre 45th, Ben McClemens 48th, Andy Walker 64th and Tom Newbould 67th. Qualifying to run for the County were Alex, Jacob, Paul, Eddie, Ed, Liam and Kole. In the Derbyshire race Chis Patterson had a terrific run to place 2nd V35 and Josh Mitchell in his first race after a superb Valencia Marathon placed 11th senior.