Spenborough athletes shine at National Cross Country Championships

Over 2,000 runners began the senior men’s race and as in all races this season it was Joe Sagar who put in the best performance among the Spenborough runners.

Lining up with the best distance runners in the country the Spen runners enjoyed some competitive running over the rolling parkland course.

Sagar ran his usual fast start and had a great run to finish in a creditable 138th place.

Sagar has had an exceptional winter on road and cross country races and was runner-up at the recent Dewsbury 10k and backed up that run with victory at the Liversedge Half Marathon the previous week.

Sagar came come in a time of one hour, 10 minutes, 49 seconds and was almost four minutes clear of his nearest rival Gareth Cooke (Penistone Footpath Runners), as he retained his Liversedge Half Marathon title and completed a hat-trick of race win.

He showed he is equally capable over the cross country discipline and was supported at the National Cross Country Championships by fellow Spen runners Simon Bolland (524th), Henry Carter (842nd), Ian Wilson (1019th), Dan Dalton (1653rd) and Lee Dolman (1826th) as the team placed 93rd of the 144 teams.

The race was won by Mahamed Mahamed, from Southampton, with Northern and Yorkshire champion Emile Cairess from Leeds second.

Natasha Greerer was the only Spen runner in the women’s race and she placed 374th.

Earlier in the day, young Spenborough runners Sophia Fougler placed 382th in the Under-13 Girls race and Matthew Dalton was 196th in the Under-13 Boys race.