News

Well done to all 22 athletes who made the trip to Oxford to participate in the second round of the Chiltern Cross Country League at the weekend. Conditions on the day were mild but the recent storms meant there was mud and puddles but not as much as we have come to expect from the course at Horspath. Many were disappointed at the absence of water in the ditch crossing but there was still enough sticky mud to challenge the runners.

In the younger age groups there were full teams in 4 different races leaving many of the junior teams in medal positions after two fixtures.

In the U13M event Conner and Kieran Kealey finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. Their sister Katie put in an outstanding performance to finish in 4th place in the U11F race.

Everyone showed plenty of grit and determination and it was great to see one of our sprinters giving cross country a go. There were also top ten finishes from Luke Bulois 9th U13M, Esme Searle 5th and Hannah Cook 8th U17F and Imogen Dempsey 5th U15F.

Team standing after two fixtures:

SM 10th

U20M 3rd

U17M 5th

U15B 4th

U13B 2nd

U11B 12th (mob match)

SW 12th

U17/20W 4th

U15G 3rd

U13G 7th

U11G 6th (mob match)

Thanks again to our cross country manager Adam Searle for organising everything both in advance and on the day

The next match is 6th December at Campbell Park, Milton Keynes. Save the date and let's get even more athletes out and racing.

Last night saw nearly 200 club members, families and supporters gather at Stevenage FC's Lamex Stadium for our first awards evening since before Covid. The evening saw awards presented to those who won last month's club championships, new holders of club records and winners of level 9 England Athletics PB awards (the highest level you can achieve). There were also awards for best performers in cross country, road running, track and field as well as certificates of recognition for those who have contributed most in each of the training groups.

As well as the awards there was a quiz, dancing and a very popular photobooth!

The full list of winners is in the results section of the website.

A massive thank you to Jane, Libby, Aimee and Sandra for all the planning and making sure the evening was a huge success.

This weekend saw the much awaited return of the Chiltern Cross Country League. Around 40 SNHAC athletes made the short trip to St Albans for the season opener, and it was great to see so many making their cross country debut for the club.

Verulamium Park is a new venue for the league this season and has a reputation for challenging cross country courses that feel more uphill than down. There were many great performances as

conditions were perfect with mild weather and so dry underfoot that some athletes even opted to race in road shoes.

Individually, Murray Heal had a great run to win the U17M Division 2 race and Kieran Kealey ran to a strong second-place finish in the U13B event.

There was plenty of effort and team spirit on show and numerous top ten finishes making for a superb start to the season leaving the Juniors sitting in 3rd place overall.

Team results for men

SM 8th

U20M 1st

U17M 3rd

U15B 2nd

U13B 2nd

U11B 10th

Team results for women

SW 11th

U17/20W 3rd

U15G 3rd

U13G 5th

U11G 7th

Well done to all our runners you should be proud of your performances and remember even if you don’t score for the team you are still helping by taking places from other teams as every place counts!

It was also our turn to supply two course marshals for the day, so many thanks to those who stepped up to volunteer we are incredibly grateful for your help. These events just couldn’t happen without your support. Also many thanks to our cross country captain Adam Searle for organising everything so brilliantly.

The next match is 15 November at Shotover Park, Oxford. Lets keep the momentum going!

(photos credit Lindsay Cook)

Making SNHAC's debut in the SEAA road relays the U13 boys all ran really well and finished 32nd. A really good performance for 3 1st year under 13s.

Luke ran a strong 1st leg coming home in 43rd place in 11:33, handing over to Kieran on the second leg, with Kieran bringing the team up to 33rd in 11:11, before Connor ran the final leg also in 11:33, gaining one place to finish 32nd.

Overheard at the Oxford X-country fixture yesterday “It’s not really better than last year”. Agreed,…. it was probably worse. It was cold and dank, with intermittent rain. And boy was the ground wet and muddy. This year, the organisers recommended 12mm spikes minimum for all runners “as in January, some runners in trainers were failing to get out of the ditch!”.

With more fallers than the Grand National (despite spikes) our hats must come off to everyone who got round. It was brutal, but so good to see so many smiling (muddy) faces at the end of the races!

Impressive grit, strength and determination was seen with some great runs. Medals were won for many – both by individuals and teams. It is worth saying that it was our good turnout yesterday that pushed some into those medal positions, so it was a real team effort, and has been all year. In so many ways, a perfect ending to another Cross-Country season for the Club.

Well done everyone!!!