It’s a busy few weeks in the cross country calendar as runners start to have their last hurrah in the winter mud for this season. Bicester AC took 33 athletes to Henley Showground for the final event of the 2024/25 season.
Bicester AC’s Leo Blyton started the last event with high hopes of taking the under 15 boy’s league prize having triumphed in the previous two events, which had brought him level with main rival Swindon’s Finlay Byrne. It proved to be yet another epic battle with the older Samuel Nixon Gagg, who had finished 24th in the previous week’s National Cross Country Championships also in the 25 strong field. However as they had done throughout the season, Byrne and Blyton blew Nixon Gagg away having their own private battle for first place. Blyton did not quite make it in the end finishing 2nd just 3 seconds behind Byrne clocking 18mins 48secs for the 4.5km course. However Blyton finished a strong 2nd in the final standings, a fantastic effort in his first year in the age group. Theo Cogan was Bicester’s other doing well to place 25th (25mins 35secs).
Bicester’s other award winners were the magnificent under 9 girl’s team with 5 runners for the final fixture. Ivy Balch managed to over turn form with teammate Dotty Conlon on this occasion equalling her best position of the season with a superb 5th clocking 7mins 01secs for the 1.2km circuit. Conlon ran well again, in what was only her second competitive cross country run, to finish 7th (7mins 05secs). Isla Cruikshank completed the team finishers in 16th clocking 7mins 46secs. Other Bicester runners to complete were Layla Hendon 20th (8mins 03secs) and Sienna Scott-Haynes (8mins 21secs), who was making her debut. The team finished 2nd in the final league standings.
Fresh from her superb run in the National Cross Country Championships, Megan Surman finished in the top ten of an Oxfordshire League race for 4th consecutive time placing 8th in the under 13 girl’s race with 11mins 47secs for the 3km course. There was an improved effort from Nancy Alcraft in the season finale as she placed 23rd in 13mins 30secs. And the team scorers were completed by Maya Korn who finished 27th (14mins 11secs).
There was another fantastic turnout from Bicester AC in the under 11 boy’s race run over 1.5km. There was a good battle to lead the team home with Barnaby Wilson getting the better of teammate Charlie Simpson on this occasion. In a closely fought contest Wilson placed 20th clocking 7mins 08secs. Simpson was close behind in 23rd with 7mins 11secs. The only other Bicester runner under 8 mins was Stanley Conlon, in only his 2nd competitive cross country outing, completing the team scorers in 37th (7mins 44secs). Other Bicester runners were Theodore Simms in 44th (8mins 04secs), Samuel Wilson 48th (8mins 10secs), Lucius Mohandes 49th (8mins 11secs), Brendan Kelly 59th (9mins 30secs) and Oliver Kelly (10mins 23secs).
Having completed a full team of scorers in the previous two fixtures, Bicester’s senior men were down on numbers on this occasion. Joshua Moran showing no ill effects of his previous week’s national cross country effort leading the team home in a strong 48th clocking 31mins 09secs for the 8km course. Another runner from last week’s nationals was Finlay Kerr. He positively scorched round on this occasion for an impressive 75th in what was his best performance of the season clocking 33mins 11secs. Paul Jones also competed in last week’s nationals and placed 203rd with 42mins 04secs. And Joshua Bradley has done well to complete all five races finishing 241st on this occasion (49mins 03secs).
Bicester AC’s under 15’s have competed well as a team and once again had a full set of finishers. After a solid effort in the nationals last week, Ella Myers-Finnegan was a good 16th clocking 22mins 33secs for the 4.5km course. Emelie Stocker, another runner form last week’s national, enjoyed her highest placing of the season in 22nd (30mins 50secs). The team scorers were completed by Grace Fulcher, who did well to complete in 28th (38mins 01secs).
Bicester’s teams scorers in the under 13 boy’s race had all competed in the previous week’s nationals. Sam Cruikshank performed well then and has enjoyed a good first season for the club over the country. Cruikshank finished 20th here clocking 11mins 30secs for the 3km course. Cameron Waters put in a decent effort for 26th (11mins 56secs) and the scorers were completed by Ivan Stocker in 28th place (14mins 15secs). Bicester’s other runner was Emeras Mohandes who was 30th (17mins 58secs).
George Hart had his best placing of the season in the under 17 men’s race finishing 9th with 25mins 33secs for the 6km circuit. Leanne Stocker continues to find her form after a break and improved markedly on her previous Oxfordshire League effort this season to finish in the top 100 in 82nd place timed at 44mins 00secs for the 8km course. There were just two Bicester runner in the under 11 girl’s race run over 1.5km. Lorelei Whelan was 42nd in 9mins 02secs with Evie Button not far behind in 44th (9mins 07secs). Both did sufficient races to feature in the final series standings. And in the under 9 boys event Alex Kelly was 28th with a time of 7mins 33secs for the 1.2km circuit. He too will feature in the final standings.