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Manchester will stage the ESAA Cross for the first time in its half-century history
THE 42nd girls and 50th boys English Schools Cross Country Championships will take place in Heaton Park in Manchester on Saturday. It is the first time the event, which is sponsored by Aviva and supported by England Athletics, has been held in Manchester.
Many past winners of the English Schools Cross Country have gone on to succeed in the senior ranks as previous winners include Paula Radcliffe (1992, seniors), Peter Elliott (1977, juniors and 1979, inter), Mo Farah (1997, juniors and 1999, inter), while current world triathlon No.1 Alistair Brownlee won the senior boys’ title in 2006.
Junior girls
LAST year’s sixth and seventh placers Loren Bleaken from Wiltshire and Abbie Hetheringtom from Cumbria will be among the favourites.
Another of the pre-race contenders is Hannah Nuttall, the daughter of 1985 English Schools 3000m champion John Nuttall and former world 3000m fifth placer Alison Wyeth, who won the Midland title earlier this year.
Also watch out for Sophie Riches from Essex, who was third in the National under-15 race, as well as Georgia Tuckfield from Essex, who was second in last weekend’s Inter-Counties, and Rebecca Firth of Yorkshire, who was fourth in the Inter-Counties.
Inter girls
EMELIA GORECKA and Annabel Gummow, who have both been selected for the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, are likely to miss this race which means Georgia Peel, the English Schools 1500m champion from Hampshire, will start among the favourites.
Jessica Judd, who won the under-15 race at the Inter Counties last week, is another contender.
Senior girls
OF the 2009 medallists, only last year’s winner Loulou Rowlands from Surrey has entered. But both Rebecca Craige from Cheshire, who was fifth in 2009, and Eleanor Wimshurst of Avon, seventh last year, are entered.
However, Ruth Haynes of Surrey, who was second in the under-17 age group at the National, and Kate Holt from Staffs, fourth in the National and first in the Inter Counties in the same age group, have moved into the senior school bracket and may challenge for a leading place in this race.
Junior boys
ONE of last year’s top four remain in this age group, so there will be new faces on the podium. However Tom Newnham from Hampshire, who was third in the National under-13 race, together with George Duggan from Kent, who won the National, should be well to the front of the field.
Adam Howard from Greater Manchester was third in the under-15 National and fifth in the Inter Counties race at Birmingham and here will be running on home turf.
Inter boys
NONE of last year’s top four are running, with most having moved into the seniors. Possible favourites for this race include James McMurray from Hertfordshire, who has won the National and Inter Counties titles this year, Mathew McLaughlin of Middlesex, who was third in the National Cross, Michael McKeown of West Midlands, third in the Inter-Counties under-15 age group, and Fergus Roberts from North Yorkshire who was sixth in the Inter-Counties
Senior boys
LAST year’s runner-up Paul Thompson from West Midlands is entered but coming up from the lower age group are Ian Bailey from Surrey, who was second in the under-17 Inter Counties race, as well as Ben Connor of Derbyshire and Jack Gray of the West Midlands, who were third and fourth respectively at the Inter Counties.
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