In the opening cross country fixture of the winter season there were some fine runs from the Reading Athletic Club lads at Wormwood Scrub.
Competing in the in the Southern Cross Country Relay Championships, both the under-17 men’s and under-15 boys’ teams came 12th in their races, while the under-13 boys’ team finished just outside the medal positions in fourth.
On a course that was soft from recent rain, without being especially challenging, Spencer Stevens gave the Reading under-13 boys’ team a good start in their 3x2km race, recording a time of 7.55 for 12th place on the opening stage.
Noah Tyers was able to gain four places on stage two in running 7.40, before Sam Weeks moved Reading forward by another four places on the final leg with an excellent time of 7.17, tenth fastest of the day, to leave the young team in fourth place at the finish.
In the under-15 boys’ race over the same course, James Titmas did his best to get among the leaders on stage one, but had to settle for 12th place at the handover in a good time of 6.43.
On the second leg Maddox Gillas then moved Reading through to sixth, with a typically determined run of 6.53, but George Godfrey, despite his best efforts, was forced to give ground as he ran 7.41 to leave the team in 12th place at the finish.
Meanwhile Ollie Shears ran a good 7.38 for an incomplete Reading B team, finishing 26th on stage one.
For the under-17 men in their 3x3km race, Chris Parker’s excellent run of 10.00 on the opening stage enabled him to hand over to Ollie Craggs in 11th place. Team captain Craggs, returning from injury, was unable to avoid dropping two places in running 10.38, but Nick Haldane’s 10.51 effort brought Reading up to 12th at the finish.
Reading’s B team in the same race produced a very good showing as Adam Tivey’s determined run of 10.45 gave Reading 22nd position after stage one, before Adam Methven’s fine 10.40 on stage two took the team to 17th and George Urwin-Mann’s strong 10.58 on the final stage gave Reading a finishing position of 14th.
