Epsom on Saturday 21/02/1931 (Senior Ladies)

The fifth Women's English National Cross Country took place at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey. The course was 3 miles long and was predominantly on the racecourse. The start and finish were at the Derby winning post, the final run-in being from Tattenham Corner. A crowd estimated at about 5,000 watched the race in glorious weather and of the 150 women who started only 9 failed to finish.

Prior to the race the individual favourites were Miss G. A. Lunn (Birchfield Harriers), the Women's A.A.A. half mile champion and record holder, Miss L. D. Styles (Littlehampton), champion for the past three years, and Miss Ruth Christmas (London Olympiades).

In the team event last year's champions Westbury Harriers were hoping to retain their title and were expected to be challenged by a strong London Olympiades team.

The start of the race was delayed by 35 minutes in order to allow the ladies from Sheffield United Harriers time to arrive. Their excursion train was a few minutes late in reaching London, they proceeded by tube, and when they reached London Bridge station, they found that they had missed the Epsom train. The girls were given exclusive use of a waiting-room, and while awaiting the next train they changed into their running kit. They then travelled to Epsom Downs station and ran a mile to the starting point of the race. Lord Decies sent the competitors on their journey, after wishing them all the very best of luck.

Styles, Lunn and Christmas were soon out by themselves. The three kept together throughout the next mile and a half of hilly country and heavy plough. Lunn tried hard to shake off her rivals, and although in the second mile, in ascending the hill towards the Derby starting-gate, Christmas fell slightly in arrears, Styles showing great pluck and hung on grimly. As they rounded Tattenham Corner, Lunn was in the lead and her greater strength on the run in told and she won by about twenty yards in 21:04. Styles's time was 21:11 and Miss Christmas, who retained third - 21:52 nearly a minute in front of her club mate Miss E. Stringer. Miss Lunn described the race as "The most exciting of her career."

The London Olympiades, who had four girls in the first nineteen, won the team championship with 39 points. Miss Ruth Christmas, who finished third, led her club home and they realised a long-cherished ambition to win the team title. Westbury Harriers, the holders were second with 78, Polytechnic Ladies AC were third with 107, and Middlesex Ladies AC, twice winners and once joint holders of the trophy, fourth with 117.