Oxford on Saturday 10/02/1951 (Junior Ladies)

The fifteenth Junior Women's National Cross-Country Championship took place in Oxford over a course of 21/4 miles. This was the first race under the auspices of the Women's Cross-Country and Road Walking Association and the race was marred by unthinking spectators. The runners were due to face a short final lap when they were misdirected to the finish line by onlookers. The team race was declared void and only the first three competitors were placed. The race started half an hour late, and there were four false starts. The first three girls to finish covered the right amount of ground and were awarded the individual medals. According to George Pallett from Athletics Weekly the disc recording system failed, and there was long argument between the judges as to the first three placings before they decided - even then Audrey Price, Midland junior champion, went home in tears, confident that she had been second. There was every possibility that she had - the first two (alleged) having failed to go through the funnel.