Richmond Park on Saturday 09/03/1963 (Senior Ladies)
Richmond Park, Surrey was the scene of the thirty-first Women's National Cross-Country Championship. The course was 3½ miles long and consisted of two laps.
The winners of the individual title for the previous five years were not taking part - Joyce Smith nee Byatt (1959 and 1960) and Roma Ashby (1958, 1961 and 1962) so the race was considered to be wide open.
On the day the conditions were testing with driving rain and plenty of mud.
D Greig (Tannahill Harriers) leading A Smith (Mitcham AC)
At the end of the first lap Madeleine Ibbotson (Longwood Harriers) had a 40 yard lead from a group containing Phyllis Perkins (Ilford AC), Joy Catling (Highgate Harriers), Pam Davies (Selsonia Ladies AC), Susan Jarville (London Olympiades AC), Brenda Cook (Bilston Town AC) and Anne Smith (Mitcham AC). Throughout the second lap 26-year-old Ibbotson moved further ahead crossing the line in 19:20, 25 seconds ahead of Perkins with Pam Davies in third.
Mitcham AC won the team race with four counters in the first nineteen, this gave them a nine point victory over Highgate Harriers with London Olympiades AC in third. Mitcham's counters were Anne Smith (9th), Pat Brown (10th), Carole Mitchell (15th) and Alison Leggitt (19th).