Sutton Park on Saturday 02/03/1968 3 Miles (Youths)

Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham hosted the twenty-third Youth's English Cross-Country Championships on a fairly flat moorland course of 3 miles made up of one 3 mile lap, the lap contained two fords to pass the stream that fed Longmoor Pool.

Dave Bedford (Shaftesbury Harriers) led after the first mile and increased his lead to 80 yards by the two mile point eventually winning by 100 yards from David Wright (Jarrow AC) who had had a fine battle with John Harrison (Preston Harriers). Harrison took third spot.

Bedford told Athletics Weekly "The people on the right had a slight advantage, but I was in the first fifty from the outset and was with the leaders after about half a mile. I went ahead just after the first ford, about a mile from the start, and then really opened out. I felt strong in front and was pretty confident all the way - except for a moment when I slipped in some mud just after the second ford (at about two miles) and momentarily lost my balance. I always thought I would win, but David Wright might have got me if he had been there with a couple of hundred yards to go, so I had to make sure he wasn't."

Wakefield Harriers won the team title from Cambridge Harriers by 99 points with Shaftesbury Harriers third.