Aldershot Park on Saturday 22/02/1969 (Senior Women)
The Senior Women's National Cross-Country Championships were held at Aldershot Park, Aldershot, Hampshire. The race attracted 220 entries for the thirty-seventh running of the event. The two lap course was 3½ miles and was on the sandy common.
Pam Davies (Selsonia Ladies AC) was looking for a fifth consecutive individual title but had been beaten in the Southern cross-country championships held over the same course by Rita Lincoln (Essex Ladies AC), Rita told Athletics Weekly after her Southern win "I'm very pleased to have won, but now I must concentrate all my efforts on the one title which has always eluded me - the National. I really want to win it this year." Barnet & District AC led by Joyce Smith were favourites for the team event.
The snow that had fallen in the days prior to the race had melted causing some parts of the course to become water-logged. The going was heavy but the weather on the day was fine.
At the end of the first lap Pam Davies and Rita Lincoln were at the front with Bridget Cushen (Hercules-Wimbledon AC) next up followed by Rita's twin Iris Lincoln. On the second lap on the course's only real hill Rita Lincoln pulled away from Davies and went on to win by 50 yards in 22:05.
Winner Rita Lincoln (Essex Ladies AC)
Bridget Cushen held onto third position with Iris Lincoln fourth.
Bronze medalist Bridget Cushen (Hercules-Wimbledon AC)
Barnet & District AC won the team event with four counters in 35. This gave Barnet a 22-point victory over Bury & Radcliffe AC with Birchfield Harriers in third. Counters for Barnet were Joyce Smith (5th), Margaret Beacham (9th), Carol Gould (12th) and Dian Elliott (35th).