The fortieth running of the Junior Men's English National Cross-Country Championships took place at Stopsley Common, Luton. The race was sponsored by Provincial Insurance Company. The course was 1 small lap, one medium and one large lap making a total of six miles.
As the runners headed out for the second medium lap, the leading group was made up of Simon Mugglestone (Westbury Harriers), Nick O'Brien (Stretford AC), Ian Cornford (Exeter Harriers), David Ireland (Oldham & Royton Harriers), Southern champion Phil Hennessy (Windsor, Slough & Eton AC), Gary Arthey (Blackheath Harriers), Richard Findlow (Airedale & Spen Valley), Martin Amor (Copeland AC), Steve Halliday (Halifax Harriers), Paul Daly (Bracknell AC) and Mark Keld (North Derbyshire RC).
Going into the large lap the group was still largely together but on the muddy hill at the start of the lap Findlow opened up a ten metre gap. Hennessy was second with O'Brien 15 metres further adrift. Halliday, Julian Gentry (Newham & Essex Beagles AC), Arthey, Spencer Newport (Tonbridge AC), Amor and Keld were still in the hunt for medals. After the ploughed section Findlow had extended his lead to 100 metres and was never headed winning by 33 seconds in 30:05. Hennessy, Mugglestone and O'Brien came into the lengthy finishing straight at the same time. Mugglestone won the silver medal with O'Brien taking bronze.
Findlow told Bryan Smyth at Athletics Weekly: "Early on I just sat in, but on the last lap I was thinking of stretching out. I was just weighing up what was going on. I'm generally good on hills, so I thought with those two hills and the 'plough', that would be my strongest point."
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