Newark on Saturday 09/03/1996 6 Km (Youths)

The English Cross-Country Championships returned to the showgrounds at Newark for the fourth time after visits in 1984, 1988 and 1992. This was the fifty-first running of the Youth's event.

A group of five broke away from the remainder of the field, Mark Brown (Morpeth Harriers), Paul Morby (Solihull & Small Heath AC), Jonathan Stewart (Halifax Harriers & AC), Ryan Falkner (Oadby & Wigston) and Northern champion Peter Riley (Leigh Harriers). As the runners were heading for home Brown led with Morby and Stewart ahead of Falkner in the battle for second. With 100 metres to go Morby's fast finish enabled him to fly past Brown to win by five seconds with Stewart third.

Paul Morby told Athletics Weekly: "I could see he was tired [Brown], he'd put a lot of work in. I started steadier today. Going off fast is my problem, I always do it. Mark decided to break it up and he got away but I just tried to hang in with the pace and with 300m to go I knew I had to find a sprint finish ... and I did like never before! But all credit to him, he ran really well."

Team honours went to Oadby & Wigston Legionnaires AC as they beat Halifax Harriers by 38 points with Staffordshire Moorlands AC third.