Maiden Castle in Durham hosted the National Cross-Country Championships and this was the fifty-sixth running of the youth's race. View From sponsored the event and the course consisted of a mixture of fast playing fields, challenging hills and had some great views.
Shaun Pickering (Bridlington Road Runners) set the early pace and the leading group consisted of Tom Penfold (White Horse Harriers), Steve Ablitt (Grantham & District AC), Phil Nicholls (Tipton Harriers), Pickering and Tom Bedford (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers). Ablitt took control of the race with only Bedford in pursuit. At the end of the first lap Ablitt's lead was 10 seconds, Bedford was second and further back Mark Draper (Borough of Hounslow AC) and Daniel Lewis (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) joined the chasing pack. Ablitt continued to build on his lead and ran out winner by 22 seconds from Lewis who just held off a challenge from Draper.
Ablitt told Bob Frank at Athletics Weekly: "The first lap seemed just like a training run, although the others seemed to be finding it easy as well. I put a bit of an effort in and got away and it was only at the top of the hill on the second lap that I started to feel it."
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