Parliament Hill Fields, London on Saturday 25/02/2006 8 Km (Senior Ladies)
Parliament Hill Fields, Hampstead Heath, London was used for the seventy-fourth running of the Senior Women's National Cross-Country Championships. The 8km course was two laps and the race was sponsored once again by Saucony.
2003 and 2005 champion Hayley Yelling (Windsor, Slough, Eton, & Hounslow AC) was not defending her individual title, contenders for the medals were expected to come from Hattie Dean (Hallamshire Harriers), bronze medallist the previous year, Midland winner Kate Ramsey (Charnwood AC), Tara Krzywicki (Charnwood AC) winner in 2000 and Midland runner-up, Juliet Potter (Charnwood AC) and Northern champion Jenny Clague (Liverpool Harriers).
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Lizzie Hall (Herts Phoenix AC) and Gemma Phillips - 584 (Kendal AC)
Half-way into the race Lizzie Hall (Herts Phoenix AC) and Gemma Phillips (Kendal AAC) were at the front with Jenny Clague 40 metres back and another 40 metres behind were Tara Krzywicki and Kate Ramsey. Hall pulled away from the field on the second circuit to win by around 150 metres from Phillips in 32:12.
Tara Krzywicki (Charnwood AC) and Jenny Clague (Liverpool Harriers)
Clague and Krzywicki fought a relentless battle the bronze medal with Krzywicki edging Clague.
20-year-old physio student Lizzie Hall told Athletics Weekly:. "I have no idea where that came from, I thought I might finish in the top 20, I was a bit worried about the wind - at times it blew me sideways - so I decided to stick in the pack. But, I felt so strong so I decided to go up the hill at the start of the second lap."
Charnwood AC won the team event for the first time in their history with an 80-point victory over Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Highgate Harriers picked up bronze medals. Counters for Charnwood were Tara Krzywicki (3rd), Juliet Potter (6th), Kate Ramsey (8th) and Catherine Simkin (51st). Krzywicki who picked up two medals told Athletics Weekly: "At last I'm back up there, I'm still struggling to do all the training but I'm injury-free. Funnily enough, I felt strongest on the hills. Having that fight with Jenny kept me focussed on Gemma. "It was a cracking race on a brilliant course - proper cross country."