The one hundred and thirty second English National Cross-Country Championships took place at Harewood House in Leeds. This was the first time the 'National' had been held at Harewood and the race took place on grounds landscaped by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown in the 1770s. The men's race was 12km and consisted of two 6km laps. Saucony continued their support of the event.
Defending champion Adam Hickey (Southend-On-Sea AC) was struggling with an ankle injury and had missed training and also aggravated the injury finishing second in the Southern championships at Parliament Hill. Runners expected to feature were last year's junior champion Mahamed Mahamed (Southampton AC), area champions Emile Cairess (Leeds City AC) - Northern, Henry Pearce (Tonbridge AC) - Southern and Jack Gray (Cambridge & Coleridge AC) - Midlands.
In the team event Pearce was hoping to lead Tonbridge AC to a hat-trick of titles although they were beaten to the Southern title by Aldershot, Farnham & District AC. Northern winner Sales Harriers and runner-up Leeds City AC were also expected to feature as were Midlands champions Notts. AC and runners-up Birchfield Harriers.
On the first of the large laps several runners took the lead without any establishing supremacy as John Millar (Ipswich Harriers & AC), Alex Tueten (Southampton AC), Mahamed, Cairess and Carl Avery (Morpeth Harriers) all attempted to break up the field. By the end of the first lap Mahamed and Cairess had a twenty metre lead on Avery and Miller. On the second lap Cairess, Mahamed, Avery, Millar and Hickey began to pull away. Up the long hill for the second time the lead group bacame a trio consisting of Mahamed, Cairess and Avery.
Two thirds of the way around the second lap Mahamed and Cairess battled shoulder to shoulder for the lead with Avery 40 metres adrift. In a thrilling finish in the final straight Mahamed and Cairess were still locked together with 30 metres to go Cairess tried to pass but Mahamed held off his challenge to win by 1 second. Avery came in third.
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