Royal Agricultural Showground on Saturday 06/03/1971 4 Miles (Youths)

The Royal Norfolk Agricultural Showground at Norwich hosted the twenty-sixth Youth's English Cross-Country Championships.

Julian Goater (Shaftesbury Harriers), John Davies (Thames Valley Harriers), Jim Brown (Monkland Harriers), Dave Moorcroft (Coventry Godiva Harriers), Nigel Gates (Westbury Harriers), Barry Smith (Thurrock Harriers) and Martin Dell (Leeds City AC) were in the leading group soon after the start. At the halfway point David Black (Small Heath Harriers), Goater and Brown had broken away from the pack. In the last mile Brown began to fade and Goater and Black battled for the title. 400 yards from the line Goater led but Black caught him and opened up a small lead and went on to win by 15 yards. Brown held on for third with Davies fourth.

Winner David Black told Dave Cocksedge at Athletics Weekly: "I had a cold on Monday, and I've cut down my mileage. At that point I was hanging on to Julian for all I was worth. Even then I didn't think I could outkick him, I knew it would be wrong to try to run this one from the front, as Julian looked so strong."

Liverpool Pembroke Harriers won the team event with 112 points, this score 15 ahead of runners-up Westbury Harriers with Small Heath Harriers third. Pembroke were led home by Kevin Carroll (16th) and other counters were Steve Deegan (23rd), Jim Carroll (25th) and Barry Lyonette (48th).