Earlier this month an England cross-country squad led by Eamonn Martin was thwarted in their attempt to race in Elgoibar when their flight from Gatwick to Bilbao was cancelled. On Saturday (Jan 20) Martin organises the London International Cross Country and he will be praying for better luck when the athletes and spectators descend on Parliament Hill for one of the most eagerly awaited events of the season.
With short laps, tight bends and sharp climbs, Martin has devised a course that is devilishly challenging and spectator friendly. The idea is to mimic some of the atmosphere and excitement that unfolds every summer at the Night of the 10,000m PBs at the same Hampstead Heath venue. Weather permitting, there are also plans for a big screen, a marquee filled with fans for runners to race through and alcoholic drinks, plus a live stream for those who cannot make it.
In the spiritual home of cross-country running, Martin aims to puts on a show that brings the sport into the modern era. Pure spectacle aside, the event incorporates the Home Countries International and British Athletics Cross Challenge, together with the trial for the World University Games in Oman and World Cross Country Championships in Serbia. For the latter, the winners of the senior men’s and women’s races will earn automatic selection into the GB team.
“There’s something fantastic about running in the centre of London,” says Niamh Bridson Hubbard, one of the senior women’s contenders this weekend. “I lived right by Hampstead Heath for a year and it’s such a great place to run. It’s amazing being at the top of Parliament Hill as well as you forget you’re in the centre of the city. You come up all the mud and hills and get to the top and you have this great view of the city. It’s pretty cool.”
One of Bridson Hubbard’s rivals in the women’s race is Sarah Astin. The 30-year-old won the English National title at Bolesworth Castle near Chester in 2023 and says: “I do love Parliament Hill and it’s easy for me to get there, which it makes it even better. When I won the National last year it was great but if it had been at Parliament Hill it would’ve been a very different experience. I would have had more friends and family there watching in London whereas winning at Chester it meant I just had to do a long-ish journey home after the race.”
Astin adds: “The short lapped nature of the course sounds really exciting. I love these kind of cross-country races, which you usually find in places like Belgium and Spain but not so much in Britain.
READ MORE: Bridson Hubbard chases World Cross slot
“Eamonn’s probably been to lots of races around Europe and the rest of the world so I think he’s trying to bring this kind of spectator-friendly course concept to Parliament Hill. It’s not a full-on trial race with, say, the first four picked for the World Cross but it still is a trial race and there will be a lot of people in the men’s and women’s races who will be trying to win.”
After his victory in the men’s race at the Liverpool Cross Challenge followed by a fine fourth place at the European Championships in Brussels, Hugo Milner is among the leading men’s contenders on Saturday. Primarily a triathlete, though, he is not sure whether the World Cross will figure in his plans this spring.
He says: “Initially I was meant to go to Australia on a triathlon training camp at the start of January but I’m now going on January 31. Then I’ll be there for five weeks. So I thought I may as well do one last cross-country race before I go. I enjoy cross country and it’s good to see where I am against the best in the country. I’m probably not going to taper for it but I won’t lose anything from it (training-wise).
READ MORE: Hugo Milner’s 2024 plans
“Eamonn sent me a course map and it looks like it’ll be very hilly, starting where the National Cross used to start and then doing a few laps around near where the track is. I’m not sure how muddy it’ll be as the senior men’s race isn’t the last race so it probably won’t be too churned up when I run. But the best runner will still probably win and with some tough conditions it should be good fun.”
The senior men’s event looks like being potentially the race of the day, with Milner taking on Mahamed Mahamed, steeplechase specialist Will Battershill and ultra-runner Tom Evans. Look out for Jamie Crowe, too, who won at last Saturday’s Cross Challenge in Renfrew, Scotland.
When it comes to the age-group races, Innes FitzGerald and James Dargan are the stand-out names in the under-20 categories. This will be FitzGerald’s first cross-country race since winning the European under-20 title in Brussels and whereas there is no trial element for juniors at Parliament Hill, the 17-year-old is thought to be interested in running in the World Cross in March.
During his career Martin won the London Marathon and broke the British 10,000m record. He also won the English National title twice himself and clearly has a passion for cross-country. “It’s shaping up really well,” he says ahead of this weekend. “I have got prizes in the top three for the seniors of £2000, £1000 and £500. It’s a separate prize from the Cross Challenge because we have plans in year two – if it all goes successfully – to make it more international. I wanted to establish a good prize pot and to push it out there.
“Just imagine being a British runner who comes along, wins it, gets some prize money and gets selected for the World Cross. It doesn’t feel like a bad day’s work, does it?”
Originally, the event was supported by On, but last month Martin discovered they would be unable to get fully involved in the event due to a sponsorship clash. Due to the meeting being part of the Cross Challenge series, it means British Athletics, who are sponsored by Nike, could not use branding from a rival shoe brand at the event. What’s more, the event was originally scheduled to be a full trial for the World Cross in Croatia in mid-February. Until, that is, World Athletics moved the championships to Serbia in late March.
Despite these hurdles, Martin has galvanised the cross-country fraternity and is looking forward to welcoming everyone to an exciting event on Saturday. Indeed, the event could fill the void left by the Great North/Edinburgh International, which was traditionally televised by BBC over the festive period or in January but has not taken place post-pandemic.
READ MORE: Sarah Astin relishes Parliament Hill opportunity
Current athletes aside, there will also be some legendary runners from yesteryear among the spectators such as Dave Bedford and Julian Goater. In 1970, Bedford famously won the Southern senior men’s title at Parliament Hill before audaciously tackling the junior men’s event 20 minutes later, which he also won in style. Goater, meanwhile, demolished a world-class field at the 1981 English National at the same famous venue by almost two minutes.
Parliament Hill has seen plenty of historic performances over the years and an exciting new chapter could be written this weekend.
London International Cross Country teams
Senior menEngland – Alfie Manthorpe, Jack Gray, James KingstonScotland – Angus McMillan, Jamie Crowe, Scott Stirling, Harry HenricksenWales – Tom Wood, Mike Ward, Ben MilesNorthern Ireland – Chris Fielding, Coneal McCambridge, Craig McMeechan, Andrew MilliganEastern Counties – Edward Blythman, Callum Charleston, James Connor, John MillarMidland Counties – Thomas Bentley, Charlie Davies, Jack Millar, Kurt TaylorNorthern Athletics – Hugo Milner, Matt Ramsden, Tom Humphries, Tommy PowerSouth of England – Jeremy Dempsey, Sam Hodgson, Mahamed Mahamed, Tomer Tarragano
U20 menEngland – William Rabjohns, James Dargan, Quinn Miell-Ingram, Jake StevensScotland – Connor Bell, Logan Beagley, Angus Wright, Hamish McKayWales – Henry Evans, Rhys Llewellyn, Tudur Harper LloydEastern Counties – Tom Bongaerts, Harry Hewitt, Oscar Graham-Pereira, Ben PeckMidland Counties – Michael Banks, Harry Bond, Ash Burgess, Andy JeavonsNorthern Athletics – Edward Hobbs, Liam McCay, Alex Poulston, Will SutcliffeSouth of England – Noah Campion, Harry Johnston, Ethan Primett, Mark Ruby
Senior womenEngland – Niamh Bridson Hubbard, Phoebe Barker, Amelia Quirk, Ellie WallaceScotland – Kirsty Walker, Lynn McKenna, Holly Page, Scout AdkinWales – Alaw Evans, Lauren Cooper, Martha OwenNorthern Ireland – Orla Duffy, Hannah Gilliland, Robyn McKee, Edel MonaghanEastern Counties – Holly Fisher, Lizzie James, Rebecca Murray, Lauren NicholsMidland Counties – Julie Emmerson, Amy Fuller, Megan Marchant, Penny OliverNorthern Athletics – Ellie Curran, Lauren McNeil, Emilia Platt, Rosie WoodhamsSouth of England – Niamh Brown, Holly Dixon, Charlotte Dannatt, Katie Hughes
U20 womenEngland – Eliza Nicholson, Innes FitzGerald, Jess Bailey, Isobelle JonesScotland – Mille McClelland Brooks, Natasha Phillips, Jessica Inglis, Amy TeasdaleWales – Ben Rawlinson, Caitlin Jones, Maddison GriffithsEastern Counties – Madeline Barker, Lucy Jones, Isabel Mansley, Amie ReadMidland Counties – Aria Abberley-Barker, Jade Charlton, Bethan Homer, Maisi TruemanNorthern Athletics – India Barwell, Isabel Holt, Amelia Lane, Beth RogersSouth of England – Jenny Leggate, Maddie Hughes, Lauren Russell
Teams aside, there are a number of individual athletes competing as part of the Cross Challenge series. They include Sarah Astin, Alice Goodall, Phoebe Law, Beth Kidger, Will Battershill and Tom Evans. In the BUCS 4km trial races, meanwhile, look out for runners like Khai Mhlanga and Sam Mills.
Timetable10.45 U13 girls 3km11.00 U13 boys 3km11.15 Open women’s & BUCS 4km trial11.35 U15 boys 4km11.55 U15 girls 4km12.15 Senior women 10km13.00 Senior men 10km13.40 U20/U17 women 6km14.05 U17 men 6km14.30 U20 men 8km15.00 Open men’s & BUCS 4km trial
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