The ECCA have continued giving experience of international competition to our top athletes, by taking U20 and senior teams to Belgium. Running in the Belgium Cross Cup event in Diest, England’s athletes had a good day with 3 wins and a 2nd from the 4 races they had teams in.
The most successful of the ECCA backed England teams were the Senior Women; they set the pace from the off and drew away from the field. In the end Eleanor Bolton won in 24.30, 11 secs ahead of Kate Holt and Kate Avery 3rd, While the 4th place went to Jesse Gibbons.with 24.44.
There were further wins in the Under 20 races with Ellen Weir winning the Women’s event recording 17.41, 20 secs ahead of Pippa Roessler. While Samuel Mills won the Men’s U20 race with 23.02, 3rd was Johnny James Livingstone in 23.08 and Rowan Miell Ingram came 4th, 3 secs further back.
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The Senior Men’s race went to Belgium’s Michael Sommers 5th in the recent European Championship in Dublin. He was ahead of England’s Mahamed Mahamed and Soufiane Bouchikhi. It was Mahamed who did most of the early work in Diest and soon only Somers and Bouchikhi could follow him. In the final kilometre Somers stepped up a gear to get the win. Also running for England Alex Tueten finished 10th, Jack Gray 12th and Ben Alcock 19th.
Grateful thanks go to our four team managers this season, who have negotiated the differing Covid regulations in Spain, Belgium and N Ireland.
Under 20 Women on the podium. Ellen Weir in the middle and Pippa Roessler left.
Mahamed Mahamed finishes 2nd in the Senior Men’s race. Eleanor Bolton wins the Senior Women’s Race.
England vests to the fore in the U20 Men’s race.
Samuel Mills, U20 winner and Johnny James Livingstone 3rd on the Podium
