Lotto CrossCup – Roeselare – Sunday 27th October 2024 – Junior Men’s Report

The second round of the 2024/ 25 EnergyVision CrossCup series took place in the Belgian city of Roeselare which is situated in the Flemish province of West Flanders. This was the first of this season’s ECCA race program and was a great opportunity for some of our top cross country athletes to kick start their winter as they prepare for Liverpool.
It was an unseasonably warm and sunny day for a cross country race in late October, not that there were any complaints. As the athletes toed the line for a 3.35pm start, a strong autumn sun illuminated a mainly domestic field. A typical Belgium course with tight turns, short sharp climbs and the mandatory hurdle faced the small field! The 4600m meter course was made up of a medium lap and two large laps all neatly contained within the Schiervelde Stadium complex.

The race started with the normal frantic charge with the lead runners determined to secure a clear view of the hairpin bend at the top of the short starting straight, which they reached in seconds. The very fast start caught out the England runners as they found themselves well down the field as they mounted the double
hill feature for the first time.
A fast pace was being set at the front by the Belgium pair of Willem Renders, no 1168 and Sem Serrano, no 353 as they tackled the medium lap. The chasing group was led by Belgium athlete Daan Lievens, no 350, Jochem Wiersma, no 1180 of the Netherlands and a fast-improving England’s Quinn Miel-Ingram (Radley), no 1160. A little further back Englishman Mark Ruby (Poole AC), no 1171 was locked in battle with Sam van Keulen, no 1175 of the Netherlands. The other two members of the England team, Willam Rabjohns (Poole AC), no 1167 and Michael Clark (City of Norwich), no 1137, were a further 20m back each enjoying their own battles.

As the race entered the first of the large laps Quinn Miel-Ingram moved up into third place with the gaps now starting to show further down the field. Little changed at the front of the race as the main protagonists were locked in their personal battles with the course and their immediate rivals. The 2024 National cross country Under 17 champion, Michael Clark, and youngest in the race, as if that was not enough of a disadvantage, had his heal stepped on which resulted in him almost losing his shoe. Despite this he was closing on Mark Ruby who in turn was closing down Quinn Miel-Ingram. All three were within 10 meters of each other.

The leading three pushed on into the final lap with the podium places looking secure. Will Rabjohns had other ideas and moved quickly through the field to get to within two meters of third placed Quinn Miel- Ingram. The challenge was accepted and the World Cross athlete (Mel-Ingram) made his move over the final 500m breaking clear and guaranteeing his third place, and for the second Belgium race in succession a place on the podium. The battle for first and second was decided with 300m to go with Renders kicking clear of his longtime challenger Sem Serrano.

With the first three home and hosed the it was left to Will Rabjohns to make good use of his 3:41.79, 1500m speed to run home a clear 4 th . The athletes were now flooding in and you could have thrown a blanket over 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th place runners who all finished within a second of each other with Mark Ruby losing out and taking the 8th spot. Youngest in the field, Machael Clark finished a creditable 9 th with one shoe hanging off.

An excellent run by all.

Keith Holt
Junior Men’s Cross Country Manager