Greater Manchester Cross Country Champs 2024
The Greater Manchester (GM) XC Champs took place on 14th December 2024 at Leigh Sports Village. This race forms the trials to gain selection to represent GM at the Inter County Cross Country Championships in March 2025. Top 4 would guarantee selection.
Conditions were relatively good, with some muddy patches in places but this didn’t stop ECH athletes from putting in excellent performances. Firstly in the under 13 boys race, Jacob Shearing had a terrific run to finish 7th place with Harry Alderson coming home in 28th place. In the under 13 girls race Erin McMahon ran well to finish 14th place overall. Matthew Bailey was next in the under 15 boys, running strong to finish in 15th place. We had three strong performances in the under 15 girls race with Demi Baxter 14th, Anna Rooke 25th and Imogen McBurnie 26th which was good enough for team Bronze.
There was a fantastic turnout in the under 17 men’s race with six ECH athletes running brilliantly with Brandon Kenyon-Betts 10th, Marshall Fleet 16th, Joe Taylor 19th, Nathan Dunn 20th, Alfie Manser 21st and Oliver Walker 23rd. The team claimed a fantastic Bronze. Harri-Ann Fleet went in the under 17 women’s race finishing in a very creditable 12th place. Callum Fricker raced hard to finish 8th in the junior men’s race with Maria Rooke having another strong run in 7th place in the junior women’s event.
In the Senior Women’s race all three ECH representatives ran well with Katie Kay 11th, Hayley Simpson 12th and Megan Lewis 18th. This was good enough for a Bronze in the team event (pictured below).
In the Senior Men’s race Gavin Browne was first home in a brilliant 7th, with his brother Liam not far behind finishing 11th. Jacob Taylor 20th and James Hartshorne 25th had great races to bring the team silver medal home for ECH (pictured below). Mike Kennedy 38th, Dennis Thomas 39th and Jonathan Aust 45th all ran well completing the 10k distance.
