British Universities Cross Country Championships

Three Morpeth Harriers were prominent amongst the action in the annual
British Universities Cross Country Championships,
held at Graves Park in Sheffield on Saturday 4th February.
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In a top class Men’s Long Race, run over a four-lap course,
stretching a full distance of 10.36k,  James Young finished in
106th place out of 333 athletes, and was four minutes adrift
of event winner Alex Teuten of Southampton.
Young was first home for the University of Lancaster.

James Young

Lorna MacDonald

Phil Winkler

Fresh from her excellent midweek run in the British Army Cross Country Championships,
Lorna MacDonald finished 149th in the three lap Women’s event, run over a full distance of 7.38k,
which was much longer and tougher than her previous challenge.
Finishing just under six minutes adrift of race winner Rebecca Murray of Brunel University,
she was first home for Birmingham City University.
Murray competes for Bedford and County on a club basis.

MacDonald added, that she found this event as one of the toughest that she had run,
and viewed her opposition as being of  high class, some of the best that she has ever faced.
There were 621 finishers in the Women’s event.

Running in the colours of Leeds Beckett University, Phil Winkler finished 152nd in the Men’s Short Race,
run over three laps, and covering a full distance of 8.18k, which again was full of top class athletes.
He was sixth home for his squad, and was just over four minutes adrift of race winner
Emile Cairess of St Mary’s University in London, who also competes for Leeds City on a club basis,
and is the current Yorkshire Cross Country Champion.
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The Men’s Short Course event had a total of 573 finishers.