A wonderful, sunny, cold day at the classic Parliament Hill National X/C course greeted our Juniors, who subsequently discovered that there was mud, and plenty of it, hiding just over the brow of the hill atop the infamous but amazing first 500 metres. The Belgrave Juniors managed a decent turnout, although a couple of last minute arrivals caused one or two panics. The entire squad acquitted itself well, despite claims of injury, weariness, barging and shoving and confusion, all legitimate, except maybe the last one. What's to get confused about? Gear up, line up, go when the canon sounds, run like the clappers following the other athletes up and down then up again, whilst vowing 'never again', and then collapse over the finishing line to nurse aches, pains and bleeding skin.         

First away was Emmanuele Golshaie in the U15B, with Freya Nott going off 20 minutes later in the U13G. Despite missing a good deal of training to focus on gymnastics she enjoyed her first competitive race in many months.

With athletes arriving regularly at the Belgrave tent (third tent of the day to be erected, sitting proudly near the top of the hill, so we at least won a bronze for that) we had the grand total of five Juniors warming up for the U17M. Stacked together in the Belgrave pen at the bottom of the hill were Timin Kanani, Joseph O'Clery, Julius Bennett, Quinn Whitman and Zayd Addicott.

All five ran their socks off. Timin was first home, but the most dazed look of the day at the finish came from Quinn, looking as if he had been hit by a truck and declaring the course the toughest he had ever run and certainly unlike anything he had experienced back in America. The rest of us tried not to laugh, but of course we failed.  

Next off we had both Henry Shippey, practising his trademark scowl, and Blaine Robinson, peeling off most of his seven layers of clothes whilst adding tape to his shoes, preparing for the U13B at 12:30. Both acquitted themselves well, with Blaine probably over committing at the start, showing 3rd as he reached the top of the first hill and finishing 40th. Henry ran a much more balanced run to finish in the middle of the field.

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Our last, but certainly not least athlete was Maddy Whitman, our only representative in the U15G. Maddy ran her usual solid race to place well up the field in 105th place. Maddy was later to discover that she had been offered a place to represent Middlesex at the upcoming Inter Counties Cross Country Championships at Loughborough. Well done Maddy.

Our Junior U17 Men's team was to finish 30th, which is the first time their Coach is aware of a Belgrave Junior National X/C team placing. The Senior Men placed 39th team that afternoon, so well done Juniors.Full results can be found here:http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/news/saucony-english-national-xc-results-2018/