| English National Cross Country Championships | |
| Frequency: | annual |
| Country: | England |
| First: | 1876 |
| Organised: | English Cross Country Association |
The English National Cross Country Championships is an annual English cross country running event which takes place in late February following the regional championships (Southern, Midlands and Northern) which all take place on the same weekend usually in late January. The event is the oldest national cross country championship in the world, having been first run in 1876.[1] The English, Welsh and Scottish National Cross Country Championships are all usually held on the same day.
There are categories for senior men and women, junior men and women, U17, U15, U13 and club teams. The course is 12 km for men and 8 km for women and the fact that the distances for senior men and senior women is different has recently been a topic for discussion and review. Following a review of various surveys the English Cross Country Association voted to keep the race distances at 12 km for the senior men and 8 km for the senior women for the 2019 championship.[2]
The event is organised by the English Cross Country Association and currently sponsored by Saucony UK. As well as individual competition, senior athletes represent their athletics club for points scoring and team awards. Club teams consist of six senior men or four senior women.
The venue for the English National Cross Country Championships is not fixed and is usually hosted in turn by the regional associations. The men's and women's venues were held at different locations until 1995, when both were held at the same venue for the first time.
The first championship in 1876 was known as the 'National' and was declared void because all 32 runners went off course. The women's event was first held in 1927.[1] The senior event winners are shown in the table. Up to 1994, the women's event was run separately at a different location from the men's race.[3] [4] [5]
| width=50 | Year | width=200 | Location (m/w) | width=210 | Men's Senior team | width=300 | Senior Man | width=210 | Women's Senior team | width=300 | Senior Woman | width=20 | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1876 | Buckhurst Hill | declared void (32 ran) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1877 | Roehampton | Thames Hare & Hounds | Percy H Stenning (Thames H&H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1878 | Roehampton | Spartan Harriers | Percy H Stenning (Thames H&H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1879 | Roehampton | Thames Hare & Hounds | Percy H Stenning (Thames H&H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1880 | Roehampton | Percy H Stenning (Thames H&H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1881 | Roehampton | Moseley Harriers | George A Dunning (Clapton Beagles) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1882 | Roehampton | Moseley Harriers | Walter George (Moseley H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1883 | Roehampton | Moseley Harriers | George A Dunning (Clapton Beagles) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1884 | Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield | Moseley Harriers | Walter George (Moseley H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1885 | Manchester | Liverpool Harriers | William Snook (Birchfield H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1886 | Croydon | J E 'Flyer' Hickman (Godiva H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1887 | Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield | Birchfield Harriers | J E 'Flyer' Hickman (Godiva H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1888 | Manchester | Edward W Parry (Salford H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1889 | Kempton | Salford Harriers | Edward W Parry (Salford H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1890 | Sutton Coldfield | Salford Harriers | Edward W Parry (Salford H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1891 | Prenton, Birkenhead | James Kibblewhite (Spartan H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1892 | Ockham | Herbert A Heath (South London H) | not contested | [6] | |||||||||
| 1893 | Redditch | Herbert A Heath (South London H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1894 | Blackpool | Salford Harriers | George Crossland (Salford H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1895 | Wembley | Steve Cottrill (Thames Valley H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1896 | Water Orton | Salford Harriers | George Crossland (Manchester H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1897 | Trafford Park | Salford H & Manchester H | Sidney Robinson (Northampton & County AC) | not contested | [7] | ||||||||
| 1898 | Horton, Northants | Salford Harriers | Sidney Robinson (Northampton & County AC) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1899 | Wembley | Charles Bennett (Finchley H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1900 | Rotherham | Finchley Harriers | Charles Bennett (Finchley H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1901 | Leicester | Alfred Shrubb (South London H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1902 | Lingfield | Alfred Shrubb (South London H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1903 | Haydock | Alfred Shrubb (South London H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1904 | Wolverhampton | Alfred Shrubb (South London H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1905 | Lingfield | Albert Aldridge (Highgate H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1906 | Haydock | Sutton H & AC | Charlie J Straw (Sutton H & AC) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1907 | Colwall | Birchfield Harriers | George Pearce (Highgate H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1908 | Newbury | Hallamshire Harriers | Arthur Robertson (Birchfield H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1909 | Haydock | James Murphy (Hallamshire H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1910 | Derby | Hallamshire Harriers | Fred C Neaves (Surrey AC) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1911 | Taplow | Hallamshire Harriers | Fred N Hibbins (Thrapston H & AC) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1912 | Haydock | Hallamshire Harriers | Fred N Hibbins (Thrapston H & AC) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1913 | Wolverhampton | Ernest Glover (Hallamshire H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1914 | Chesham | Surrey AC | Charles Ruffell (Highgate H) | not contested | |||||||||
| 1915-1919 cancelled due to the World War I | |||||||||||||
| 1920 | Windsor Great Park | Charlie Gibbon [8] | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1921 | Doncaster | Wally Freeman (Birchfield H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1922 | Hereford | Birchfield Harriers | Harry Eckersley [9] | not contested | |||||||||
| 1923 | Beaconsfield | Joe Blewitt (Birchfield H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1924 | Doncaster | Cpl Bill M Cotterell (Royal Corps of Signals) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1925 | Hereford | Cpl Bill M Cotterell (Royal Corps of Signals) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1926 | Wolverton | Jack E Webster (Birchfield H) | not contested | ||||||||||
| 1927 | Crewe/Luton | Hallamshire Harriers | Ernie Harper (Hallamshire H) | Anne M A Williams (Littlehampton Ladies) | |||||||||
| 1928 | Leamington/Chigwell | Jack E Webster (Birchfield H) | Middlesex Ladies | Lilian D Styles (Littlehampton Ladies) | |||||||||
| 1929 | Beaconsfield/Perivale | Ernie Harper (Hallamshire H) | Lilian D Styles (Littlehampton Ladies) | ||||||||||
| 1930 | Sheffield/Wolverton | Wally B Howard (Kettering Town H) | Westbury Harriers | Lilian D Styles (Littlehampton Ladies) | |||||||||
| 1931 | Kettering/Epsom | Jack Potts (Saltwell H) | London Olympiades AC | Gladys Lunn (Birchfield H) | |||||||||
| 1932 | Wolverton/Coventry | Alec Burns (Elswick H) | Birchfield Harriers | Gladys Lunn (Birchfield H) | |||||||||
| 1933 | Alderley Edge/Warwick | Tom Evenson (Salford H) | Airedale Harriers | Lilian D Styles (Haywards Heath Ladies AC) | |||||||||
| 1934 | Dudley/Kettering | Sam Dodd (Wirral AC) | London Olympiades AC | Lilian D Styles (London Olympiades AC) | |||||||||
| 1935 | Beaconsfield/Longbridge | Frank Close (Reading AC) | London Olympiades AC | Nellie Halstead (Radcliffe H & AC) | |||||||||
| 1936 | Alderley Edge/Chidwell Row | Jack Potts (Saltwell H) | Small Heath Harriers | Nellie Halstead (Radcliffe H & AC) | |||||||||
| 1937 | Stratford-upon-Avon/Perry Barr | Herbert D Clark (York H) | Lilian D Styles (London Olympiades AC) | ||||||||||
| 1938 | Reading/Luton | Mitcham AC | Jack Holden (Tipton H) | Evelyne Forster (Civil Service AC) | |||||||||
| 1939 | Worsley/Rugby | Jack Holden (Tipton H) | Evelyne Forster (Civil Service AC) | ||||||||||
| 1940-1945 cancelled due to the World War II | |||||||||||||
| 1946 | Leamington Spa/Cheltenham | Jack Holden (Tipton H) | Pat Sandall (Birchfield H) | ||||||||||
| 1947 | Apsley/Oxford | Sutton H & AC | Archie A Robertson (Reading AC) | Birchfield Harriers | Ruby M Wright (St Gregorys Ladies AC) | ||||||||
| 1948 | Sheffield/Sutton Coldfield | Sydney Wooderson (Blackheath H) | Ivy Kibler (Birchfield H) | ||||||||||
| 1949 | Birmingham/Worsley | Sutton Harriers | Frank E Aaron (Leeds St Marks AC) | E Johnson (Airedale H) | |||||||||
| 1950 | Aylesbury/Parliament Hill | Sutton Harriers | Frank E Aaron (Leeds St Marks AC) | Avery Gibson (North Shields Poly Ladies AC) | |||||||||
| 1951 | Richmond/Tadcaster | Sutton H | Frank E Aaron (Leeds St Marks AC) | Ilford AC | Phyllis Green (Ilford AC) | ||||||||
| 1952 | Great Barr/Perry Barr | Victoria Park AAC | Walter Hesketh (Manchester A & CC) | Ilford AC | Phyllis Green (Ilford AC) | ||||||||
| 1953 | Reading/Birmingham | Gordon Pirie (South London H) | Diane Leather (Birchfield H) | ||||||||||
| 1954 | Birkenhead/Aylesbury | Bolton United H & AC | Gordon Pirie (South London H) | Diane Leather (Birchfield H) | |||||||||
| 1955 | Bedford/Leeds | South London Harriers | Gordon Pirie (South London H) | Ilford AC | Diane Leather (Birchfield H) | ||||||||
| 1956 | Warwick/Sutton Coldfield | Sheffield United H & AC | Ken Norris (Thames Valley H) | Ilford AC | Diane Leather (Birchfield H) | ||||||||
| 1957 | Parliament Hill/Enfield | South London Harriers | Frank Sando (Aylesford PMSC) | Ilford AC | June Bridgland (Southampton AC) | ||||||||
| 1958 | South London H | Alan F Perkins (Ilford AC) | Roma Ashby (Coventry Godiva) | ||||||||||
| 1959 | Peterborough/Birmingham | Sheffield United H & AC | Frederick Norris (Bolton United H & AC) | London Olympiades AC | Joyce Byatt (Hampstead Heath H) | ||||||||
| 1960 | West Bromwich/Morden Park | Derby & County AC | Basil Heatley (Coventry Godiva) | Ilford AC | Joyce Byatt (Hampstead Heath H) | ||||||||
| 1961 | Parliament Hill/Sheffield | Derby & County AC | Basil Heatley (Coventry Godiva) | London Olympiades AC | Roma Ashby (Coventry Godiva) | ||||||||
| 1962 | Blackpool/Wolverhampton | Derby & County AC | Gerry North (Blackpool & Fylde AC) | London Olympiades AC | Roma Ashby (Coventry Godiva) | ||||||||
| 1963 | Cambridge/Richmond Park | Basil Heatley (Coventry Godiva) | Mitcham AC | Madeleine C Ibbotson (Longwood Ladies) | |||||||||
| 1964 | Leicester/Bury | Portsmouth AC | Mel Batty (Thurrock H) | Bury & Radcliffe AC | Madeleine C Ibbotson (Longwood Ladies) | ||||||||
| 1965 | Parliament Hill/Birmingham | Portsmouth AC | Mel Batty (Thurrock H) | Maryhill Ladies AC | Pamela Davies (Selsonia AC) | ||||||||
| 1966 | Sheffield/Watford | North Staffs & Stone HAC | Ron Hill (Bolton United H & AC) | Maryhill Ladies AC | Pamela Davies (Selsonia AC) | ||||||||
| 1967 | Norwich/Blackburn | Portsmouth AC | Dick Taylor (Coventry Godiva) | Barnet & District AC | Pamela Davies (Selsonia AC) | ||||||||
| 1968 | Sutton Coldfield/Coventry | Ron Hill (Bolton United H & AC) | Cambridge Harriers | Pamela Davies (Selsonia AC) | |||||||||
| 1969 | Parliament Hill/Aldershot | Mike Tagg (Norfolk Gazelles) | Barnet & District AC | Rita Lincoln (Essex Ladies AC) | |||||||||
| 1970 | Blackpool/Blackburn | City of Stoke AC | Trevor Wright (Hallamshire H) | Cambridge Harriers | Rita Lincoln (Essex Ladies AC) | ||||||||
| 1971 | Norwich/Wolverhampton | Shettleston Harriers | Dave Bedford (Shaftesbury H) | Rita Lincoln (Essex Ladies AC) | |||||||||
| 1972 | Sutton Coldfield/High Wycombe | Tipton Harriers | Malcolm Thomas (Thames Valley H) | Cambridge Harriers | Rita Lincoln (Essex Ladies AC) | ||||||||
| 1973 | Parliament Hill/Rawtenstall | Dave Bedford (Shaftesbury H) | Cambridge Harriers | Joyce Smith (Barnet Ladies AC) | |||||||||
| 1974 | Sheffield/Leicester | Derby & County AC | Dave Black (Small Heath H) | Barnet & District AC | Rita Ridley (Essex Ladies AC) | ||||||||
| 1975 | Stopsley/Parliament Hill | Anthony Simmons (Luton United AC) | Cambridge Harriers | Christine Tranter (Stretford AC) | [10] | ||||||||
| 1976 | Leicester/Blackburn | Bernie Ford (AFD) | London Olympiades AC | Ann Ford (Hounslow AC) | |||||||||
| 1977 | Parliament Hill/Stoke | Brendan Foster (Gateshead H) | Sale Harriers | Glynis Penny (Cambridge H) | |||||||||
| 1978 | Leeds/High Wycombe | Bernie Ford (AFD) | Sale Harriers | Mary Stewart (Birchfield H) | |||||||||
| 1979 | Stopsley/Runcorn | Mike McLeod (Elswick H) | AFD | Kathryn Binns (Sale H) | |||||||||
| 1980 | Leicester/Rugeley | Nick Rose (Bristol AC) | Ruth Smeeth (AFD) | ||||||||||
| 1981 | Parliament Hill/Colchester | Julian Goater (Shaftesbury H) | Sale Harriers | Wendy Smith (Hounslow AC) | |||||||||
| 1982 | Leeds/Carlisle | Dave Clarke (Hercules Wimbledon AC) | Sale Harriers | Paula Fudge (Hounslow AC) | |||||||||
| 1983 | Stopsley/Warwick | Tim Hutchings (Crawley AC) | Sale Harriers | Christine Benning (Southampton AC) | |||||||||
| 1984 | Newark/Knebworth | Eamonn Martin (Basildon AC) | Jane Furniss [Shields] (Sheffield AC) | ||||||||||
| 1985 | Milton Keynes/Birkenhead | Dave Lewis (Rossendale H & AC) | Crawley AC | Angela Tooby (Cardiff AC) | |||||||||
| 1986 | Newcastle/Leicester | Tipton Harriers | Tim Hutchings (Crawley AC) | Sale Harriers | Carole Bradford (Clevedon AC) | ||||||||
| 1987 | Stopsley/Bexley | Dave Clarke (Hercules Wimbledon AC) | Sale Harriers | Jane Shields (Sheffield AC) | |||||||||
| 1988 | Newark/Leeds | Dave Clarke (Hercules Wimbledon AC) | Birchfield Harriers | Helen Titterington (Leicester Coritanian) | |||||||||
| 1989 | Epsom/Birmingham | Dave Lewis (Rossendale H & AC) | Parkside Harrow AC | Angie Pain (Leeds City AC) | |||||||||
| 1990 | Leeds/Rickmansworth | Valli Harriers | Richard Nerurkar (Bingley H & AC) | Parkside Harrow AC | Andrea Whitcombe (Parkside Harrow) | ||||||||
| 1991 | Luton/Birkenhead | Bingley H & AC | Richard Nerurkar (Bingley H & AC) | Parkside Harrow AC | Andrea Whitcombe (Parkside Harrow) | ||||||||
| 1992 | Newark/Cheltenham | Eamonn Martin (Basildon AC) | Parkside Harrow AC | Lisa York (Leicester Coritanian) | |||||||||
| 1993 | Parliament Hill/Luton | Bingley H & AC | Richard Nerurkar (Bingley H & AC) | Parkside Harrow AC | Gillian Stacey (Bromley Ladies AC) | ||||||||
| 1994 | South Shields/Blackburn | Dave Lewis (Rossendale H & AC) | Parkside Harrow AC | Paula Radcliffe (Bedford & County AC) | |||||||||
| 1995 | Luton | Spencer Duval (Cannock & Stafford A) | Parkside Harrow AC | Katy McCandless (Parkside Harrow) AC) | |||||||||
| 1996 | Newark | Bingley H & AC | John Nuttall (Preston H & AC) | Parkside Harrow AC | Alison Wyeth (Parkside Harrow) | [11] | |||||||
| 1997 | Havant | Steffan White (Coventry Godiva) | Leeds City AC | Andrea Whitcombe (Parkside Harrow) | |||||||||
| 1998 | Leeds | Bingley H & AC | Dominic Bannister (Shaftesbury Barnet H) | Mara Myers (Parkside Harrow) | |||||||||
| 1999 | Newark | Justin Pugsley (Birchfield H) | Angela Newport (Basingstoke & Mid Hants) | ||||||||||
| 2000 | Stowe | Glynn Tromans (Coventry Godiva) | Tara Kryzwicki (Charnwood AC) | ||||||||||
| 2001 | Durham | Bingley H & AC | Mike Openshaw (Birchfield H) | Sale Harriers Manchester | Liz Yelling (Bedford & County AC) | ||||||||
| 2002 | Bristol | Bingley H & AC | Sam Haughian (WSEH) | Liz Yelling (Bedford & County AC) | |||||||||
| 2003 | Parliament Hill | Leeds City AC | Matt Smith (Tipton H) | Chester-le-Street & District AC | Hayley Yelling (WSEH) | ||||||||
| 2004 | Leeds | Glynn Tromans (Coventry Godiva) | Bristol AC | Birhan Dagne (Belgrave H]) | |||||||||
| 2005 | Birmingham | Salford H & AC | Glynn Tromans (Coventry Godiva) | Bristol & West AC | Hayley Yelling (WSEWH) | ||||||||
| 2006 | Parliament Hill | Leeds City AC | Peter Riley (Leigh H & AC) | Charnwood AC | Elizabeth Hall (Herts Phoenix) | ||||||||
| 2007 | Sunderland | Leeds City AC | Frank Tickner (Wells City H) | Winchester & District AC | Liz Yelling (Bedford & County) | ||||||||
| 2008 | Alton Towers | Leeds City AC | Tom Humphries (Cannock & Stafford AC) | Winchester & District AC | Liz Yelling (Bedford & County) | ||||||||
| 2009 | Parliament Hill | Frank Tickner (Wells City Harriers]) | Charnwood AC | Hatti Dean (Hallamshire H) | |||||||||
| 2010 | Leeds | Andy Vernon (AFD) | Charnwood AC | Stephanie Twell (AFD) | |||||||||
| 2011 | Alton Towers | Leeds City AC | Steve Vernon (Stockport Harriers & AC) | Charnwood AC | Louise Damen (Winchester & District) | ||||||||
| 2012 | Parliament Hill | Leeds City AC | Keith Gerrard (Newham & Essex Beagles) | Hallamshire Harriers | Gemma Steel (Charnwood AC) | ||||||||
| 2013 | Sunderland | Morpeth Harriers & AC | Keith Gerrard (Newham & Essex Beagles) | Louise Damen (Winchester & District) | |||||||||
| 2014 | Nottingham | Bedford & County AC | Steve Vernon (Stockport Harriers & AC) | Gemma Steel (Charnwood AC) | |||||||||
| 2015 | Parliament Hill | Notts AC | Charlie Hulson (Sale Harriers Manchester) | Lily Partridge (AFD) | |||||||||
| 2016 | Donington Park | Morpeth Harriers & AC | Jonathan Hay (AFD) | Lily Partridge (AFD) | |||||||||
| 2017 | Nottingham | Tonbridge AC | Ben Connor (Derby Athletic Club) | AFD | Jessica Judd (Chelmsford AC) | ||||||||
| 2018 | Parliament Hill | Tonbridge AC | Adam Hickey (Southend-on-Sea AC) | Sale Harriers Manchester | Phoebe Law (Kingston & Poly AC) | ||||||||
| 2019 | Harewood House, Leeds | Leeds City AC | Mahamed Mahamed (Southampton AC) | Leeds City AC | Emily Hosker Thornhill (AFD) | ||||||||
| 2020 | Nottingham | Tonbridge AC | Calum Johnson (Gateshead H) | AFD | Anna Moller (AFD) | ||||||||
| 2021 cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | Parliament Hill | Southampton AC | Mahamed Mahamed (Southampton AC) | Leeds City AC | Jessica Gibbon (Reading AC) | ||||||||
| 2023 | Bolesworth Castle | Leeds City AC | James Kingston (Tonbridge AC) | Charnwood AC | Sarah Astin (Belgrave Harriers) | ||||||||
| 2024 | Weston Park | Bristol & West AC | Hugo Milner (Derby AC) | AFD | Niamh Brown (AFD) | [12] | |||||||