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The Hampshire Cross-Country Championships proved a fruitful hunting ground this year for Guernsey’s runners, in a race that was particularly special for the veteran’s team.
Pete Amy took a bronze in the individual M40 category and was part of the gold medal winning vets team, signing off for now on a deserved high before he has major surgery to treat pancreatic cancer.
Afterwards, Amy pledged to again one day pull the Guernsey vest on and be back on the start line.
The 2024 championships took place in the now familiar surroundings of Fairthorne Manor.
Runners faced testing muddy conditions in the fields, while the forest section offered a more technical challenge.
Running over a 12km course, the senior men’s race showcased just what strength in depth can produce when Guernsey scooped a surprising team gold.
Pictured: Lee Merrien. Photo by Paul Hammond.
Lee Merrien was the island’s first man home, taking seventh and V40 silver, and was followed by San Lesley (9th), Alex Rowe (8th), Issac Bate (20th), Dan Galpin (21st) and Jack Le Tissier (25th) in the scoring positions.
Merrien, Amy, Matt Jamieson and Danny Blake formed the winning vet men’s team.
Jamieson’s run was good enough for bronze in the V45 category.
Merrien almost did not make the startline.
“I had a bit of a niggle which meant I really haven’t trained since Christmas other than a couple of 30 minute jogs, so I had fresh legs,” he said.
“But I wanted to run to help make up the vets team with it being Pete’s last race for a little while. I always enjoy a bit of cross-country and the body held up.”
Elsewhere, Nix Petit was seventh in the women’s race.
Pictured: Nix Petit. Photo by Paul Hammond.
Nicolas Ackermann took the same position in the U20 Men.
Erin Greenfield won the U11 girls in a tight finish with Emmeline Fowler from City of Portsmouth.
Pictured: Erin Greenfield. Photo by Paul Hammond.
In the U13 boys, Emil Friedrich ran a well paced race and picked off several runners with his customary strong finish to claim fifth.
He was joined by Max Roger (8th), Stafford-Bell (10th) and Alfie Roger (24th) in making up the U13s team that took bronze.
There was gold for Grace King in the U13 girls, heading two runners from Jersey in Thea Thompson and Florence Williams.
Pictured: Grace King leads Jersey's Thea Thompson (216) and Florence Williams (217). Photo by Paul Hammond.
Guernsey’s team took the silver, with Indi Warren (8th), Taya Smit (18th) and Lexi Fletcher (20th) also in the scoring quartet.
James Stafford-Bell was 11th in the U15 boys, while Orla Montgomery took ninth in the equivalent girls race.
Hannah Kennedy was seventh in the U17 women, with Jack Rees the leading local runner in the U17 men in 11th.
For the full results, click here.
Pictured top: Pete Amy. Photo by Paul Hammond.
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