Race Date: Sunday 19th January 2025
This event has had a number of incarnations over the years either as a discrete race like this one, tacked onto one of the South Yorkshire League races or as part of the now defunct Sheffield Running Club XC event at Graves Park. After some lobbying, the Club Cross Country Championships returned this year with a three lap, 5.2km jaunt up and down the hill that is Norfolk Park described by one competitor as “brutal and difficult to catch your breath.” The cold weather seems to have persisted since Christmas so the ground remained frozen with patches of snow and ice remaining in places. No mud but some tricky downhills as one of the leading men found to his cost “decking it” on the final lap.

Body language with hands deep in pockets give a suggestion of the “feels like” temperature with everyone just hanging around rather than doing their warm up. Perhaps they should have had more porridge for breakfast.(Kate Scott)
Organised on a “minimalist” basis with positions recorded by taking your finishing token as you cross the line and write down your own finishing time if you want it recorded in print. There is a view that times are pretty meaningless on cross country anyway. A classic worthy of King Alfred from the leading woman who got half way around the second lap before realising that she had left the oven on with a batch of her favourite cookies inside. It was therefore an even quicker adrenaline fuelled sprint home to find some nice crisp pieces of charcoal but luckily the house hadn’t burned down. We are advised that she later returned to Norfolk Park to finish the race but unfortunately everyone had gone home by then.

In the deep mid-winter with patches of ice remaining. Spikes may have been uncomfortable on the hard surface but gave better grip.
Pos | Name | Cat | Time |
1 (1) | Rob Byers | MSen | 21.00 |
2 (2) | Seth Kirby | MSen | 21.15 |
3 (1) | John Kilcoyne | M45 | 21.38 |
4 (1) | Thomas King | M40 | 21.53 |
5 (1) | Warren Brown | M50 | – |
6 (2) | Andrew Mansfield | M40 | 23.12 |
7 (1) | Jed Turner | M60 | 23.39 |
8 (3) | Ben Baxendale | M40 | 24.00 |
9 (1) | Emily Green | FSen | 24.00 |
10 (1) | Jim Rangeley | M35 | 24.11 |
11 (2) | Neil Schofield | M50 | 24.10 |
12 (3) | Patrick Lewis | MSen | – |
13 (1) | Hannah Shillitoe | F35 | – |
14 (1) | Paddy Treehowes | M55 | 25.12 |
15 (1) | Lucy Broom | F50 | – |
16 (3) | Robin Nelson | M50 | 25.22 |
17 (1) | Hannah Holliday | F40 | 26.00 |
18 (4) | Harry Browne | MSen | 27.04 |
19 (2) | Andy Rowland | M60 | 27.37 |
20 (1) | Dot Kesterton | F70 | 27.45 |
21 (4) | Joel Driver | M40 | 27.56 |
22 (1) | Nicky Rafferty | F60 | 28.00 |
23 (2) | Kate Reece | F70 | 28.05 |
24 (2) | Kate Scott | F60 | 28.34 |
25 (3) | Karen Clark | F60 | 29.05 |
26 (2) | Mick Brogan | M55 | 29.17 |
27 (2) | Laura Rangeley | F35 | 29.54 |
28 (3) | Louise Rowley | F70 | 30.30 |
29 (2) | Chris Froud | M45 | 31.07 |
30 (4) | Jo Gleig | F60 | 32.11 |
31 (1) | Peter Brown | M65 | 33.45 |
32 (2) | Richard Pegg | M65 | 34.00 |
33 (1) | Chris Reece | M70 | – |
34 (3) | Natalie Thomas | F35 | 40.13 |
35 (4) | Hannah Wright | F35 | 41.43 |
36 (5) | Eleanor Bull | F35 | 44.04 |
37 (1) | Rebecca Pierce | F55 | – |

Kate Scott working hard on the hill. She nearly didn’t make it as she originally went to Graves Park. (Sam Ainscough)
The informal, low cost, club only approach to organisation seems to have worked quite well and it is hoped that the Club Championships, using the slot between the County and Northern Championships, will become a regular on the fixture list although perhaps with more advanced publicity and avoiding a clash with The Brass Monkey. We hope that after making her cross country debut one competitor recants on her belief that she is just a road runner as she has to return next year to defend her F40 title. As ever, massive thanks to Race Director Richard Pegg and the marshals and officials who all stood outside in the freezing conditions. Perhaps they should all get a medal too.