Race Date: Sunday 21st December 2025
With Steel City top of the league equal on points with Hallamshire the call was out for a full turn out for this fixture but, with the race only four days before Christmas and possibly the latest in the year that a South Yorkshire League fixture has been held, it would be interesting to see who could make it. As it was, in terms of overall numbers, this race was the poorest attended of the four matches but the best attended for Steel City with 41 toeing the line. An excellent turn out considering some of the club’s best runners were absent through illness/injury. Total numbers across all four races were up by 34% with 1327 finishers compared to 988 in 2024.
For this important decider in the League and South Yorkshire County Championships, Graves Park provided cold and murky conditions but at least the rain, which had softened the ground quite nicely, had stopped.
Not a day for the spectators but at least it wasn’t raining. Sunny Clifton Park back in October seems so long ago.
Women 6500m (One small then two large laps)
In the league, with three races to score Steel City, had the potential for a podium finish across virtually all of the women’s age groups bearing in mind that it is essential to score in this, the championship race, to qualify. Official league positions are not available yet but, barring an intervention from VAR, we’re pretty sure that Caroline Brock and Carol Beattie won gold in the F35 and F70 categories with Fiona Jeffries silver in the F55.
Championship Medal Positions in Brackets. Both Men’s and Women’s team awards went to Hallamshire Harriers this year with the Steel City Women’s team of Caroline Brock, Sarah Thorne, Hannah Shillitoe and Emily Green all earning silver medals.
| Pos | Name | Cat | Time |
| 1 | Elena Inch (City of Sheff) | SF | 24:02 |
| 6 (1) | Caroline Brock | F35 | 26:12 |
| 8 | Sarah Thorne | SF | 26:37 |
| 16 | Hannah Shillitoe | F35 | 28:22 |
| 18 | Emily Green | SF | 28:38 |
| 19 | Hannah Basu | SF | 28:53 |
| 37 | Jacqui Herring | F45 | 30:54 |
| 42 (2) | Fiona Jeffries | F55 | 31:47 |
| 45 | Isabelle Carter-Pearson | SF | 32:15 |
| 59 (1) | Dot Kesterton | F70 | 34:09 |
| 64 | Samya Armoush | F35 | 34:31 |
| 73 | Karen Clark | F55 | 35:48 |
| 75 (2) | Louise Rowley | F70 | 36:00 |
| 103 (3) | Carol Beattie | F70 | 40:32 |
| 135 | Rebecca Pierce | F55 | 56:44 |
135 Finishers
Silver Medal for Emily Green who closed in the women’s team. Thanks to officials and marshals without whom we would have no race including Brian Jenkins who used his time posted on the Eastern Front to take some photographs.
Men 10,000m (Four large laps)
For the men, with Hallamshire and Sheffield University gobbling up the leading positions in younger age groups, only M65’s Jed Turner and Chris Ireland had any real chance of finishing in the first three. As it was Jed managed to pip his rival from Doncaster by just two seconds to claim both League and Championship titles.
| Pos | Name | Cat | Time |
| 1 | Euan Brown (Hallam) | M35 | 33:29 |
| 17 | Richard Carter-Pearson | SM | 37:41 |
| 23 | Matthew Spoor | SM | 38:23 |
| 32 | John Crewe | SM | 39:40 |
| 33 | Liam Brennan | M35 | 39:42 |
| 34 | Ben Naisbitt | SM | 39:51 |
| 36 | Robert Cook | SM | 40:02 |
| 43 | John Kilcoyne | M45 | 41:02 |
| 52 | Richard Heath | M45 | 42:00 |
| 53 | Michael Cockings | M45 | 42:07 |
| 59 | Louis Wood | M45 | 42:39 |
| 67 | Malcolm Baggaley | M35 | 43:18 |
| 72 | Ben Jones | SM | 43:38 |
| 79 | Ben Baxendale | M35 | 44:16 |
| 86 | Steven Cahill | M35 | 44:16 |
| 91 | Sergei Shkul | M45 | 45:06 |
| 97 | Neil Schofield | M45 | 45:47 |
| 99 | Warren Brown | M55 | 45:50 |
| 104 | Chris Lawson | M45 | 46:28 |
| 111 | Ian Stinson | M55 | 47:07 |
| 121 | Nick Burns | M55 | 48:48 |
| 129 | Paddy Treehowes | M55 | 50:23 |
| 149 | Tom Cossham | M45 | 56:36 |
| 154 | Tony Bell | M55 | 01:00:25 |
160 Finishers
On the only course this season that actually required spikes, Matt Spoor paid the price for wearing fell shoes. (Brian Jenkins)
Championship positions in brackets. The four named individuals also won gold medals as first team. No other club in South Yorkshire actually managed to field four men over 65.
| Pos | Name | Cat | Time |
| 1 (1) | Jed Turner | M65 | 28:05 |
| 4 (1) | Robert Pearson | M70 | 32:58 |
| 10 | Peter Brown | M65 | 36:06 |
| 16 | Richard Pegg | M65 | 42:06 |
18 Finishers
With the Championship race the effective decider, Jed Turner had to beat Kevin Newman (138) to win the league. (Brian Jenkins)
Richard Pegg had a big sheaf of entries and race numbers to deal with as a total of 61 Steel City raced in at least one race. Over the four races, Steel City’s men and women made up at least 10% of the entire field. The following ever presents turned out in every one of the four races.
| Ben Jones |
| Carol Beattie |
| Caroline Brock |
| Ian Stinson |
| Louis Wood |
| Malcolm Baggaley |
| Neil Schofield |
| Paddy Treehowes |
| Peter Brown |
| Richard Pegg |
| Sergei Shkul |
| Tom Cossham |
Link to South Yorkshire Cross Country League: Results Match 4 Graves Park and South Yorkshire XC Champs Individual and Team Results
Photo Brian Jenkins
South Yorkshire League Individual Positions are based on three of the four matches to score, one of which must be the final championship race.
Senior Women
| Pos | Points | Name |
| 1 | 4 | Lucy Cardho (Hallam) |
| 4 | 14 | Sarah Thorne |
| 6 | 26 | Emily Green |
| 11 | 54 | Isabelle Carter-Pearson |
F35 Women
| 1 | 3 | Caroline Brock |
F45 Women
| 1 | 3 | Claire Bearcamp (Sheff Tri) |
| 3 | 14 | Jacqui Herring |
F55 Women
| 1 | 3 | Nicola McNally (Pen) |
| 2 | 7 | Fiona Jeffries |
F65 Women
| 1 | 3 | Veronica Boden (Hallam) |
F70 Women
| 1 | 5 | Carol Beattie |
Senior Men
| 1 | 4 | George O’Connor (Sheff Uni) |
| 10 | 37 | Richard Carter-Pearson |
| 11 | 48 | Ben Naisbitt |
| 12 | 54 | John Crewe |
| 13 | 64 | Robert Cook |
| 17 | 79 | Ben Jones |
M35 Men
| 1 | 3 | Euan Brown (Hallam) |
| 6 | 28 | Liam Brennan |
| 16 | 61 | Ben Baxendale |
| 17 | 70 | Malcolm Baggaley |
M45 Men
| 1 | 3 | Ally Glossop (Hallam) |
| 7 | 23 | Richard Heath |
| 8 | 25 | Michael Cockings |
| 9 | 26 | Louis Wood |
| 17 | 67 | Sergei Shkul |
| 21 | 81 | Neil Schofield |
| 30 | 126 | Tom Cossham |
M55 Men
| 1 | 4 | Andy Irving (Danum) |
| 3 | 14 | Warren Brown |
| 4 | 18 | Ian Stinson |
| 10 | 45 | Paddy Treehowes |
| 16 | 76 | Tony Bell |
M65 Men
| 1 | 4 | Jed Turner |
| 5 | 19 | Peter Brown |
| 8 | 31 | Richard Pegg |
M70 Men
| 1 | 5 | Mick Page (Donc) |
M75 Men
| 1 | 3 | Keith Gordon (Pen) |
Link to SYCAA Individual League Results 2025
League Team Results are based on aggregate scores for Women, Men and Men 65 and over. Scoring System Seniors and League Rules.
A resurgent Hallamshire pipped Steel City by a single point with Hillsborough off the pace a little. Proposals to change to points system next year will benefit those clubs which field teams in the M65 and over race.
| Pos | Team | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total |
| 1 | Hallamshire | 55 | 50 | 54 | 52 | 211 |
| 2 | Steel City | 54 | 50 | 55 | 51 | 210 |
| 3 | Hillsborough | 52 | 50 | 51 | 47 | 200 |
| 4 | Sheffield University | 50 | 49 | 50 | 46 | 195 |
| 5 | Sheffield RC | 41 | 22 | 41 | 44 | 148 |
| 6 | Totley AC | 37 | 35 | 32 | 28 | 132 |
| 7 | Rotherham Harriers | 29 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 130 |
| 8 | Kimberworth Striders | 26 | 35 | 18 | 36 | 115 |
| 9 | Barnsley Harriers | 36 | 22 | 26 | 15 | 99 |
Kimberworth and Barnsley Harriers are relegated to Division Two to be replaced by Penistone and Barnsley AC. Link to League Team Placings 2025