Race date: Saturday 31 October 2015

The National XC Relays at Berry Hill, Mansfield have been a highlight of the XC calendar for many years, and 2015 was no exception, with over 1000 teams entered across the junior and senior categories. It is a wonderful opportunity to watch and race alongside the top club runners in the country, while taking in the buzz of a big event. The club tent area was described by one Strider as ‘a bit like the world’s healthiest version of Glastonbury’. With heavy rain for two days beforehand and a lovely cool but sunny day for actual racing, the weather was perfect and he ground was soft but not too muddy.

Striders fielded four teams this year – two women’s and two men’s. The women ran in teams of 3, with each runner completing a single 3k lap. The men ran in teams of four, with each runner completing two laps of a 2.5k course (so 5k per runner). In order to fit in the myriad junior categories before the main event, the senior races started in the afternoon – 2pm for the women and 2:40 for the men – meaning by the time the men finished it was getting cold and gloomy. Good job they were selling the souvenir hoodies for a knockdown price!

There were 102 complete teams in the Senior Women’s event, which was won by Leeds City AC ‘A’ in 27:37.

In the men’s event there were 149 complete teams, with Morpeth Harriers & AC ‘A’ finishing as winners in 1:01:38.

Full results on the ECCA website

Striders Women