Grassroots event in Basildon sees runners hurdling hay bales and racing through a marquee with spectators chiming their approval with cow bells and whistles

Cross-country runners in Essex enjoyed a county championship to be proud of in Basildon on Saturday (Jan 6) as efforts by the organisers to modernise the event paid off.

Despite the looming threat of floods and a fallen tree on the eve of the races, Nick Wetheridge and his team laid out a memorable course featuring hair pin turns, hay bales and a noisy Night of the 10,000m PBs-style marquee for runners to race through.

Some runners did complain, though. But only that they want more hay bales next year.

During an era when the traditional county championships have been struggling to attract strong fields, Essex pulled out all the stops to liven up their event at Gloucester Park.

As reported in AW previously, their aim was to deliver a miniature version of the London Cross Country International at Parliament Hill on January 20 and it seems they succeeded.

Wetheridge said: Feedback on the day was all really positive. Kids were dancing to the music watching races and people brought cow bells and whistles and creating a real buzz in the marquee.

Wetheridge was lucky enough to get some time off from his day job working for NatWest to finish the preparations. To see the event rise up from what has been in my head for the last three or four years was amazing, but exhausting, he said.

The Basildon AC man was helped by a number of local coaches, athletes and officials such as Gerry ODoherty from Billericay Striders. It was the culmination of months of work and a test event on the course in November was great as it ironed out a few things to make the champs a better event for athletes and spectators. Im very thankful that we were able to put on this spectacle, especially with so many races falling foul of the weather.

On the course, he said: Athletes had to negotiate hairpin turns, snaking up and down the shape of an M, then came the two sets of hay bales before hitting the first long hill. The second hill was short, but steep and very sodden under foot and proved a challenge. The third hill was an absolute killer, very steep first 40m before dragging out for a good 100m. This is the hill myself, Eamonn Martin, Rob Denmark and many others use to train on during the winter its brutal.

He continued: Then there was a final decent and into the marquee, with the music and announcer, a further hairpin turn and back out for a second lap (or third for the senior men!). All this on sodden ground which sapped the energy.

Plenty of top runners came out to race, too, including the former world cross-country representative Adam Hickey, who was among those finishing behind Callum Charleston in the mens race, plus recent Euro Cross internationals Henry Dover and Lizzie Wellsted and leading national age-group competitors like Olivia Forrest and Lyla Belshaw.

Winners:

Men: Callum Charleston (Chelmsford AC)
U20 men: Henry Dover (Shaftesbury Barnet)
U17 men: Sam Plummer (Chelmsford AC)
U15 boys: George Watkins (Harlow AC)
U13 boys: Fred Ferman (Chelmsford AC)

Women: Lauren Reed (Havering AC)
U20 women: Lizzie Wellsted (Colchester Harriers)
U17 women: Lyla Belshaw (Colchester Harriers)
U15 girls: Olivia Forrest (Brentwood Beagles AC)
U13 girls: Summer Smith (Brentwood Beagles AC)