The most prestigious race of the season, in the magnificent setting of WollatonPark, Nottingham, was blessed with glorious weather and, although there were some muddy sections on the course, underfoot conditions were the best we had seen for some time.
Our small band of dedicated junior racers was full of enthusiasm and made the most of the day with some splendid results.
In the U13 races Katie Smith and Lucy Miller showed their usual fighting qualities and worked their way through to 151st and 216th respectively, though the gap between them was not that great. Similarly in the Boys race, Jack Bradley finished in 334th position, but was not disgraced by any means.
The Merrick twins both had a very good day: Vicki, after a hectic start, kept her form very well, achieving an excellent 52nd position, while Matthew showed that he is rounding into his best form by finishing 65th. Not that far behind time-wise, Max Duckett, in his first-ever National, battled into 177th place.
In the U17 Men’s race, Emile Cairess, in his first year in the age-group, achieved a superb 19th position, which was even more praiseworthy since he had been nursing an injury in the run-up to the race.
As is usually the case, our youngsters did not disappear after their races, but stayed on to give tremendous support to Jo Buckley and Lesley Watson in the Senior Women’s race, and to Jonny Brownlee and John Merrick in the Senior Men’s.
Well done to all of those who ran, and a big thank you to all the supporters who helped to make it a very memorable day.
Tony Kingham