Buxton Athletic Club hosted the last in the English Junior Fell Championships, incorporating the British Inter-Counties Fell Championships – “Up The Nab”. It was a blisteringly hot day which made the long slog up Whiteley Nab from Glossop Rugby Club all the more challenging! Over 260 youngsters took part on the day, with representatives from over 40 different Clubs and County teams from Cumbria, Yorkshire, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire, Northern Ireland and our own Derbyshire team.
Buxton AC had 25 youngsters running across all the age categories from U9 to U19, with 6 of the Buxton youngsters selected to represent Derbyshire. First up were the under 9’s with Hannah Cudahy coming in 9th and Lexi Tomlinson 12th in the girls race and Jimmy Golden coming in 14th in the boys. In the under 11 race Lucy Whelan led the girls home in 14th with Rachel Cudahy in 16th and Molly Golden in 22nd. The boys team of Liam Jones and Matt Rolf chased each other home in 19th and 20th positions.
In the under 13’s race Grace Longden had a phenomenal race to take 3rd place with Sienna Philips in 9th and Rebecca Cudahy in 21st. Luke Guise represented the boys coming in 24th. In the under 15’s race Will Longden had another outstanding race with a stunning finish battle that resulted in a dead heat for first place. Matt Schofield put in his best performance to date to finish 4th and Harry Bond also had a fantastic race to come in 7th.
Running in the British Inter Counties Fell Championships representing Derbyshire were Ellie Wilson, Emily Barnett and Heather Wilshaw who finished 8th, 15th and 16th – finishing in a team position of 5th. Likewise the Derbyshire boys under 17 team also finished in 5th – Sam Soles coming in 7th, Ed Diamond in 13th and Stu Diamond in 22nd. The sole representative in the under 19 race was Dan Soles who ran a great race against tough opposition to finish 11th.
Team manager Rachel Dowle said, “Yet again Buxton junior Fell runners have demonstrated why they were voted High Peak and Derbyshire Junior Team of the Year 2017! They are amazing! Every race they put in 100% not only on the field against the best in the country but also in supporting their peers and their club. I have been overwhelmed by the support we have had from parents and club members in putting on this event – their generosity in donating their time and efforts in getting this race off the ground to the resounding success it has been is awe-inspiring! Many thanks to Des Gibbons for his organisational skills and to Sainsbury’s Buxton and Leek who sponsored the event supplying the youngsters with goodies at the finish!” Buxton await the final scores for the Championships to see if they are once again on the podium in this National Championships – watch this space!