More than 1,300 students gathered at Pembrey Country Park in Wales on Saturday for the BUCS Cross Country Championships.
The Welsh countryside provided a picturesque setting for this year’s Championships, with hundreds of students cheering on their university teams.
Set through scenic trails and challenging terrains, the Pembrey Country Park course tested the endurance and skills of every runner in the competition.
Teams from 40 different universities assembled on Saturday to compete in four races; a Men’s and Women’s Long Race, and a Men’s and Women’s Short Race.
We look at the winners from all four races below.
Short Course Results
Almost 1,000 male and female students participated in this year’s Short Course races.
As well as being shorter in distance, both Short Course races were only open to students who were not competing in the Long Course races.
At a distance of 6,060 meters, the women’s race consisted of 2 small laps and 1 big lap around the Country Park course. The men’s race measured slightly longer at a distance of 8,280 meters and consisted of 1 small lap and 2 big laps.
Top 10 Times
| Position | Men’s Short Race | Women’s Short Race |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | Josh Fiddaman Loughborough |
Beth Morley Loughborough |
| 2nd | Rowan Miell-Ingram Loughborough |
Sarah Calvert Edinburgh |
| 3th | Terry Fawden Cambridge |
Louise Hackett Loughborough |
| 4th | Edward Leech Durham |
Abigail Hancock Loughborough |
| 5th | Tyler Bilyard Birmingham |
Samantha Mason Leeds |
| 6th | Jack Shayler Birmingham |
Ellen Weir Birmingham |
| 7th | Sam Hodgson Loughborough |
Kate Willis Birmingham |
| 8th | Larry Ryan Birmingham |
Jess Spilsbury Loughborough |
| 9th | Ed Blythman Birmingham |
Annabel Hobday St Mary’s |
| 10th | Louis Small Loughborough |
Hannah Seager Birmingham |
Long Course Results
This year’s Long Course Races saw over 400 male and female students tackle the extended distance.
With up to four athletes per university being eligible to compete, teams worked together to set the pace and control the tempo throughout the difficult course.
At a distance of 8,280 meters in the women’s event, 157 students completed 1 small lap and 2 big laps of the course. The longest race of the day at 10,500 meters was the Men’s Long Race, which consisted of 3 big laps of the entire course.
Top 10 Times
| Position | Men’s Long Race | Women’s Long Race |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | Mahamed Mahamed Solent |
Alex Millard Loughborough |
| 2nd | Matthew Stonier Loughborough |
Amelia Quirk Birmingham |
| 3th | Joe Wigfield St. Mary’s |
Abbie Donnelly Loughborough |
| 4th | Ned Potter Loughborough |
Niamh Bridson Hubbard Cambridge |
| 5th | Tomer Tarragano Birmingham |
Megan Keith Edinburgh |
| 6th | Baptiste Fourmont Loughborough |
Alice Goodall Edinburgh |
| 7th | Will Barnicoat Birmingham |
Mia Atkinson Birmingham |
| 8th | Jeremy Dempsey Cambridge |
Saskia Millard Birmingham |
| 9th | David Stone Birmingham |
Julie Emmerson Bath |
| 10th | Michael Ward Birmingham |
Elsa Palmer Birmingham |
Team Honours
Picture credit: @sakurasportsmedia on Instagram
After winning three out of the four gold medals available, Loughborough University secured team honors with a dominant display in Wales.
Loughborough students also earned two silver medals and two bronze medals, taking their impressive medal tally on the day to seven.
2022/23 BUCS Cross Country Championship Moments
Picture credit: @dembinski.photography on Instagram
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