England Athletics: Why the National Cross Country Relays has the X-factor

Explaining the appeal of the Saucony English National Cross Country Relays to someone who has never run in them is a bit like describing why one song is a hit and another isn’t.

It just is.

It has that X-factor, that certain something that makes it stand out from the crowd.

Of course, the relays, which have graced the mud of Mansfield’s Berry Hill Park since 1989 have significance in that they’re an early season national title for the lucky few who cross the line first, but more importantly there’s the history and heritage, and the relays are a timely form guide for coaches and athletes.

But more than anything else, the relays offer that rarity in cross country running – it’s all about the team.

Rachel Clutterbuck, a member of the under-17 women’s gold medal winners Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow summed it perfectly after anchoring her teammates to the victory.

“It’s a team effort,” she said, echoing a statement you’ll hear all day, every year in Mansfield.

Of course, one runner will fly around their leg faster than anybody else, but that’s not what the day is all about. It’s about race plans, leg order, and confidence that it will all play out as you hoped. Team managers are almost like football managers for the day as they spend the week agonising over leg order to formulate a race plan that really will make a difference.

Alex Molly of Cambridge and Coleridge’s winning under-20 team agrees: “It was all about controlling the position early on and not getting too silly,” he explained. “And it was great to see it all come together.”

And for both new runners and experienced internationals, it’s a hugely important race to include on your winter calendar if events like the National and English Schools are on your radar. Given the longest leg is just 5km for the men and much shorter for the age groups, it’s very much a blow out when it comes to seeing where your running is.

“I loved it when I was competing,” said Spencer Duval, an Olympian, multi-time winner of the National and Event Group Lead for Endurance at England Athletics. “You just have to run flat out and it’s over before you know it,” he laughed.

England team manager Eamonn Martin, also a previous National winner, is on hand to add a wise word to anyone who recognises him in the crowd. The last Briton to win the London Marathon, Eamonn says events like this are massively significant when it comes to getting teams together for the winter and he was hugely impressed at the numbers taking part.

Indeed, more than 6,000 individuals entered, which saw 218 teams in the men’s 4x5km. and 166 in the women’s 3x3km.

But it was the age groups that really caught the eye. More than 100 teams took part in the under-15 boys’ race (105) and almost as many (101) in the under-15 girls’ event.

The future is most definitely looking good when it comes to age-groups with solid numbers taking part in every category.

It’s good to see and as clubs are discovering, massively important.

“We’ve really focussed on this event in recent years,” Wolverhampton and Bilston reported after crushing the field in the under-13 boys’ race. “The youngsters love it and it’s great to see the club returning to where it was so many years ago.”

Wolves were a powerhouse in the cross country world in the late 1970s/early 80s, but had since faded away. But thanks to a very active young athletes’ programme, they’re back and in a big way, recognising that building the young athletes’ section will help create a healthy future for a club that in the past has produced Olympic gold and silver medallists in the form of Tessa Sanderson and Kathy Cook to name but two.