Golden girl Ellie delivers classy county show

The City of Portsmouth athlete is a bottom year in the under-17 age group.

Last year she earned a silver medal in the under-15 race but stepping up this time she was a clear winner against some talented opposition.

It was another good championships for City with Mark Hargreaves a gold medal winner in the male 60 category and the veteran women’s team taking a silver medal.

Jacob O’Hara (silver), Florence East (silver) and Hattie Bond (bronze) also got on the podium while the under-13 boys secured a brilliant bronze, the under-17 men and women both earned silvers and the under-11 girls were also second.

Team manager Vince Stamp was impressed with what he saw from the club athletes at Fairthorne Manor, in Curdridge, on Saturday.

He said: ‘It was a really, really good championships.

‘This time it was not as muddy as the last two years. It surprised us.

‘We were expecting a real quagmire, the last two years have been mud baths. There was still plenty of mud but we were expecting more.

‘Ellie Farrow had a fantastic run, it really was excellent. She took some big scalps there.

‘She beat some good runners like Rebecca Bullock, who finished second and has been untouchable.

‘Ellie is a bottom year in the age group. To get the gold medal will really boost her.

‘She is still quite a few weeks off her peak form because she is a national standard triathlete and has been training hard, doing a lot of swimming and cycling. She hasn’t really raced at all until this and we are looking for her to be at her best in the major championships ahead.

‘The under-17 women’s team got the silver and if it had been four scorers they would have walked the gold medal. They just lost out to Basingstoke with three scorers.

‘Mia Billins ran the best race of her life. It was great to see. I coached her for quite a few years. It’s really good to see Mia running that well.

‘Katie Simister finished ninth but unfortunately she was suffering with illness. She’s been right up there around the top five in the league races.

‘She battled on and was third scorer for the team.

‘Eleanor Purdue (11th) had a really good finish as she just caught Bo Sansom (12th) in the sprint at the end and our B team were fifth with Penelope Batty (17th) the third scorer.

‘Our under-17 women are looking really good if we can get them all to the South of England Championships without any illness.

‘Our under-17 men were led by Jacob O’Hara who got a brilliant silver medal. He ran almost the entire race out on his own in second.

‘We had four runners in the top 11 positions which was great to see.

‘Steven Cross ran really well and then we had Adam Kimber in 10th and Callum Crook in 11th. They got the team silver and it’s always a battle with Southampton who won the gold.

‘Our B team finished fifth as well with lots of good performances.’

The future is certainly bright for the club after the youngest athletes on show really impressed.

‘We had outstanding results from the under-11 girls. It bodes well for the future,’ added Stamp.

‘Florence East and Hattie Bond celebrated a superb one-two with first and second in the under-11 race while Kitty Brydon and Ella Hutton completed the team to get the silver medal.

‘It was really nice for the under-13 boys to get a bronze medal.

‘Cameron Walker-Powell led the way in eighth place and that was a good run from him. It was nice to see a smile on his face.

‘Eddy Purser had a really good run to finish 11th as well with Benjamin Gibbard (17th) and Samuel Colbourne (30th) securing the team medal.

‘Holly Wilkinson (seventh) led the under-15 girls team to fourth.

‘Unfortunately Nicole Ainsworth was suffering with illness and although she was leading early on she couldn’t finish the race.’

Daisy Wilkinson (10th) was first scorer for the under-13s as they finished fourth as well, while City were 11th in the under-11s and seventh in the under-15 boys’ race.

Toby Roe ran well to finish fourth in the under-20 men’s race and the good showings in the senior and veteran age groups capped off an excellent day for City.

Stamp added: ‘Rhiannon Dunlop had a brilliant run to finish fourth in the senior women’s race.

‘When she came over to get her number I jokingly said to her “now all you have to do is win”.

‘I know she is chuffed to bits. I think it’s a breakthrough race for her.

‘The veteran women showed the way for the youngsters.’

Meanwhile, Maisie Grice, from Fareham, did well to take the silver medal in the U20 women’s race and led Aldershot, Farnham & District to team gold.

The next big cross-country target is the South of England Championships at Stanmer Park, Brighton, on Saturday, January 27.