Race report: Kent Cross Country Championships

Brands Hatch is best known for staging a dozen British Grand Prix in Formula One, and some of us Harriers are old enough to remember them. Less well known is that the first ever race held at Brands Hatch Farm, around a grass track in 1926, was contested over four miles by one team of cyclists against another team of cross country runners. It must have been muddy as the runners apparently won. (Yesss!)

99 red balloons later, and the mud of Brands Hatch Farm remains copious, and as they did in 1926, the runners won on Saturday in the  2025 Kent XC Champs. No, really, those who were there in a deckchair vest on Saturday, during the January freeze, in a muddy field, perched at one of the highest points of the North Downs, are all winners at heart.

And this Kent Champs served another reminder that when TWH turns up in numbers, our club is a true force. This Champs attracts the fastest mud runners in Kent, and out of 15 teams in the Senior Women’s race, over 8.35km, it is fantastic that the Harriers finished fourth in the 3-to-score table, and third in the 6-to-score.

The official results are attached, and congratulations to our elite trio: Emily Nash (6th, 34:45), Amelie Karlsson (14th, 35:49) and Hannah Roberts (15th, 35:50). The women’s race was won by Rebecca Weston, Invicta East Kent (31:21), while the first three teams were Blackheath & Bromley, Invicta East Kent and Kent AC. It is great to see TWH above county powerhouses Medway & Maidstone and Tonbridge AC.

In the 6-to-score, TWH was third behind Blackheath & Bromley and Kent AC, thanks to gritty racing from Tara Taylor (34th, 39:41), Ali Farrall (40th, 40:22) and captain Jillian Holford (51st, 41:50). Tara was runner-up in the W60s, which isn’t bad considering the winner was Clare Elms from Kent AC, who holds multiple age-group world records. In the W50s, Ali was second and Jillian was fourth. Not far behind was Sonja King and Liz Hawker, who made a strong XC club debut.

In a very strong men’s field, TWH finished 7th of 11 teams in the 6-to-score, and 6th in the 12-to-score. This was a very solid result. TAC’s James Kingston successfully defended his individual title over 12km (38:18), and TAC romped home in the 6-to-score, taking six of the top seven places. Only one other club posted two runners in the top-10 and they wore deckchairs: Liam White (8th, 40:22) and Dillon Hobbs (10th, 41:09). It was brilliant to see these two flying around the course, keeping TAC honest, while our 6-to-score was boosted by Ed Steele (68th, 47:40), John Law (71st, 48:07), Alex Holmes (92nd, 50:51) and Eren Muduroglu (114th, 52:42).

Our 12-to-score was completed by Robin Barwick (121st, 53:24), Geoff Turner (130th, 55:19), Andy Joad (134th, 56:00), Pete Holmes (151st, 58:53), George Harris (152nd, 59:03) and Martin Sands (157th, 1:00:06). The formidable back-up took the form of Colin Ricketts, Marcus Bird, Duncan Ralph, Nick Pierce and Andrew Deighton. Well done all, and particularly to Ed for finishing 4th M40, Eren as 2nd M55, Geoff as second M60 and Andy as third M60.

Well done also to Benny Fiddimore, who made his Champs debut in the U20s.

Big thanks to Mark Taylor and Andy Howie for representing the club among the day’s volunteer force, and to Sarah Cronin, Simon Holford and Kannan Mahalingam for their enthusiastic support as non-runners.

See you in Hargate!

Robin