'Camaraderie keeps us coming back to cross country'

2 days ago

Evie LakeNorth East and Cumbria

The National Cross Country Championships are taking part in north-east England for the first time in more than 10 years

Saltwell Harriers A group of five men and two women smiling into the camera on a muddy hill. They are all wearing the red-and-white Saltwell Harrier tops and most of them are in shorts. The man on the right is wearing black leggings and a black long-sleeved top underneath his vest with a black beanie with the Newcastle United crest on it. There are grey clouds in the sky but some of them are squinting at the sun behind the camera. Their legs are splattered with mud. — The National Cross Country Championships are taking part in north-east England for the first time in more than 10 years

Many of us are keen to forget hours spent running around muddy fields as part of cross country. But, as the National Championships return to north-east England for the first time in more than 10 years, amateur runners are excited to get on that start line - and cannot believe they have overcome the trauma from their school days.

Sam Harrison, 34, says cross country used to be the "worst time of the week".

"Once I'd done it at school, I thought 'I'm never doing that again'."

Harrison did not fully commit to running until he was about 26 and was forced to give up football following three knee operations.

His dad had been running since he was 18 and was a member of Saltwell Harriers, in Gateshead, and suggested he joined too so that he would have a new outlet.

Like many others, Harrison stuck to road running before the club floated the prospect of cross country.

"I had all those memories of it but then when I started hearing everyone's enthusiasm about it at the club, I was like, all right, maybe there's some in this that I missed."

Kayleigh Pickersgill (second left) says the popularity of cross country is growing among women

Sunderland Strollers A group of 14 women standing outside on some brown-looking grass. Most of them are wearing navy blue tops and vests which have Sunderland Strollers written across the chest in a white box. Some are in shorts but most of them are wearing lots of layers. They are smiling into the camera and behind them is a large blue flag and tent which reads Sunderland Strollers in white lettering. The sky is grey. — Kayleigh Pickersgill (second left) says the popularity of cross country is growing among women

The season runs across the autumn and winter, and clubs in the region compete in the North East Harrier League.

The fixtures are run in teams of four, which score points based on each runner's finishing position.

But most people do not take part to win.

Kayleigh Pickersgill, 40, has been running for more than 10 years and now serves as ladies' captain at Sunderland Strollers.

She came to running later in life because she found it was good for her mental health "just to go out and run".

When she joined the club, she had never done cross country before and the club struggled to get the four women needed to make up a team.

"Someone just asked me if I would run and I went along and I absolutely loved it," Pickersgill says.

"I just decided I'm going to bang the drum for this, because it's so much fun."

Pickersgill says the numbers have grown to the point where Sunderland Strollers have fielded five women's teams on occasion, instead of struggling to just form one.

According to England Athletics, there has been "significant growth" in the number of women competing in the North East cross country league in recent years.

Claire Lloyd says the team spirit makes cross country what it is, but it can be difficult

Saltwell Harriers Claire Lloyd smiling while running up a hill. She has blonde hair which is tied up and is wearing a red-and-white striped Saltwell Harriers t-shirt and black shorts. She is also wearing a number bib with 3162 written on it. The tops of her legs are splattered with mud and the ground is completely covered in it. Women are in the background also running up the hill and some spectators stand to the left behind a bit of tape. — Claire Lloyd says the team spirit makes cross country what it is, but it can be difficult

Claire Lloyd, 45, is chair of Saltwell Harriers and also hated cross country at school.

But after joining the club, she quickly got the bug.

"It's all about the camaraderie and team spirit," she says.

Many clubs celebrate with treats following the races. Harrison jokes the cake is what makes him stick around.

As a winter sport, it can be wet and freezing. But that also seems to be part of the fun.

"It's a weird one because I was about to say it's still an enjoyable experience, but for a lot of the time, it's not," Lloyd says.

"It's hard, it's really hard, but you get the satisfaction afterwards from having participated."

According to Lloyd, harsher conditions also level the playing field.

"I'm not very keen when it's quite dry," she says.

"The dryer courses just play into the hands of the fast people, whereas when it's really boggy and really heavy underfoot it's a bit of a leveller.

"It slows the fast ones down and gives the rest of us a bit more of a chance.

"It's not really cross country if it isn't boggy."

Cross country happens whatever the weather, as shown here in Sedgefield in 2015

Ian Dunn A crowd of people running in the distance on a field covered in snow. Snow is coming down heavily around them. The cars parked in the distance are completely covered. There are tents and portaloos at the back of the field. — Cross country happens whatever the weather, as shown here in Sedgefield in 2015

The National Cross Country Championships are being held in Hardwick East Park in Sedgefield on 21 February.

It is the first time the competition has been held in the North East since 2013 and it has not been in County Durham for 25 years.

Chris Lines, 54, runs for Sedgefield Harriers, who are helping to organise the event, and says it is great to give local runners the opportunity to line up with the elites.

"It's one of those rare occasions in the national event of our sport where you can line up as an equal, for the first few yards anyway, with the best runners in the country," he says.

"Everyone starts in the same place and is equal and that is a real privilege."

Kayleigh Pickersgill says Nationals will be like "runner's Christmas"

Sunderland Strollers A group of 10 women and one man smiling into the camera. Two of them are holding bottles of prosecco and the others are holding up plastic glasses. They are wearing coats and hats. — Kayleigh Pickersgill says Nationals will be like "runner's Christmas"

Harrison, Pickersgill, Lloyd and Lines will be among those on that start line.

Harrison says he took part in his first Nationals last year in London and it "cemented" his love for the sport.

"People were turning up there to try and be the best in the country," he says.

"I thought that was quite cool to get a chance to run with some of the quickest runners in the country."

Pickersgill says that is what makes Nationals so exciting.

"You get a right mix of abilities," she says.

"You get elites coming to do it, but then you just get the people who are there for the sheer joy of the fact that it's a team day out and it's in the North East and we're going to run around in the mud.

"It's like a runner's Christmas."

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