NEARLY 1,000 runners descended on Monmouth Showground for the 23rd Welsh Athletics Inter Regional X-Country championships and 45th Welsh Schools’ Inter Schools.

The Saturday, November 19, event saw the best cross-country performance by a Monmouth School for Boys’ athlete for at least 35 years, as 16-year-old Henry Evans stormed to two titles and was second overall in the U17/20 race.

The sixth former, who lives in the town, also helped his senior team to schools’ gold as he covered the fast and testing four-mile course at a remarkable pace of 5mins 12secs per mile.

It capped a memorable day for the school because the U13 team also claimed a well-deserved team gold.

In the penultimate race of the day, Henry bided his time on the first of three laps, sitting at the back of the pack of almost a dozen of the best runners in Wales.

Midway through the second lap, the local runner and Noah Vaughan from North Wales were clear in third and fourth, around 40m behind the leading two.

And in a thrilling finale, Henry caught the two leaders and eventually finished a clear second overall in 20.03, just six seconds behind UK Junior triathlon champion Deri McCluskey from Powys.

Henry was ecstatic to defeat the best runners in Wales, winning both the Schools and Inter-Regional U17 titles by a 22-second margin.

School cross-country captain, Rhys Phillips, also had his best cross-country race at this level, finishing 14th in 21.14.

With Oliver Lloyd finishing 22nd in 22.02 and the all-important fourth scorer, Leo Evans, taking 52nd in 25.24, the quartet helped the school retain the Welsh title they had won at Brecon last year.

Earlier in the day, the impressive Monmouth U13 team led by John Gibby and Osian Jones won a thrilling battle to defeat Ysgol Glantaf, by just three points, 67-64 (which equates to three positions) to claim gold.

John and Osian finished 26th and 32nd respectively and were supported by William Adams, in 42nd, and Elliott Hanratty, in 44th.

All four boys represented East Wales as well as the school.

There were also fine performances from Monmouth School for Boys’ James Darkin (54th) and Edward Loose (61st), who were running at this level for the first time.

In the U15 boys’ race Matthew Powell was 16th, two places and three seconds behind Chepstow Comprehensive’s Lewis Griffiths-Burdon.

In the girls’ equivalent race, Sophie Steele from Chepstow Comprehensive was 20th in the Inter Schools.

Monmouth Prep’s Sam White was eighth in the Year 3/4 race, with Rupert Rhodes 11th, while Trellech Primary’s Molly Baker was second in the girls Year 3/4 in 5.46

Meanwhile, in the senior women’s race Chepstow Harriers and Spirit of Monmouth enjoyed medal success.

Harriers’ Katherine Matthews took the women’s over-45 class in 12th overall in 25.01, with club mate Sarah Bell second in the age-group in 26.48, and the duo also lifted regional team over-45 gold with East Wales, alongside Chepstow’s Lisa Jeffrey who placed eighth in class in 28.48.

Spirit’s Katerina Adams was ninth in the over-35 class and 20th overall in 25.47 to help the East region take team age-group silver.

Harriers’ Niki Morgan took gold in the over-55 woman class in 27.20, and team age-group gold alongside club mate Jane Roscoe who was 10th in class in 31.37.

Chepstow’s Brenda Avery also won the over-65 class, crossing in 39.22, with club mate Jane Bayliss second in 41.26 and both landing team gold.

Other Chepstow runners were Lisa Jeffrey 28.48, Jan Morris 30.36, Wendy Sharpe-Nash 33-31 and Margaret Griffiths 45.47.

Spirit duo Liv Farrington and Becca Foster were both 25th in their respective senior women and over-45 classes in 27.52 and 30.54, while MonRoss Trailblazers’ Sophie Williams finished in 31.23.

MonRoss runner Rob Nicholls was 56th in the men’s race in 37.14, with Harriers’ Tim Batchelor 62nd in 37.48, and club mates Anthony Marshall 84th in 39.19, Jonathan Carter 103rd in 40.25, Douglas Briggs 112th in 41.15 and Tim Buckley 161st in 47.08.

See www.welshathletics.org for full results.