The Southern Cross-Country Championships took place at the picturesque Beckenham Place Park in South London at the weekend with St Albans Striders participating in a high-class field with over 680 and 360 finishers in the senior men’s and women’s races respectively. Runners benefitted from dry conditions underfoot, helping to compensate for the longer distances of 15k for the men and 8k for the women in championship races. Congratulations to Nigel Aston, Colin Braybrook, Jonathan Bird, Mark Stephens, Anthony Bunker and Michael Jack for the men and Louise Bentham, Anna Silkstone, Ellie Morris, Ruth Kent and Diane Hunt for the women. The race will serve as a good warm up the National Championships, where the South joins up with the North and Midland Regions is what many see as the finale to the season and the cross-country equivalent of the London marathon. This will take place at the iconic Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath at the end of February with around 40 Striders expected to participate.