Riley Austin was one of several Bournemouth AC youngsters pulling on the green vest of Dorset at the UK CAU Inter Counties Cross Country Championships
Nottingham played host to one of the most fiercely contested events on the domestic calendar as the UK CAU Inter Counties Cross Country Championships brought together the very best athletes from across the country. As ever, Dorset’s green vests were worn with pride, and Bournemouth Athletic Club was well represented across the age groups in what is widely regarded as the highest standard of cross country racing outside of international competition.
Overseeing proceedings for Dorset’s youngest boys was BAC junior group coach Simon Hearn, who managed the Under 13 Boys team and guided them through the challenges of a deep and highly competitive field.
Under 13 Girls
A standout Bournemouth AC performance came from Allegra Ramirez, whose 9th place at the South West Regional Championships at RNAS Merryfield earlier in the year secured her selection. Allegra justified that faith with a strong run to finish 69th out of 316 in 12:56, a highly creditable result at national level.
Dorset’s scoring was led by Poole AC athletes, with Abigail Moors placing 44th (12:40) and Imogen Baisley 54th (12:48), as Madison Kindler of Essex took the title in 11:37 ahead of Sienna Lavine (Yorkshire) and Sophia Davies (Middlesex).
Under 13 Boys
Edward Davies ran for Simon Hearn’s Under 13 Boys team
In the boys’ race, Edward Davies battled gamely to finish 234th of 311 in 12:52 as Dorset placed 21st overall under Simon’s stewardship. The race was won by Luis Da Silva of Middlesex in 10:40, just ahead of Hampshire’s Paul Friedrich.
Under 15 Boys
Riley Austin was one of the faster members of the Dorset Under 15 Boys team
The Under 15 Boys race saw Riley Austin and Callum Pearson in action for Dorset. Riley, who enjoyed an excellent 2025 season including 3rd at the Dorset Schools’ Cross Country Championships and came 3rd, 3rd, 5th and 6th in the Upton Summer Series races. After a 22nd place at the Southern Championships in January, he travelled to Nottingham and delivered another fine UK Inter Counties display to finish 71st of 314 in 14:33.
Callum Pearson delivered a strong and mature performance
Callum Pearson’s selection came after a late call-up from the reserves, but he made the most of the opportunity. Starting eighth in the Dorset pen, he worked his way through to become the county’s fifth finisher, crossing the line 244th in 15:54 – an average of 6:08 per mile for the 2.58-mile course. His steady progress through the field reflected the hard training he had put in leading up to the championships.
Theo Cobley of Poole AC was Dorset’s first scorer in 34th (14:12), while Surrey’s Theo Creed edged a thrilling victory in 13:19, just one second ahead of Sussex’s Taylor Thom-Watts.
Under 15 Girls
Ellie Taylor underlined the great potential she has in the Under 15 Girls race
Bournemouth’s Ellie Taylor and Jessica Long represented Dorset in a high-quality Under 15 Girls race. Ellie, who had already finished 42nd at the Southern Championships and recorded the fastest female chip time at the Run Bournemouth Supernova 5k in October, ran strongly to finish 121st in 17:08.
Jessica Long played her part for the Dorset Under 15 Girls
Jessica Long, 37th at the South West Regionals, completed the course in 18:31 to place 238th of 313, gaining valuable experience at the highest level of junior cross country. The race was won by Gabrielle Pinder of the North East in 14:48, with Isabella Buchanan of Sussex second.
Under 17 Women
After a superb second place at the South West Regionals, Isabel Cherrett lined up in Nottingham hoping for another big performance. She delivered exactly that, finishing an impressive 25th of 268 in 19:39, once again demonstrating her consistency at major championships. Beth Lewis of Humberside took the title in 18:05, ahead of Kitty Scott (Surrey) and Devon’s Eleanor Foster.
Under 17 Men
Isaac May was competing for the Dorset Under 17 Men’s team
In the Under 17 Men’s race, Isaac May and Jacob Taylor donned the green vest. Isaac, who had finished 16th at the South West Regionals and 59th at the Southern Championships, placed 215th in 21:57 on a tough course.
Jacob Taylor was a second Bournemouth AC runner representing Dorset in the Under 17 Men’s race
Jacob Taylor, 118th at the Southerns, clocked 22:21 to finish 233rd, averaging 5:56 per mile over the 3.77-mile distance. Dorset’s leading finisher was Buddy Mitchell of Poole Runners in 21:30, while Rory Barclay-Watt of Devon took the win in 18:48.
Under 20 Women
Second-claim Bournemouth athlete Amelia Lawrence represented Kent in the Under 20 Women’s race. Although she did not quite find her best form on the day, she still placed 73rd of 144 in 25:27. It caps what has otherwise been an excellent cross country season, with strong showings in both the Hampshire and Wessex Leagues, as well as 7th place at the Southern Championships.
Isaac May finished 215th in a time of 21:57
Former Bournemouth AC member Erin Wells produced one of the top performances of the day, finishing 5th in 22:22, while Ava James of Sussex took the title in 21:40.
Under 20 Men’s and Seniors’ Highlights
Dorset also enjoyed success through Poole AC’s Charlie Collins, who continued his fine season by finishing 6th in the Under 20 Men’s race in 25:15 after dominating the Wessex League campaign over the backend of last year. Surrey’s Alex Lennon claimed the victory in 24:34.
Elsewhere on the programme, Jessica Gibson of Oxfordshire won the Senior Women’s race in 27:26, while the Senior Men’s title went to Kent’s James Kingston in 29:15.
The Inter Counties remains one of the toughest assignments in cross country running, with every county fielding its strongest available athletes. For Bournemouth AC’s young runners, simply pulling on the Dorset vest is an achievement in itself, and across the day the club’s representatives showed resilience, determination and no shortage of talent against the very best in the country.