The second half of the cross country season resumed where it left off for Bedford & County’s endurance squads with another medal haul at the Bedfordshire County Cross Country Championships.  The hilly course around Ampthill Park and cold, wet and windy weather made for truly testing cross country conditions.  However, showing no signs of excessive indulgence over the Christmas break, several of the club’s athletes won their respective age groups becoming county XC champions:  Eleanor Smith (U13 girls), Finley Bent (U13 boys), Lily Farr (U15 girls), Oliver Wilson (U15 boys), Imogen Chesterton (U20 women) and Ed Blythman (senior men).

In addition, there were medals for Megan Barnicoat and Catherine Warren (2^nd & 3^rd U13 girls); Oliver Coombes (2^ndU13 boys); Elllie Harper (2^nd U15 girls); Mackenzie Kotrys and Theo Beale (2^nd & 3^rd U15 boys), Lyla Danobrega (2^ndU17 women); Euan Supple (2^nd U17 men); Lauren Nichols (3^rd senior women); Emma Coombes (3^rd V40 women); Craig Emmerson and James Minter (2^nd & 3^rd senior men); and Ewan Wilson (3^rd V50 men). 

The good turnout and strong running from so many club athletes meant that Bedford and County also won team trophies for U13 girls, U13 boys, U15 boys and senior men.

Alan Turnbull was also the first M50 in the Cambridgeshire County Championships.

Full results below:

Despite the wintry conditions the Bedford and County Annual Christmas Handicap went ahead for the 42^ndconsecutive year. Due to the quite treacherous icy footpaths on the traditional embankment course, the race was moved onto the snowy sports fields adjacent to the Stadium. The 2.9 mile race, which comprised  3 large and one small lap, was quite intriguing with the group of 3 who were sent off first almost completing their 2^ndlarge lap as the last pair of runners off were only just starting. The nature of the race with the field of 24 spread around the lap, some having completed 1 or 2 laps, others just on lap 1, made fascinating but very confusing viewing for the spectators and officials.

There was more medal success for Bedford & County’s endurance athletes at the Eastern AA Cross Country Championships on Saturday 19^th November.  Held at Southill Park estate, the regional championships were greeted with cool temperatures, grey skies and persistent rain. The inclement weather combined with an uneven tussocky course and long distances made the races a genuine cross country challenge.

The Bedford & County junior boys endurance squad had a good turnout at the National Cross Country Relays, fielding 4 teams across the age groups.  Held at the traditional venue of Berry Hill Park, Mansfield, the weather was reasonably kind with only light rain and cool temperatures making for high quality racing throughout the day. 

Bedford & County AC's Senior men were in fine form at the English National 6 Stage Road Relay Championship at Sutton Park, Birmingham on Sat 8th  October. With the club having qualified 2 teams for the 6 x 5.9k relay hopes were high that both teams would be finish well up the field, with the A team possibly making the podium.

Following a good showing at the recent Aldershot Road Relays, Bedford and County AC junior boys were in action again at the National Road Relays at Sutton Park.  The U13 Boys started the day with Finley Bent (14:09) posting a quick time on the first leg handing over to Harry Henderson (18:32), admirably stepping in as a late substitute.  The experienced Oliver Coombes (15:48) brought the team home in 39^th place. 

Bedford and County AC's men were in action at the weekend in the first fixture of the winter season. They were competing in the Aldershot 6 Stage Road Relays which had been set up in opposition to the South of England Championships which have suffered a number of organizational issues over the last few years. Virtually all of the top 20 clubs in the South of England chose to go to Aldershot, with 80 teams entered in the Senior Men’s race, plus 35 teams in the Veterans races. The relays were held at Rushmoor Arena, Aldershot which had in fact been the venue for the South of England Relays Championships from 1988 – 2015.

On Saturday 24th September the club had 2 vets teams in the Aldershot Road relays. Each leg was 2 laps or 6k with 4 runners in each team.  Due to the available runners both teams were in the V40 catagory, but were at a disadvantage due to individuals ages. Steve Horton and Ewan Wilson led the teams out in the mass start with the seniors, setting up Andre Bonadies and Andy Blair to stabilise the teams' positions.  Steve Herring and Pete Dearden carried on the good work before handing on the virtual baton to Alan Turnbull and Jim Black, bringing  the teams home in 5th and 11th place.  The event was very well organised and everyone enjoyed the competition committing to compete again over the next few months.  If you are interested in helping the vets in the future please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Howard Darbon writes, “After a quiet start to the season, the club’s Wheelchair Athletes have been involved in a number of races since the end of July.

Competing at Sandy on 28^th July 2022 were Katie Connolly and Sean Chigumba.

Both athletes set season opening times in the 100m and 800m. For Sean, times of 25.1 seconds and 3:02.8 were his first experiences of competition in a racing chair. Katie set a personal best in the 100m of 27.6 seconds, and her time of 4:13.8 in the 800m was her first attempt at the 2 lap distance.

Sunday 4^th September saw the final of the Eastern Masters League take place at Bedford with a full programme of events for Men and Women, covering the ages of 35 to over 70.

Injuries and availability for Bedford made the task of wrestling the trophy from Milton Keynes AC difficult, but with athletes doubling and trebling up and more, and some racing out of age group, the overall result was in doubt right up to the final relays.

The biennial School Games took place in Loughborough on 2nd and 3rd September.  Bedford and County's Gracie Wall and Euan Supple were selected as one of the top 8 ranked athletes in the U.K in the Under 17 High Jump and 1500m Steeplechase respectively.  The competitors live within the athletes' village at Loughborough for 3 days and participate in the event, which brings sports people from athletics, cycling, swimming, hockey, cricket, wheelchair basketball and netball - amongst others - together to experience a mini Olympic Games.

Competing for ‘Kuala Lumpur’ to take on the teams from other former Olympic venues, Gracie won the High Jump, with a clearance of 1m73.  This rounds off a very good season for Gracie, who would like to thank her coach Barry Johnson for his support and guidance. She knows she would not have achieved any of this without him!

Euan also rounded off an excellent season with a fourth-place finish in the 1500m steeplechase in a time of 4:27.79.

Gracie Wall and Euan Supple enjoyed success in the England Athletics U15 and U17 Championships at Bedford yesterday (Saturday 27th August).  Near the end of a long season, Gracie had to dig very deep under pressure from English, Scottish and Irish athletes, but first time clearances at earlier heights, meant she kept enough energy to jump well enough to win the Under 17 National title with a jump of 1.75m.