After the cavalry charge up the first hill Megan worked her way through to settle at the back of the leading group of five, headed by Non Stanford (West Wales) and defending champion Charlotte Browning, with Danielle Christmas (Sussex) and northern champion Mary Ferrier in contention. Katie Richardson ran a tremendous race for most of 4km course in sixth, yards behind Megan and ahead of the chasing bunch. As Stanford and Browning eased away in their personal battle for gold and silver another battle developed for bronze as Ferrier surged ahead, dropping Christmas, as Megan struggled to stay in touch. But as the northern champion failed  to build up a decisive gap Megan stormed through in the last hundred metres to take her rival in the last stride to win bronze, just four seconds behind Browning's winning time.  Despite being pegged back by the chasing group over the last half mile Katie held on to finish a superb ninth, in her first year in the age group, after finishing only 20th in the u13 race last year. Megan and Katie received a boost when the team points were tallied, as their Essex team claimed bronze.  Robyn Matson had a good run, back in 62nd of the 297 finishers. 

In the u15 boys event the improving Ashley Reece ran strongly to finish 23rd, beating rival Paul Bumpstead for the first time this winter.  He was fourth scorer for the dominant Essex squad who with first, second and seventh in addition to Ashley's 23rd, walked away with the team gold. 

Katie Richardson and Megan Foley

Bradley Tungatt went one better than Ashley, placing 22nd in the under 13 boys' event. His brother Scott was recorded as placing 141st, but spectators felt it was a case of "mistaken identity"  and that he finished around 100 places higher. Paul Adair was 178th. Matthew Watkins pulled out a few days earlier due to sickness.

In the u13 girls' event Michaela Roberts, Clare Robinson and Hayley Thomas were back in the pack , placing 178th, 180th and 203rd respectively while in the Under 20 men's race Martin Heys was 111th and Andrew Hunter some way back in 179th.

Other club athletes saw their hopes fade as missed training through illness and injury took its toll. Among them was Debbie Sullivan, 24th in the senior women's race, whose build up was disrupted causing her to miss the key races she had planned. Similarly Faye Fullerton, runner up in the u20 women's race last year, was never in contention and after featuring early on in the top 8 drifted back through the field to place 17th. Sara Luck also made a late decision to run in the u17 event, after illness badly affected her preparations, but she failed to finish.