Long Form Dispatches: The English National Cross-Country Relays, Berry Hill, Mansfield.

There’s cross-country. And then there are the cross-country relays. 

Follow the story of the English National Cross-Country Relays, meeting the individuals that hold the event together – inside and outside of the tape, in public office, on public transport, and in the heat of the racing. 

An event like this one in Mansfield is not so much athlete against athlete but club against club and it presents clear wins for the argument of sport being a unifier. For being a force for good. For engaging communities. They say endurance running is all about commitment and that’s what we uncover through the episode.

A huge thank you to Mansfield Harriers AC and the English Cross-Country Association for all their help in making this possible and to our contributors for being a part of it. 

Words & Images: Phil Gale & Emmie Collinge

Audio: Danny Easton 

Featuring the voices of:

Paul Beasley - Sutton & Ashfield Harriers

Pat Carlan - Mansfield Harriers

Beverly Armstrong - Mansfield Harriers

Abigail Hancock - Berry AC

Jordan Hale - Highgate Harriers

Keeran Sriskandarajah - Herne Hill Harriers

Fred Slemeck - Hercules Wimbledon

Rob Saunders - Highgate Harriers

Martin Tate

Jim Davies - Newstead Brass

Blake Tague - Newstead Brass

Mayor Andy Abrahams

Richard Massey - Mansfield Harriers

Wanda Curley - Mansfield Harriers

Harry Woodcock - Mansfield Harriers

Steve Davies - Mansfield Harriers

Alan Maddocks - Mansfield Harriers

Martin Bell - Mansfield Harriers

Graham Heely - ECCA

Tom Brown - Gateshead Harriers

Andy Carter - Vale Royal AC

James McDonald - Herne Hill Harriers

Duncan Mason Salford Harriers

Lynne Marr - ECCA Referee

Samantha Mason - Salford Harriers

Evie Collier - Salford Harriers

Olly Hampson - Brighton & Hove

Will Cork - Brighton & Hove

James Turner - Brighton & Hove

Lily Coward - AFD

Lauren Hall - AFD

Niamh Brown - AFD

Mark Hookway - Tonbridge AC

Kieran Riley - Tonbridge AC

Sean Renfer - Highgate Harriers

Martin Duff - Athletics Weekly

Ed Mallet - Hercules Wimbledon

Ben Allcock - Bedford AC

Seyed Taha Ghafari - Highgate Harriers

Rob Wilson - Highgate Harriers

Liam Dee- Shaftsbury Barnett Harriers

Alex Leprêtre - Highgate Harriers

Alasdair Kinloch - Tonbridge AC