READING Athletic Club’s Jess Gibbon raced to a magnificent victory it the latest Hampshire Cross Country League fixture at Sparsholt College, near Winchester, on Saturday.

On the difficult, hilly, 6km course Gibbon won by 12 seconds in a time of 23m 52secs.

She was backed up well by Georgia Hayes in fifth place (and third Under 20) with 24.50, and Anna Boniface in 14th with 26.22, to give Reading silver in the team event.

In the age-group races, Reading’s U15 girls team finished second place in their 4km race, just two points behind Winchester. Holly Haldane (fourth with a time of 15.10), Ella Newman (seventh in 15.30) and Evie Elson (eighth in 15.33) made up the team.

Reading were able to field only two runners (pictured) in the Under 15 boys’ 4km race, but Oli Snoxall claimed ninth (14.13), while Aidan Marshall was 35th in 15.38.

Two other Reading U15 athletes were in action on Saturday at Taunton in the English Schools Cup south-west final, where Chris Parker had a great result in finishing second and Nick Haldane was 29th to give their Blue Coat team second place.

For Reading’s U17 women in their 4km race at Sparsholt, Mia Waldmann took 10th place in 16.02, and Lara Tolson finished 20th in 17.20. Oonagh O’Driscoll came 22nd in 17.29 as the team finished fourth.

The U17 men’s team came sixth in their 6km race on the back of Laurie Baker (13th in 24.41), Mattie Raynor (28th in 26.15) and Isaac Mileham’s (39th in 30.50) efforts.

In the U13 boys' 3km race, the team of Jacob Sheikh, (23rd in 11.57), Finley Hannigan (32nd in 12.15) and George Bundy (43rd in 12.46) gave Reading sixth place.

Meanwhile, Maddox Gillas, running at Taunton for Forest School, took silver.

Reading’s U13 girls team of Alex Marden (20th in 12.50), Gracie Haldane (24th in 12.58) and Emma Yeadon (28th in 13.08) finished sixth.

In the 2km U11 races, Serena Deol (8th in 8.50) and Isabella Wood (9th in 8.52) enjoyed encouraging results.

Reading senior men finished a very respectable fourth in their 9km race.

Their point-scorers were Luc Jolly (20th in 32.59), Dan Thorne (24th in 33.16), U20 Eddie Steveni (26th in 33.22), Chris Prior (32nd in 33.44 and top M40 runner) and Ed Stockdale (40th in 34.15).

Stockdale was followed by James Fox (41st in 34.21), club captain David Lewis (43rd in 34.29), V40 Adam Rennie (44th in 34.33), Ryan O’Brien (46th in 34.41), Martin Turton (64th in (35.24), U20 duo Tom Nike (67th in 35.32) and Ben Rollings (69th in 35.33), Garry Kerridge(137th in 39.10), M50 athlete Neil Walker (171st in 40.41, M40 Andy McDonald (193rd in 42.14) and Gerry O’Driscoll (M50), who was 270th in 48:55.

The veterans posted a score of 52, giving them fifth place overall.

Reading Roadrunners were fifth in the main placings, leaving them joint fifth with Winchester & District in the overall list.

Jack Gregory led the team home in 34th position with a time of 33.54, followed by M40 Mark Worringham (60th in 35.13), Mark Aspey (63rd in 35.24), Jamie Smith (68th in 35.22) and Brendan Morris (74th in 35.50).

Reading runners will be out in force this coming Sunday at Prospect Park for the Berks, Bucks & Oxon championships, with the first race scheduled for 12.15pm.