SO a teaser for stat-minded fans at Westbury Harriers. Who was the last person to win a gold medal at the Midland Counties Cross Country Championships before Rosie Hamilton-James?
The question came to wind when writing about Hamilton-James superb win in the under 20 women’s race and realising what a popular winner she was on social media and among her peers.
But how many years have elapsed since the Harriers last boasted an individual champion?
The club’s last individual medallist was actually Dalis Jones, who finished third in the under 15 girls’ race in 2019 to add to her silver in the 2017 under 13 girls’ race.
Sadly, it seems that was the last season in which Jones (pictured left) competed for the club.
I wondered how long I might have to sift through the Midland Counties records to find that last champion but as it transpired not much longer.
Because the previous title winner before Hamilton-Jones was none other than Ellie Hobbs, who won the under 15 girls’ race in 2016, the same year in which older sister won silver in the under 17s age group.
So the club’s followers have to wait six years before saluting a new champion and one can only hope that Hamilton-Jones, who appears to be thriving as a student at Birmingham University, can now go on and have a successful career as a senior.