Ben ticks-off Southern XC title
It was elder brother’s turn to shine this weekend, as Ben Tickner won the Southern Cross Country Championships in Brighton. Over the last few weeks it has been Tickner the junior (Frank) who has dominated much of the UK cross country scene…
Showing that the Tickner family talent runs deep, Ben held off 2010 winner Phil Wicks for a narrow victory over 9 miles at the Stanmer Park course. John Pepper from Enfield was third.
With almost 750 finishers in the men’s race alone, the Southerns showed that they can compete with the other two area champs (North and Midlands) in numbers and quality of racing.
Tickner, along with Sussex champion Jon Pepper, Enfield & Haringey, who also ran for Phoenix in the County event were never far away from the leader, Phil Wicks (Belgrave) over this nine mile race.
Wicks was seeking his third title and he had established a significant lead as the runners set out for the third of their three-mile laps with a group of runners some forty yards back.
When the leaders came back into the finishing field Tickner was gaining hand over fist on the Belgrave runner and in the final one hundred yards it was the Sussex man who powered through to take the title by ten yards with Pepper showing equal pace to take the bronze medal.
Southampton’s Ceri Mitchell was the women’s champion with a five second victory over Lauren Deadman. Lucy Elliot was a strong, but distant third.
The start of the junior womens race
Other winners on the day included 17 year-old Emelia Gorecka in the junior women’s race, demolishing a good quality field, with another 2 years still to go in that age group.
Full results over at the Power of 10 site here.
