Best of British for FVO Five
FVO athletes laid claim to five national titles in the British Championships, as the prospect of open moorland in South Wales was just as productive as the lumpy forests of the Lake District last year.
The championship events are coming thick and fast now, and this was the fourth big event in consecutive weeks, but there was still enough in the bag for a number of top performances.
Sarah Rollins carried right along where she's been for much of her glittering career, as she led W50 in 52.05, for her 7th British Champs win, and in M20 James Hammond secured his sixth consecutive crown, in 61.25, although he was pushed to the wire by new clubmate Tommy Rollins, who had the silver in 62.16.
Having missed much of last season with injury, Hannah Inman came into the champs with something to prove, and prove it she did, as she smashed out a 31.38 time in W14 for a margin of more than five minutes.
A number of the classes were very close indeed, and Alison Cunningham got ahead by three seconds to win W60 in 40.57, incredibly her first British long distance title after a string of recent near-misses. Andy Llewellyn looked to have done enough in 63.24 to take his first British title at the distance in M35, but he was run down, to the second, by the last starter, and the honours were shared.
Roger Goddard and Will Hensman are usually around at medal-giving time in big races, and both were on the podium again this time, in silver medal positions, Roger in M50 (56.21) and Will in M45 (61.18).
Two of our top youngsters also featured strongly in their races, where Peter Molloy won M21E bronze (83.12) for his first senior medal, and Scarlett Kelly reminded the selectors of her quality with the W18E bronze (71.36).
There are also four Short course medals, coming in the shape of wins for Jack Cheyne in M45S and Liz Owen in the corresponding women's class, and silvers for Holly Stodgell (W21S) and Oscar Baikie (M10B).