Cookham cold is snow problem for Newbury AC and Team Kennet

Newbury Athletic Club athletes braved the cold, frost bitten and snow covered conditions to take on the Berkshire Cross Country Championship on Sunday, held at Copas Farm in Cookham on the north-eastern edge of the county.

The runners were handsomely rewarded for their efforts, securing a succession of individual and team medals as well as a number of invitations to represent Berkshire at the Inter-Counties Championship later in the season.

The under-15 boys team of Josh Norton, Jacob Glendenning and Jack Collings won gold with a magnificent performance, beating the Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow team by a single point.

Norton led the way, finishing third to claim an individual bronze medal, while Glendenning in fourth and Collings in 12th made sure of the team triumph.

There was also success for Newbury AC in the senior men's race, which was won by Bracknell AC's Olympian Zak Seddon, as the trio of Cameron Craik, Callum O'Neill and Matthew Green clinched a team bronze.

The veteran team comprising Bernie Gerrard, Mike Robbins and Mike Wheeler stormed to team gold, with Gerrard finishing third to win the individual bronze.

Bradley Thomas had a great run on his Newbury AC debut, finishing 15th, while there were strong runs from Lewis Newton, Martin Walker, Richard Kennedy, Nige Popplewell and Chris Sturm.

Meanwhile, Xavier Lee had another very impressive run in the under-13 boys race, finishing third.

Josie Robertson was another to win bronze thanks to a great run in the under-17 women's race while her teammate Isabel Moore was rewarded for her seventh placed finish with a county invitation, along with all Newbury athletes finishing in the top eight of their respective races.

Sophie Bhatt ran well to finish fifth in the under-20 women's race, as did Katya Burgess, who came fifth in the under-15 girls race.

Georgia Knight was 12th in the under-15 girls race and Alexandra Bettley was 17th in the senior women's race.

Charlie Adams was eighth and Aston Howse 10th in a very competitive under-17 men's race while Rupert Knight and Jude Bennett both impressed in the inaugural under-11 boys race, finishing fourth and sixth respectively.

Team Kennet likewise impressed in the difficult conditions in Cookham with all athletes producing excellent performances.

Kennet had two superb teams in the under-13 girls race.

Charlotte Bailey was the club's first runner home in sixth with her teammates Amber Stiles in 11th and Emerald Hill Sawyer in 12th as Kennet's leading team won a bronze medal.

Ella Cronk was the leading athlete for the second team, finishing 17th, while Chloe O'Riordan was 18th and Lola Mitcham 20th as the trio finished fifth overall.

Andy Colling was 50th in the senior men's race, enough to secure him a silver medal in the Vet 55 category.

Ethan Kuijten ran well to finish 11th in the under-15 boys race and Isaac Mitcham was 11th in the under-17 men's race.