A National silver was superb, but it was oh so close to a glorious gold medal for history-making local lads

​The talented trio won the Junior Men’s silver medals at the National Cross Country Relays in Mansfield. Harry Hewitt all but closed a nine second gap on the winners Radley AC on the final leg, but the Radley runner had just enough left in the tank to hold on.

Hewitt started his leg in third place and soon passed eventual bronze medalists Aldershot & Farnham AC, who he then left trailing in his wake. Running the fastest leg of the day out of all the runners in the junior race, Hewitt was just held off by the relieved Radley athlete who won by the slim margin of one tenth of a second.

Preston was 8th quickest on the first leg finishing just six seconds behind the leader while second leg runner Beedell took the team up to 3rd, nine seconds off the lead.

No team from the Peterborough area had ever gained a podium place at the championship before and a happy team manager Elaine Larkins said: “I am so proud of how the lads ran. It was an incredible race from start to finish.

The finish was really exciting with Harry sprinting so hard for the line. To come round the last bend five metres down and to close the gap to half a stride was absolutely thrilling to watch.

“But as exciting as it was to watch that race I think it says so much for the club that the lads all have different coaches. That shows the strength in expertise which we have.”

Beedell joined the club as an under 17 while Hewitt and Preston have been members since their pre-teen years. Beedell summed up the feelings of the team when saying: “It felt absolutely amazing to be with such a great bunch of lads. I’m so pleased to give something back to the club who have supported me for so long. I am well chuffed.”

The junior men fielded a B team, and they also did well finishing 50th out of 83 teams thanks to the efforts of Tobias Goodwin, Isaac Fell and Felix Bowling. Thomas Sayer & Elijah Goodwin also ran in an incomplete C team.

PANVAC’s senior ladies had a very good day finishing 19th out of 105 teams. Gemma Holloway, Hannah Knight and Molly Peel all ran well with Peel gaining seven places on the last leg.

Amber Park, Olivia Walker and Sarah Caskey ran for the B team who finished an excellent 41st.

The under 15 boys placed 32nd out of 91 teams thanks to the efforts of Lewis Legge, Monty Wood-Davis and Finlay Smith. The under 15 girls team of Lucy Preston, Izzy Hurn & Florence Hobbs completed the relay 63rd out of 89 teams, while the under 17 men placed 59th in a 92 team strong field. The team comprised Thomas Hughes, Toby Staines & Luca Gaskell.

Nathan Bunting, Harvey Hancock, Dan Lewis and Simon Fell performed well guiding the senior men to 52nd place. The senior men's B team also finished in the top half of the field taking 77th place out of 164 teams. Opening leg runner Steven Sheppard got them off to a good start which was built on by Steven Wilkinson, Kyle Tombleson and Harry Ledger.

A ‘C’ team comprising Andrew Preston, Max Dalloz and Sean Beard finished 150th but were a man short of fielding a full team.