Strong Showing from St Mary’s Athletes at Great Edinburgh International Cross Country

A number of Endurance Performance and Coaching Centre (EPACC) athletes and alumni of St Mary’s University, Twickenham competed at the Simplyheath Great Edinburgh Cross Country.

The annual international event, which took place at Holyrood Park in Edinburgh on Saturday, featured nine EPACC athletes and alumni representing their country, with six having top 10 finishes. 

Adam Clarke, training partner of fellow St Mary’s alumnus Sir Mo Farah, won the Team Relay 4x1km event with Team GB.

EPACC athlete Emelia Gorecka, who ran 5000m at both the 2014 European Championships and Commonwealth Games and recently won team Gold at the European Cross Country Championships (ECCC), finished just two seconds behind European 5000m and 10000m champion Yasemin Can in second in the Senior Women 6km race.

Alumna Steph Twell, who won the aforementioned team Gold with Emelia and has represented Team GB at 1500m and 5000m at Rio 2016 and Beijing in 2008, as well as the 2017 World Championships in London, finished fifth in the Team Relay 4x1km event with EPACC athlete Jake Wightman as they represented Team Scotland.

Elsewhere, first year Sports Science student Phoebe Law followed up her team Gold and individual top 10 finish in December’s ECCC with sixth place in the Senior Women 6km event.

Alumna Katie Bingle finished 17^th in the same race while EPACC athlete Philippa Bowden, who was in Phoebe’s team at the ECCC, came 23^rd.

Alumnus Andy Vernon, who competed in the 10000m at Rio 2016, finished ninth in the Senior Men 8km race, while EPACC athlete Nick Goolab came 12^th in the same event.

Great Britain finished second in the overall team event behind Europe but ahead of third place United States.

Director of Sport at St Mary’s Andrew Reid-Smith said, “I’m pleased to see St Mary’s EPACC athletes and alumni producing such impressive results.  These strong performances follow on from six of our athletes winning team golds at the European Cross Country Championships, we are delighted to see them consistently performing at a GB level.”