Long Form Dispatches: The English National Cross-Country Relays, Berry Hill, Mansfield.

There’s cross-country. And then there are the cross-country relays. 

Follow the story of the English National Cross-Country Relays, meeting the individuals that hold the event together – inside and outside of the tape, in public office, on public transport, and in the heat of the racing. 

An event like this one in Mansfield is not so much athlete against athlete but club against club and it presents clear wins for the argument of sport being a unifier. For being a force for good. For engaging communities. They say endurance running is all about commitment and that’s what we uncover through the episode.

A huge thank you to Mansfield Harriers AC and the English Cross-Country Association for all their help in making this possible and to our contributors for being a part of it. 
Words & Images: Phil Gale & Emmie Collinge
Audio: Danny Easton 
Featuring the voices of:
Paul Beasley - Sutton & Ashfield Harriers
Pat Carlan - Mansfield Harriers
Beverly Armstrong - Mansfield Harriers
Abigail Hancock - Berry AC
Jordan Hale - Highgate Harriers
Keeran Sriskandarajah - Herne Hill Harriers
Fred Slemeck - Hercules Wimbledon
Rob Saunders - Highgate Harriers
Martin Tate
Jim Davies - Newstead Brass
Blake Tague - Newstead Brass
Mayor Andy Abrahams
Richard Massey - Mansfield Harriers
Wanda Curley - Mansfield Harriers
Harry Woodcock - Mansfield Harriers
Steve Davies - Mansfield Harriers
Alan Maddocks - Mansfield Harriers
Martin Bell - Mansfield Harriers
Graham Heely - ECCA
Tom Brown - Gateshead Harriers
Andy Carter - Vale Royal AC
James McDonald - Herne Hill Harriers
Duncan Mason Salford Harriers
Lynne Marr - ECCA Referee
Samantha Mason - Salford Harriers
Evie Collier - Salford Harriers
Olly Hampson - Brighton & Hove
Will Cork - Brighton & Hove
James Turner - Brighton & Hove
Lily Coward - AFD
Lauren Hall - AFD
Niamh Brown - AFD
Mark Hookway - Tonbridge AC
Kieran Riley - Tonbridge AC
Sean Renfer - Highgate Harriers
Martin Duff - Athletics Weekly
Ed Mallet - Hercules Wimbledon
Ben Allcock - Bedford AC
Seyed Taha Ghafari - Highgate Harriers
Rob Wilson - Highgate Harriers
Liam Dee- Shaftsbury Barnett Harriers
Alex Leprêtre - Highgate Harriers
Alasdair Kinloch - Tonbridge AC