Warrington Athletics Club results: Cheshire Cross Country Championship

She was one of Warrington Athletics Club’s six individual winners on the day, while half a dozen team golds were secured as well, but the sight of Heavey crawling over the finish line was the mind-blowing moment of the whole event at Reaseheath College, Nantwich, on Saturday.

It will take an amazing act to top this show of true grit anywhere in sport for the rest of 2024.

The dramatic conclusion came in the under 17s women’s race in which the Warrington teenager had been totally dominant until the closing stages.

From the start she took the lead and built up a large advantage throughout the race, running with Jacob Pryor and Tom Welsby from the men’s team.

Esme Heavey during Saturday's Cheshire Cross Country Championships in Nantwich (Image: Contributed)

Turning into the field for the finish she had around a minute of a lead and looked unassailable but she was rapidly running out of energy.

As she entered the finish straight it became a battle just to stay on her feet.

Determined Heavy showed her grit as she fought to reach the finish line but with just five metres remaining her legs finally gave way and she fell.

But mind was set on nothing getting between her and gold, and she proceeded to crawl on hand and knees over the line to win by just three seconds in 25mins 58secs.

Along with Imogen Wharton, who was fourth (26.22) and Hannah Hull, eighth (28.59), the team gold was secured and Olivia Haselden completed the squad in 12th place (31:41).

The day had started with the under 11s race, with Alex Farrell leading the Warrington AC boys in sixth place (5.21) with Alfie Furnival right behind in seventh with the same time.

Tristan Tickle completed the A team in 11th place (5:31) to secure the team silver medals.

The B team of Hugo Stanford, 14th (5.49), Edward Maddocks, 19th (6:22), and Leonard Broadhurst, 24th (8:06), finished fifth and were the second-placed B team.

In the girls race, Emilia Gandy finished sixth (5.35) and along with Charlotte Andrew, 13th (6.06), and Ivy Davidson, 17th (6.18), the team came fourth. The squad was completed by Edie McArthur, 19th (6.30) and Bella McArthur, 27th (7.24).

Isaac McGuffie (8.11) and Oliver Davenport (8.14) crossed the line first and second in the under 15s boys race and, backed up by Joshua Pryor, sixth (8.38), took the team gold. Harry Millar, 13th (9.24), and Eddie Walker, 17th (9:50), completed the squad.

Eva Hayes (9.31) and Annie Noone (9.33) placed sixth and seventh in the under 13s girls but the team was incomplete, as was also the case in the under 15s boys event in which Elliot Taylor (15.51) and Thomas Darbyshire (23.14) clincheed 12th and 21st places.

At the same age group for girls Emily Kinsey (16.53) ran excellently to achieve silver and backed by the Gregory twins, Sinead (18.10) and Cara (18.31), the team took the gold medal. Sarah Ashcroft, seventh (18.47), and Jaycee Morrison, eighth (18.55), also did well.

In the under 17 men’s race Jack Marwood (21.17) collected silver and along with Alex Rix, eighth (24.19), and Tom Welsby, 11th (24.55), the team took the gold. Jacob Pryor (25.15) finished 12th.

Orla Gregory (30.22) took the under 20s women’s gold medal and along with Jess Connolly, fourth (34.47), and Ellen Turnbull, fifth (37.32), the team golds was also won. The squad was completed by Joy Ashcroft-Carter (39.16) in seventh spot.

In the senior women’s race, Claire Andrew (30.51) ran excellently to finish in fifth place, wining the over 45s age group in the process. Faye Lawton (36.39) was 32nd, Sharon Taylor (42:40) 58th and 12th over 50.

Second-claim members Georgina Walker (33.30) and Claire Demaine-Farrell (34.24), running under their first-claim club Lymm Runners, finished in 14th and 23rd places respectively, with Walker winning the over 45s silver medal and Demaine-Farrell finishing fifth in the same age group.

The day was completed by the senior men’s race, with Warrington winning the team silver thanks to Chris Stanford being seventh (39.44), Jack Wadsworth 10th (40.22), Adam Rashud 17th (41.23), Steve Watmough 32nd (45.03), David Watson 37th (45.46) and Jonny Leatherbarrow 51st (47.53).

Stanford and Rashud took silver and bronze medals in the over 40s age group, while Watmough won the over 60 age group and Watson was fourth in the over 50s.

The squad was completed by Dave Gill 69th (50.51), Stan Ogden 70th (50.59), Steve Burthem 74th (51.55) and Mark Gregory 94th (55.08) 94th.

Gill and Ogen took the gold and silver medals in the over 65s age group, with Burthem collecting silver in the over 60s.

Stanford, Rashud, Watmough and Watson won the masters team gold.

Second-claim member James Horman, competing under his first-claim club Liverpool Harriers, finished sixth in 39mins 42secs to seal the over 40s age group.

Gill was also presented with the gold medal for winning the Cheshire Road Race Grand Prix.

* If you have footage or pictures to share of Esme Heavey's victory, email to mike.parsons@nqnw.co.uk