Thousands of runners and spectators descended on Sedgefield for the 2026 English National Cross Country Championships on Saturday 21 February. The event was held in East Park, returning to County Durham for the first time in 25 years. Over 3,800 runners signed up to take part in the country’s premier winter athletics event, representing hundreds of clubs. Among them were many of England’s best athletes, some of whom have competed for the nation at international events.

The 2026 English National Cross Country Championships were organised by the English Cross Country Association (ECCA), in partnership with Northern Athletics and Sedgefield Harriers, with support from Durham County Council, and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and the North East Combined Authority. The championships included 10 races for junior and senior athletes and there were hundreds of runners in each, with the biggest fields in the senior women’s and men’s events. North East clubs were well represented, including 50 runners from Sedgefield Harriers.

Athletes travelled to Sedgefield from around the country, accompanied by family, friends and coaches. The event also attracted a large number of spectators. Organisers sourced products and services from Sedgefield businesses as much as possible (such as Number Four, which supplied excellent packed lunches for the volunteers and officials and a buffet for VIPs), and hotels in the vicinity were fully booked for the weekend, providing another boost to the economy.

Logistics for the event were managed with support from Sedgefield Racecourse, Hardwick Park, Hardwick Hall Hotel, NETPark, Sedgefield Cricket Club and Manor House Sedgefield. A large number of local volunteers made it possible to hold the event (so many individuals, plus 1st Sedgefield Scouts), and document it for a large audience, including Paul Heasman and Ian Dunn.

Sue Dobson, chair of Sedgefield Harriers, comments: “Sedgefield Harriers was proud to host this prestigious national event. It was wonderful to see so much support out on the course, especially from this community, and I am proud that we had 50 athletes from the club taking part, representing every age decade from our talented teenagers to one lady in her 70s. It shows what a diverse membership we have and we hope that staging the championships will inspire more to join us. A huge ‘thank you’ to our members and the army of local people who have volunteered out on the course and in the car parks to make the event a huge success.”

Feedback on the event from visitors has been overwhelmingly positive, with many people commending the venue, the volunteers, the organisation of the day, and of course, Sedgefield itself. One veteran athlete posted on the ECCA Facebook page: “I went to my first national in 1973 - never been to a better one, well done to everybody involved in putting it together.” This comment reflects many others that have been made.

I was involved in this event, so writing from a personal perspective for a moment, I was immensely proud of the job that our community did to host the event. It’s important to reflect on what got us to this point. A little over 20 years ago, Ean Parsons founded Sedgefield Harriers and the club was energetic and ambitious from the start.

It was Ean’s vision that brought the North Eastern Counties Cross Country Championships here for the first time in 2015, and that ultimately led to yesterday. In staging ‘The National’, Sedgefield Harriers and the wider community once again demonstrated what is possible when we work together, and we did it with a beautiful combination of efficiency and joyful panache.

I’m nervous about listing volunteers in case I miss anyone out inadvertently, and everyone did a brilliant job, but it would be wrong to not name-check Angus Hearmon, Andy Featherstone, Jonathan Wallace, Karen Killingley and Andy Gargett, who between them had to manage some of the most complex and stressful aspects of the event. In short, well done Sedgefield!

Sedgefield Squash Club recently hosted its first major county championships, the County Masters. The entry age for this competition starts at 35 and goes up in five-year intervals.

Sedgefield had a host of successes, including two ladies in the Over 35 final, which saw Karen Naunton achieving the win over Emma Allen. Other main event county winners were Colin Langley in the Over 40s and Nick Hill in the Over 45s.

Ian Williams was runner up in the over 65s, resulting in him being selected for the county men’s Over 65 team. Phil Best was runner up in the men’s Over 40s plate, and Gordon Peden was the winner of the Over 60s plate, with Chris Rowsby taking the runner up slot. Congratulations to all who took part and helped host the event.

Squash has proven to be a great way to stay fit for individuals, couples, and families, while meeting new people and having the chance to play competitively or just for fun.

If you are interested in joining Sedgefield Squash Club, please email info@sedgefieldsquashclub.com.

In February, several members of Chi Taekwondo Club, based at Fishburn Youth and Community Centre, competed in a Local British Taekwondo competition in Willington. Despite most of the Chi Taekwondo team participating for the first time in a major competition, all came away with hard fought medals and certificates.

A special well-done to Samson Metcalfe, aged 8, and Hattie Leavy, aged 9, who won gold and silver medals in their respective groups.

Taekwondo is a traditional martial art originating from Korea. Students practising the martial art can expect to learn a full range of skills including kicking, punching, self-defence and patterns (poomsae). The sport is excellent for building confidence, learning about respecting yourself and others, and teaches strong ethics and moral values for children and adults alike.

Chi Taekwondo Club trains on Tuesday and Thursdays, from 6pm-7:30pm. Anyone interested in learning, please contact Master Mike Britton on 07743 455065.

Moving into February at Sedgefield Cricket Club sees preparations for the 2026 season gather pace. The month will begin with kit suppliers Icon visiting the club, an opportunity for players of all ages to measure up for new or replacement playing gear.

If anyone missed the day, all orders are placed online so there’s still time to sort things out. Subscriptions are also due for the calendar year, for players, families and social members. Although everyone is welcome at the club, members enjoy notable drink discounts, so if you haven’t renewed or would like to join, either contact sccmemberships@outlook.com or enquire at the bar.

A first visit of the year to the club will also reveal the facelift undergone in the bar, with all the internal furnishings renewed, creating a great transformation and a more comfortable experience for customers.

Pre-season indoor training runs until late March at Sedgefield Community College with senior players training on Tuesdays from 6:30pm-8pm, and juniors on Fridays, timings depending on the age group.

Sedgefield Harriers is preparing for two events early in 2026. First up will be the winter handicap race on Sunday 11 January, starting and finishing at Bishop Middleham Village Hall. The race is approximately 10k on a two-lap multi terrain route along path and trails surrounding Bishop Middleham. It is free to enter for members of clubs who are affiliated to England Athletics. There is a £2 charge for others. All entries take place on the day and handicapping for the event is based on each runner’s best 10k time in the previous 12 months.

Then, on Saturday 21 February, for the first time, Sedgefield will host the English National Cross Country Championships in East Park. Organised by the English Cross Country Association in partnership with Sedgefield Harriers and supported by Durham County Council, the championships will include 10 separate races for junior and senior runners, and are sponsored by SportsShoes.com. The event was last staged in North East England in 2013 and will be returning to County Durham for the first time in 25 years. Thanks to some additional financial support from the office of the North East Mayor at the North East Combined Authority, Sedgefield Harriers will be able to put more resources behind promoting the championships, and staging an event that showcases the area positively to the rest of the country.

The ‘Nationals’ is the most prestigious event in the winter athletics calendar and has been the proving ground for some of the nation’s greatest athletes, including North East stars such as Brendan Foster, Mike McLeod, Charlie Spedding, Steve Cram, Aly Dixon and Laura Weightman. Look out for more information about the event next month, but in the meantime, organisers are recruiting volunteers to help stage the championships. You can join the event delivery group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/xc2026volunteers, or send me an email (chrisjlines@aol.com).