NSW Cross Country Relays: UTS Norths and Sydney Uni claim titles

19 July 2025

NSW Cross Country Relays: UTS Norths and Sydney Uni claim titles

Despite heavy rain in the preceding days, the postposed 35th NSW Cross Country Relays got under way in perfect conditions at the Armony at Newington.

The open championships were won in contrasting styles. In the women’s UTS Norths dominated from the first leg, while the men’s was a closer race, with Sydney University eventually taking a comfortable victory by 10 seconds.

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University of NSW’s Logan Campell led the field on leg one, with the fastest split of the day – 11:45 minutes. He held off Sydney University’s Lachie Townsend (11:46) and Randwick Botany’s Drew Fryer (11:52). While 18-year-old Harrison McClusky kept Gosford in the picture with an impressive 12:03 split.

On leg two Randwick Botany slipped back into the field as Sydney University’s Ben Graham moved his team clear with a 12:12 leg. On leg three, or the ‘moving leg’ Kurt Fryer, with a split of 12:00 minute s took RBH into second and within striking range of the title. Solid legs by Gosford pair Luke Shaw (12:20) and Rohan Nairn (12:32) had them in a podium position going into the final leg.

Anchoring for Sydney University was Ben Bishop, who had a 23 seconds lead over Randwick Botany who would be anchored by an inform Stefan Music. Despite a brilliant leg of 11:57 by Music, the fourth fastest of the day, he would not be able to make up the margin, falling 10 second short of Bishop’s 12:10 anchor as Sydney University finished in a time of 48:20, ahead of RBH’s 48:30.

Gosford’s James Starkey flew home with a 12:20 split to guarantee them the bronze in 49:17, extending their lead over UNSW in fourth (50:27) and Run Crew fifth (50:37).

Sydney University defended their 2025 title and won their seventh in the history of the race. Randwick Botany remain the kings of this race with 14 wins.

Last year just Ben Bishop dipped under 12 minutes, while this year three were under 12 minutes.

WOMEN OPEN

With the big guns, 3-time NSW Short Course XC champion Kate Spencer and Olympian Georgia Winkcup to follow, UTS Norths’ Claudia Meaker was sent out on the first leg to cover the main threat of Olivia O’Kelly from 5-time champions Run Crew. Meaker waited until the final uphill to put a five second gap into O’Kelly, finishing with a time of 13:54 – the third fastest split of the day. O’Kelly, 18, ran on for a terrific leg of 13:59.

It was all over when UTS Norths’ Tokyo Olympian Georgia Winkcup clocked 13:35 on the second leg. Ava Garnys (14:11) and Kate Spencer (13:33) with the fastest leg of the day, brought UTS North home for a 87 second win in 55:16, from Run Crew with 56:43.

Run Crew remains a threat with two terrific final legs by Katie St Lawrence (14:07), who is coming off the birth of a second child, and Ireland’s Nichola Sheridan (14:02) who two weeks ago ran a breakthrough marathon time of 2:33.26. Randwick Botany were third in 61:39.

For UTS Norths, they broke Run Crew’s five consecutive year winning streak since COVID. It was also a lot quicker than Run Crew’s 2025 winning time of 57:25. Last year the fastest split was 14:16, while this year four athletes dipped under 14 minutes.

It was the second win for UTS Norths in the history of the race following 2019.

Katie St Lawrence claimed family bragging rights for the day with her 14:07 split, ahead of husband and dual Olympian Ben St Lawrence’s 14:08 split.

MEN OPEN SPLITS

11:45Logan Campbell UNSW

11:46Lachlan Townsend SYU

11:52Drew Fryer RBH

11:57Stefan Music RBH

12:00Kurt Fryer RBH

12:01Jack Millar RCR

12:03Harrison McClusky GOS

12:10Ben Bishop SYU

12:11Luca Gillard SYU

12:12Ben Graham SYU

WOMEN OPEN SPLITS

13:33Kate Spencer UTN

13:35Georgia Winkcup UTN

13:54Claudia Meaker UTN

13:59Olivia O'Kelly RCR

14:02Nichola Sheridan RCR

14:07Katie St Lawrence RCR

14:11Ava Garnys UTN

14:16Amy Jackson RBH

14:27Caitlyn Tan UNSW

14:30Adelaide Marshall SYU

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Kate Spencer clocked the fastest split of the day (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)