NSW XC Relays: Run Crew double

Published Sun 01 Jun 2025

1 June 2025

NSW XC Relays: Run Crew double

What a contrast the conditions were compared to the 2024 championships where torrential rain turned the course into a swap as the course deteriorated by the hour. The 2025 championships, the 34th edition of the meet, was held in glorious sunny conditions with temperatures around 20 degrees.

The times also reflected the superior conditions, with the men nine minutes, and the women seven minutes, faster than last year.

Run Crew defended their 2024 titles with the women claiming their fifth consecutive win.

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Leg 1

The first leg includes many of the better runners in each team and for the two leading teams their second fastest got things rolling. 18-year-old Harry Phillips led Run Crew with his 12:06 split (4th fastest of the day), while Sydney Uni’s Lockie Townsend was solid with 12:20. Also in the mix was Delta Project’s Yusuke Shibuya, a top-10 finishers at the Sydney 10, with his 12:19 split.

Caught up in the pure race from the gun that leg one is, were some other spectacular runs by Nowra’s Oliver Baxter (12:37), St George’s Kyle Mason (12:37) and Ryde’s Adam Bruntsch (12:38).

The race also included the under-18 and under-U20 relays and again there were some brilliant legs clocked. In the U18s, Trinity’s Matthew McLachlan recorded 12:03 – the second fastest time of the day and Hills District Harrison Baster (U20) 12:38. Gosford’s Harrison McClusky put in one of the best performances of the day, clocking 12:11 (5th fastest of the day) for his U20 team, then after just 15 minutes rest, he ran leg three for the Gosford open team, clocking 12:30. Another notable junior, with a famous distance running surname name, Moses Fowler, anchored the under-20 Kembla Joggers team with a 12:29 split.

Leg 2

On this leg it became clear it would be a Run Crew vs Sydney Uni race with just four seconds separating them at the end of the leg. On duty for the lead clubs were Jye Perrott (SYU) and Ben Jagger (RCR).

Leg 3

Run Crew’s Tom Middleton was able to extend the Run Crew lead to 17 seconds with a cracking 12:19 run.

Leg 4

The big guns would anchor the teams with world junior cross country representative Ciaran Rushton taking the baton for Run Crew and Ben Bishop for Sydney uni. Ben gave it a good shot, cutting well into Ciaran’s lead, but in the end, Run Crew crossed the line winners in 49:12, from Sydney University with 49:22. Ben Bishop had clocked the fastest split of the day with 11:57, while Ciaran Rushton’s 12:05, was the second fastest in the open relay.

Randwick Botany were served well on the anchor with Stephan Music over taking Gosford U20 team to cross the line in third with his split of 12:17 and a team time of 50:33. Finishing just off the podium, five clubs battled hard with just 40 second separating them: 4th Sydney Uni B (51:44), 5th Gosford 51:46, 6th Delta 52:03, 7th Run Crew B 52:20 and 8th Nowra 52:26.

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Run Crew A team totally dominated the event, with the four fastest time of the day. Gemma Jenkins opened the campaign with 14:29, then second and third legs, Ruby Madden and Rose Finnegan, both clocked the fastest times of the day 14:16. NSW Distance runner of the Year, Danette Sheehan, anchored the team with 14:23 for a team time of 57:25.

There was a battle was for the silver and bronze medals, with Run Crew B team holding off Bankstown, 60:32 to 60:58. After leg three just four seconds separated them with Run Crew on 44:59 minutes from Bankstown with 45:03. But Run Crew’s anchor, Sienna Colosi, ran away from Bankstown’s Ella Collusso, ging the club a 26 seconds winning margin.

Run Crew’s silver medal winning team comprised Olivia O'Kelly, Millie Chudley, Brianna Campton and Sienna Colosi. Bankstown team was Ruby McPhillips, Ashleigh Gardner, Shayne Hargraves and Ella Collusso.

In the under-20 relays, Newcastle flyers dominated with terrific leg from Annabelle Miller (14:40) and Hyewon Wilson (14:59). An incredible day at the venue for Hills athlete Sophie Polkinghorne, clocking the fastest legs in the U18 relay (15:17), U16 (7:06) and earlier in the day winning gold in the U16 5000m NSW Team Race Walking Championships.

RELAY SPLITS

WOMEN

14:16 Ruby Madden RCRA

14:16 Rose Finnegan RCRA

14:23 Danette Sheehan RCRA

14:29 Gemma Jenkins RCRA

14:37 Olivia O'Kelly RCRB

14:41 Isabella Harte SYUA

14:45 Shayne Hargraves BAN

14:56 Millie Chudley RCRB

14:58 Ruby McPhillips BAN

14:59 Erin Blundell SYUB