BUCS Cross Country 2026

On Saturday 31st January the British Universities & Colleges Sport Cross Country Championships were held at Charnwood College, Loughborough. The Oxford men delivered a historic overall victory in the A race — their first team win since 1970 and first individual men’s A race champion since 1990 — ending a decades-long dominance by resource-heavy programmes, such as Loughborough and Birmingham. The women added to the success with a superb bronze medal, Oxford’s first team podium finish in 25 years. All this occurring in the club’s 150th anniversary year.

Individual performances were equally impressive, with four athletes in the top 10 overall. Rebecca Flaherty (5th) and Christopher Parker (6th) produced standout runs and are now highly likely to be selected for Great Britain at the World University Games, alongside strong performances from Hanna Andrejczuk and Olympian Jared Ward.

Oxford (bronze and silver medallists over the previous two years, respectively) went into the weekend off the back of strong wins at Varsity from both the men’s and women’s sides. Although both teams had lost a few strong runners from previous years to injury or graduation, the addition of Olympian Jared Ward and GB cross country athlete Rebecca Flaherty (who both missed Varsity in December) bolstered the teams.

This year’s edition of the Women’s A race was a landmark moment for women’s university running as for the first time in history the women’s competition mirrored the men’s format: six to a team, four to score.

The race kicked off with fierce speed as the first race of the day allowed for a marginally less muddy course than in the afternoon’s competitions. Rebecca and Hanna led the charge, with Beth Rawlinson pushing on as the race continued. Running a strong and composed race, Rebecca improved 6 spots from her 2024 result of 11th, finishing in a very impressive 5th place overall, shortly behind Oxford alumna Charlotte Dannatt in 3rd. Close behind, Hanna produced a brilliant performance to finish in 10th place, firmly establishing the Blues presence at the sharp end of the field. After a gritty 8.2km Beth claimed her spot in the top 20, followed by Ella Davey (32nd), Anika Schwarze-Chintapatla (40th) and Sophie Glencross (85th). This result secured the Oxford Women’s first BUCS A race medal in 25 years.

Going into the Men’s A race, Loughborough looked the strongest side on paper, but with 7 BUCS medals between them, the team of Jared Ward, Christopher Parker, Thomas Wood, Alexander Gruen, Alexander Bampton and Thomas Renshaw had plenty of experience on their side.

The start was narrow and chaotic. Jared Ward was shoved around and nearly pulled down, while Chris Parker got off nicely, settling straight into the top 10. The rest of the Oxford team had to work through traffic over the opening few kilometres.

Jared soon settled into the lead group, just as Tom Spencer (Glasgow, formerly of Cambridge) lit up the race with a bold, committed move, opening up a gap of around 50 metres with most of the race still to run. The chasing pack began to splinter, with Jared leading the charge and Chris Parker hanging tough inside the top 10. Tom Wood and Alex Gruen moved well through the field to settle inside the top 25, while Alex Bampton and Thomas Renshaw were just outside the top 50.

Tom Wood and Alex Gruen continued to move through the field and suddenly Oxford were not just a podium contender, but just a handful of places away from contending for the title. The closing stages of the men’s race were chaotic and thrilling. Over the final few kilometres, athletes started to lap runners at the back end of the race and this made it even harder to know the standings.

Meanwhile, Jared was reeling in Tom Spencer on the faster sections of the course, while Tom seemed to float over the tougher, muddy sections. With around 600 metres to go, the gap had closed to around 10m. A marshals’ error then briefly delayed Tom, as the turn-off to the finish had not been opened, forcing him to take the corner late before cutting back onto the course once the mistake was realised. It came down to a flat-out footrace with Jared managing to out-kick Tom in the sprint finish to become Oxford’s first individual BUCS cross country champion since Simon Mugglestone in 1990.

Behind him, Chris Parker rallied strongly in the closing stages, producing a powerful finish to pip two runners on the line, including Loughborough’s first scorer, to take an outstanding sixth place. Tom Wood and Alex Gruen followed home in 13th and 21st respectively, bringing the team score to 41 points.

With 12 different universities represented in the top 20 and Loughborough’s first runner not crossing the line until seventh, a tense ten-minute wait for the results followed. Final confirmation showed Oxford had beaten Loughborough 41 points to 51, crowning OUCCC BUCS champions for the first time since 1970.

Reflecting on the race afterwards, Jared Ward summed it up:

“English cross country is something else – and this was a race to remember. Racing for the team was a powerful motivator, and the sound of Oxford support followed us throughout the course”

Oxford Coach Matt Seddon said:

“Saturday was special for everyone involved, and thanks are owed to both past and present members. This was a team achievement, not just the work of those who scored on the day.

In 2022 we left BUCS without silverware, with a best finish of 6th in the Men’s A and 9th Women’s A. On reflection Saturday’s result started there and were built deep within the club over the last few years.

There are probably a few key pillars that sparked the performance shift. Belief. Built on the achievements of those before us. Commitment. A quality which from my perspective seems to come rather naturally to anyone ingrained in this club, I can only think this is a product of academic success. Team bond. The club’s unity has slowly become our edge. Once this all came together and results began to trend upwards, a day like Saturday felt as though it would only be a matter of time.”

Oxford University Sports Department notes:

“The success reflects not only exceptional racing, but the impact of the Blues Performance Scheme (BPS). Through targeted strength & conditioning, physiotherapy, nutrition and psychology support, BPS enables our athletes to remain healthy, consistent and competitive while balancing demanding academic commitments — a vital factor in competing with universities with far larger athletics infrastructures. In addition, access to the newly resurfaced athletics track at Iffley Road has provided a premium training environment, allowing the squad to prepare with greater quality, consistency and confidence, and to perform at the highest level when it matters most.”

Full Results: https://results.sporthive.com/events/7422233933128925184