George Groom has claimed the most prestigious title in the Cross Country calendar by storming to victory at the National Cross Country Championships.

The St Columba’s College athlete took the lead after a fast start from Zakariya Mahamed in the junior boys’ event, and commanded the pace in the hilly and muddy conditions. With a relentless push to the finish, he won by 12 seconds to earn his first national title against almost 400 competitors.

Coached by the St Columba’s College’s Head of PE Stephen Murphy as part of the college’s cross country programme, the pair had targeted the National Championships as the one to win on the familiar Parliament Hill course as the focus of the season.

Groom, who sacrifices his lunchtimes to train on the school fields during the week with the squad and helps coach the younger squad members now heads to the English Schools Championships as the reigning Herts County Schools Champion to continue his phenomenal season.

Murphy said: “This national title hasn’t come overnight, it’s the result of hours and hours of hard work by George in the cold, in the rain and in the dark, giving up his time with a belief in this goal in mind - he couldn’t deserve it more.”