What a month. March packed indoor medals, national and international cross country vests, a home half marathon and the first outdoor track outings of the year into four glorious weeks, and the Beagles were everywhere: Nottingham, Liverpool, Bangor, Stoneleigh, Aldershot, Colchester, Milton Keynes and, of course, Brentwood.
From year 4 runners taking on their first national championship to England vests, county golds and a debut half marathon, there is something in here for everyone. If you missed our last round-up you can catch up here, then read on for all of March’s results.
March at a glance
- Madison Kindler won the U13 girls 3km at the National Inter-Counties Championships and Cross Challenge Final at Wollaton Hall, Nottingham in 11:37, and also won the Cross Challenge series.
- Brentwood Beagles finished day two of the Essex and Eastern Indoor Championships with one championship best performance, 5 golds, 5 silvers and 10 bronze medals.
- Madison Kindler, Summer Smith and Sophie Bickerstaff all won England team gold at the SIAB Schools International Cross Country in Bangor, with Madison taking individual bronze in 11:05.
- Max Sanderson finished 4th at the Brentwood Half Marathon in 1:10.47 on his half marathon debut, one of over 25 senior Beagles in the race.
- Beagles won the U13 girls and U17 women's titles, plus the U11 female race, at the Essex Road Relay Championships in Colchester.
- The Beagles U13 girls team of Madison Kindler, Lianne Esterhuysen, Emily Brewington and Haysan So won the 3k team title at the SEAA Road Championships in Milton Keynes.
Essex and Eastern Indoor Championships, Day Two
Day two of the Essex and Eastern Indoor Championships produced a haul to remember, with Beagles medals across the walks, sprints, jumps and middle distance.
In the 1000m race walk, Stuart Bennett (5:45.22) took silver as 2nd in his age group. Celia Cordran (6:14.23) walked a PB to collect Essex gold and Eastern bronze, and Wendy George (6:22.86) also set a PB on her way to second in Essex.
On the track, U15 girl Jess Bone (45.38) ran a new 300m PB to qualify for the final, where she finished 6th in 46.61.
The 200m brought a stack of personal bests:
- U13 Isabella Dunbar (30.48), a new PB and 4th in her heat
- U13 Christina Lees (35.47), a PB
- U15 Robyn Colyer (29.07), 3rd in her heat
- U15 Amalie Irvine (28.88), a new PB
- U17 Daisy Willingale (26.68), a new PB in the heats, then 4th in the semi final in 27.20
- U15 Patrick Barden (25.40), a new PB
- U15 Max Cheetham (24.27), a new PB in the heats before taking Essex bronze in the final in 24.43
In the triple jump, Daisy Willingale added a season’s best of 10.42m in the U17 women’s competition for Essex and Eastern bronze medals, while U15 boy Kairhys Hoyte (10.10m) jumped a new PB for 3rd place and Essex and Eastern medals.
The 800m was a Beagles showcase. U13 girl Lianne Esterhuysen (2:29.0) was 3rd for Essex and Eastern bronze medals, Emily Brewington (2:40.86) ran a new PB, and U13 boy Rafi Mather (2:40.57) also set a PB. U15 Amalie Twydell (2:36.25) clocked a season’s best, and U15 Madison Kindler (2:16.20) was simply superb, a championship best performance for Essex and Eastern gold.
Over 1500m, U17 Ollie Johnson (4.51.26) and U17 Isabel Forrest (5:16.05) both picked up Essex bronze, U20 Olivia Forrest (4:44.10) took Essex and Eastern gold, and U20 Max Sanderson (4:05.4) collected two silver medals.
Sunday’s tally: one championship best performance, 5 championship golds, 5 silvers and 10 bronze medals. Thanks to @coach66flix and Daniel E for the photos.
National Inter-Counties Championships and Cross Challenge Final, Wollaton Hall, Nottingham
Fourteen Beagles were selected to represent their counties at the National Inter-Counties Championships and Cross Challenge Final, held on the picturesque Wollaton Hall course in Nottingham.
The U13 girls 3km was the race of the day for the club. Madison Kindler (11:37) was dominant throughout to win for Essex and also take the Cross Challenge series. Sophia Davies (11:54) was 3rd for Middlesex, an individual bronze medal, leading her county to team silver and winning the Cross Challenge competition gold. Lianne Esterhuysen (12:17) was 17th for Essex and 3rd in the Cross Challenge race for bronze, Haysan So (13:19) was 110th running for Hertfordshire, and Emily Brewington (13:34) was 153rd for Essex.
In the U15 girls 4km, Summer Smith (15:02) narrowly missed the podium in 4th, Sophie Bickerstaff (15:54) was 21st and Heidi Woodley (16:08) was 34th, the three of them making up the Team Essex silver medal team.
The U15 boys tackled 4km with Will Hughes (14:46) 98th and George Bangs (15:19) 190th, both for Essex. Over 5km in the U17 women’s race, Zara Morley (20:05) was 38th and Olivia Forrest (20:22) 59th for Essex, with Sarena So (22:02) 156th for Hertfordshire. In the U20 8km, Max Sanderson (27:17) finished 77th for Essex.
In the 10k Cross Challenge final, Robin Smith (36:52) flew the Beagles flag to finish 232nd. Photos by @coach66flix and Daniel E.
English Schools Cross Country Championships, Sefton Park, Liverpool
Nine Beagles ran for Essex schools at the English Schools Cross Country Championships in Sefton Park, Liverpool, and came home with three schools international vests and a share in two Essex team medals.
In the inter girls 3.8km, Summer Smith (13:05) was a brilliant 4th, earning her 3rd schools international vest and helping the Essex inter girls team to second overall.
The junior girls 3.2km brought two more international vests: Madison Kindler (11:00) was 6th and Sophie Bickerstaff (11:08) 10th, both earning their first schools international selection, while Aria Sabado (12:26) finished 172nd in a huge field.
In the junior boys 3.2km, George Bangs (42nd) ran superbly to finish 42nd out of 351 runners.
The senior girls 4.4km saw three Beagles make up half of the Essex team that finished 3rd overall: Olivia Forrest (17:06) 42nd, Zara Morley (17:10) 52nd and Evie Warn (17:31) 69th. In the senior boys 6km, Max Sanderson (20:58) was 95th.
Summer, Madison and Sophie were all selected for the SIAB race the following week in Bangor. Photos by @coach66flix.
Primary and Year 7 Schools National Cross Country, Stoneleigh, Leicestershire
A great opportunity for some of our younger Beagles to experience big time competition, with the Primary and Year 7 Schools National Cross Country at Stoneleigh in Leicestershire.
In the year 4 girls 1600m, Willow Smith (6:29) was an excellent 6th, with Danel Esterhuysen (7:16) 63rd. Elliot Purcell (6:30) looked strong throughout to place 33rd in the year 4 boys 1600m.
Over 2.7km, Blossom Smith (9:51) finished 8th in the year 6 girls race, while in the year 6 boys Colm Forrest (9:38) was 41st and Liam Worth (11:44) showed real resilience to finish 203rd.
The year 7 girls 3km produced a brilliant win for Sophia Davies (10:01), with Lianne Esterhuysen (10:19) 6th, Isabella Davies (11:15) 26th and Emily Brewington (11:37) 48th. Thanks to Daniel E for the primary cross country photos.
SIAB Schools International Cross Country, Bangor
England vests in Bangor, and tough competition against Scotland, Wales and Ireland at the SIAB Schools International Cross Country.
Madison Kindler (11:05) took individual bronze in the junior girls 3000m, having qualified for team England only the previous week, and led the England team to team gold. Summer Smith (13:34) was 6th over 4km in the England vest as her team also finished 1st for gold.
Sophie Bickerstaff ran the 1500m third leg of the junior relay for England, helping her team secure the gold medal in a team time of 20:08. Thanks to Craig for the SIAB photos.
South East Schools Inter-Counties Cross Country, Aldershot
Year 7 and year 8 Beagles had qualified to run for Essex schools at the South East Schools Inter-Counties Cross Country in Aldershot.
In the year 7 boys 2.5km, Edward Garwood (9:42) was 29th and Rafi Mather (10:03) 61st. The year 7 girls raced the same distance, with Isobel Larner (10:15) 22nd to help her team to the bronze medal, and Elsie Martin-Bouchareb (10:46) 47th.
Over 3.5km in the year 8 boys race, Will Fagan (13:19c) finished 35th and Max Cheetham (13:33) was 46th, enjoying a day off from sprinting.
Brentwood Half Marathon
Our home race, and over 25 senior athletes took on conditions that were on the warm side with some challenging hills thrown in.
Max Sanderson (1:10.47) led the Beagles home in 4th place on his half marathon debut. Brilliant work too from our pacers, Jamie Williams (1:49.16) on 1 hour 50 minutes and Andy Leonard (1:58.49) on 2 hours, guiding plenty of runners to their targets.
Here is how the rest of the Beagles got on:
- Mark Tredgett (1:20.01), 26th
- Scott Brooks (1:20.09), 27th
- Matt Earing (1:22.58), 50th
- Tim Baker (1:24.10), 61st
- Rob Lankester (1:25.09), 77th
- Luke Youlden (1:26.45), 95th
- Simon Knightbridge (1:27.15), 105th
- Yvo Heidemans (1:27.33), 116th
- Will Gazzard (1:30.16), 166th
- Aidan Kerr (1:31.09), 176th
- Jemimah Knightbridge (1:33.22), 222nd
- Callum Goodey (1:33.59), 231st
- Daniel Esterhuysen (1:35.12), 260th
- Stuart Crowther (1:37.12), 304th
- Lorraine Massarella (1:38.26), 344th
- Rob Holmes (1:40.49), 445th
- Dan Stanley (1:43.41), 549th
- Jamie Smith (1:43:34), 575th
- Gary Vialls (1:44.27), 599th
- Ian Johnston (1:46.06), 657th
- Ben Morgan (1:46:36), 659th
- Glenn Phippin (1:48.13), 716th
- Paul Metson (1:52.59), 910th
- Keith Thornton (2:14.59), 1773rd
Thank you to Laurence for the Brentwood Half photos.
Essex Road Relay Championships, Colchester
Over to Colchester for the Essex Road Relay Championships, where the junior girls relay event saw every runner race 2.6km, with 3 athletes per team and all age groups running together. The Beagles won the female U11 race, the U13 girls relay and the U17 women’s relay.
In the U11 2k, Blossom Smith (7:02) was dominant as first female, with Thomas Howlett (7:44) 13th, Bertie Allen (7:46) 15th and Sean Connor (8:09) 26th.
The U13 girls team finished first in their age group by almost 3 minutes thanks to Lianne Esterhuysen (8:58), Emily Brewington (9:34) and Madison Kindler (8:56).
The U17 women were champions too, with Zara Morley (8:55), Isabel Forrest (10:01) and Olivia Forrest (9.01) all contributing.
Our U15 girls were 4th in their age group: Amalie Twydell (9:40), Amber Walker (10:07) and Izzy Young (9:36).
The U13 boys finished 6th with Oscar Gander (9:42), Sid Allen (11:14) and Cameron Young (9:23), plus a big thank you to Patrick Connor (12:08), who stepped up to run the first leg following team changes. Relay photos by @coach66flix.
Battersea 10km
A great run in London for Max Sanderson (31:20) at the Battersea 10km, rounding off a busy month of racing for him.
Serpentine 5k
A brilliant run from Sophia Davies (17:23) at the Serpentine 5k. Another quality performance to add to her March collection.
Crawley Open
Some different sprint distances on offer at the Crawley Open in Crawley, and two Beagles took full advantage.
U14 Max Cheetham (9.08) looked strong over 75m and then took on 150m, where he ran a PB of 17.8. U14 Elsie Martin- Bouchareb (10.79) also doubled up over the short sprints with 10.79 for 75m and 21.9 for 150m, before adding her best ever long jump, a PB of w4.01m.
Havering Open
First events in the new U14, U16 and U18 age groups, and a number of Beagles opened their outdoor season at the Havering Open.
- U14 Alex Wright (14.55) over 100m, plus 3.39m in the long jump and 15.4 for the 80m hurdles
- U14 Macey Pitts (1.20m) in the high jump and 32.55 over 200m
- U14 Oliver Neville (1.30m) with a high jump PB, plus 16.9 in the 80m hurdles
- U14 Damon Ford (1m) in the high jump
- U14 Max Cheetham (24.33) over 200m
- U14 Patrick Connor (2.39m) in the long jump and 3.14m in the shot
- U16 Joseph Olaoluwabowale (13.41) over 100m and 26.39 over 200m
- U18 Evie Warn (4:58.81) over 1500m
- U16 Ollie Johnson (4:41.23), a 1500m PB
- U16 Will Hughes (2:10.66) over 800m
- U18 Daisy Willingale (10.71m) in the triple jump and 27.40 over 200m
Thanks to @coach66flix for the Havering photos.
Hertfordshire Indoor Championships
A delayed result from the previous weekend, and a Beagles double at the Hertfordshire Indoor Championships. Sarena So (5:09) won the U17 women’s 1500m and Haysan (5:13) won the U15 girls 1500m. Two golds, two great runs.
SEAA Road 3k and 5k Championships, Milton Keynes
Dominant Beagles performances to close the month at the SEAA Road Championships in Milton Keynes.
In the 3k, Madison Kindler (10:12) won, Lianne Esterhuysen (10:48) was 3rd, Emily Brewington (11:03) 4th and Haysan So (11:19) 7th, the four of them combining to win the team title as first team.
Over 5k, Sophie Bickerstaff (17:41) was first U15, Sarena So (19:48) was 3rd U17 and Amalie Twydell (19:56) was 7th U15. Thanks to Daniel E for the SEAA photos.
An enormous thank you to our photographers, @coach66flix, Daniel E, Laurence and Craig, whose pictures captured every muddy stride and finishing straight this month. Thank you too to all the coaches, team managers and volunteers who got athletes to Nottingham, Liverpool, Bangor, Stoneleigh, Aldershot, Colchester and Milton Keynes, and who marshalled, cheered and supported along the way.
With the cross country season wrapped up and the first outdoor track and field outings already under way at Crawley and Havering, the summer season is here. Bring on the next round of PBs. Up the Beagles!
Frequently asked questions
Who won the U13 girls race at the 2026 National Inter-Counties Cross Country?
Brentwood Beagles athlete Madison Kindler won the U13 girls 3km at the National Inter-Counties Championships and Cross Challenge Final at Wollaton Hall, Nottingham in 11:37, running for Essex, and she also won the Cross Challenge series.
Which Brentwood Beagles athletes represented England at the SIAB Schools International Cross Country in Bangor?
Madison Kindler, Summer Smith and Sophie Bickerstaff all represented England at the SIAB Schools International Cross Country in Bangor in March 2026. Madison took individual bronze in 11:05 and team gold, Summer was 6th over 4km in 13:34 with team gold, and Sophie ran the 1500m third leg of the junior relay as England won gold in 20:08.
How did Brentwood Beagles do at the Brentwood Half Marathon 2026?
Over 25 senior Brentwood Beagles raced the Brentwood Half Marathon in March 2026. Max Sanderson was 4th in 1:10.47 on his half marathon debut, and Jamie Williams (1:49.16) and Andy Leonard (1:58.49) acted as the 1 hour 50 and 2 hour pacers.
How many medals did Brentwood Beagles win at the Essex and Eastern Indoor Championships?
On day two of the Essex and Eastern Indoor Championships, Brentwood Beagles recorded one championship best performance, 5 championship golds, 5 silvers and 10 bronze medals. Madison Kindler's 2:16.20 in the U15 girls 800m was the championship best performance.
Which teams did Brentwood Beagles win at the Essex Road Relay Championships in Colchester?
Brentwood Beagles won the U13 girls relay, with Lianne Esterhuysen, Emily Brewington and Madison Kindler finishing first in their age group by almost 3 minutes, and the U17 women's relay through Zara Morley, Isabel Forrest and Olivia Forrest. Blossom Smith also won the U11 female 2k in 7:02.