Ampthill Trophy Trail 10K And Junior Races

Follow in the footsteps of Mo Farah taking on the challenge that is the Ampthill Trophy Trail 10K in the stunning Ampthill Great Park in Bedfordshire.

The Ampthill Trophy is an annual Cross Country Race organised by local running club Ampthill & Flitwick Flyers.

Until 2016 It was a 5 Mile (8k) Cross Country Race in the stunning surroundings of Ampthill Park in Bedfordshire. From 2016 the race became 10K.

As well as Senior Men's and Women's races there are races for Juniors too. Ages 9 to 16 (Under 13s 2k and Under 17s 4k)

A Brief History of the Ampthill Cross Country Trophy Meeting

First run in 1974 from an idea by Dave Goodwin and Harry Clifford.
There were nine races comprising 364 runners.

The winner of the Senior Men was Tony Simmons, who went on to win in 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983 and the International Vets races, running for Wales in 1989 and 1990.
M Tunstall, of Luton, won the inaugural Senior Womens race.

Bedford provided two winners in that first meeting, Alison Gifford in the Under 13 Girls and Andrew Buck in the Under 12 category as it was for boys in that year.
Mike Turner, of Liverpool won the Vets race in 1979, 1980, 1981 & 1982.
Two wins were recorded by G Rizzo, of Nene Valley, in the Senior Men in 1990 & 1991. Two wins were recorded in the Vets race by N Fisher, of Harlow, in 1977 & 1978, F Bell, of Woking, in 1984 & 1985 and Roger Wadeley, of Biggleswade in 1986 & 1987. J Wigley, of Invicta, won the Senior race in 1977 and went on to take the Vets in 1991.

Bedford's two Senior winners were Mike Shotbolt in 1981 and Jim McMahon in 1992. Huw Lobb, running for Cambridge University, completed the double in 1996 & 1997
In the Women's race Bedford's Paula Radcliffe won her first Ampthill race as and Under 15 in 1988, went on to take the Under 17 in 1989 and her two Senior wins were achieved in 1992 & 1993. Liz Talbot won the Under 11 Girls in 1985 and the Senior event in 1996.
Winning sisters, in 1989, were Angela Russell in the Under 11s and Vikki who won the Under 13s. Vikki went on to win the Under 15s in 1991 having already won the Under 11s in 1987. There was also a double for Michelle Matthews in the Under 17s in 1991 & 1992.
Winning Teams in 1974 came from Rossemdale, Wycombe, Luton, Highgate Harriers and Wakefield with Bedford taking four of the races.
The Trophy Meeting built in popularity to it's peak in 1980 with no less that 1890 runners completing the eleven events.

For many years it was used by Cambridge University for their Championships. This resulted in very strong competition with their Senior Men winning the event twelve times.

Content found amongst the results paperwork; kindly provided by John Milward, of Bedford & County AC.