The honours were shared in the 2023 University Cross-Country Races, held in bitterly cold and damp conditions on Saturday 2nd December.
In the 47th Ladies’ Race, Oxford took full advantage of the Light Blues having lost two of their top runners to record a comfortable 32 points to 46 victory. Phoebe Barker (Robinson, Cambridge) took the individual honours in her final appearance in a fine time of 23:12, winning by over a minute from Elizabeth Apsley (St. Hilda’s, Oxford). Naomi Kingston (Queen’s, Oxford) completed the top three places with two further Dark Blues finishing before the next Cambridge runner. Oxford now lead the series by 27 wins to 20.
The 132nd Gentlemen’s Race was, once again, a very close affair with the Light Blues again emerging victorious. Jeremy Dempsey (Girton, Cambridge) recorded his second victory in succession (38:36) with his teammate Joe Massingham (Pembroke, Cambridge) 30 seconds behind him. Alex Gruen (Keble) was the first Oxonian home in third and behind him there was an almighty battle between three Light Blues and four Dark Blues, who were separated by just ten seconds at the finish. Despite Oxford managing to get all eight of their runners home ahead of the sixth Cambridge scorer, the Light Blues top-end strength secured them the victory by just four points (38 to 42). Only 14 points have separated the two sides over the last three races, although Oxford will rue the fact that they have been on the wrong end of the scoreline on each of these occasions. Cambridge’s victory meant that they became the first side in the gentlemen’s race since 1995 to record four victories in a row and they now lead the series by 67 wins to 65.
Earlier in the day, Cambridge also won the 31st Old Blues’ Race, with Josh Carr (Sidney Sussex, Cambridge) coming home first. Oxford now lead this series by 18 wins to 13.
Full results can be found here.
