Chelsea Baker wins Navy's first Inter Services Cross Country title in over 30 years
Royal Navy Cross Country runner Lieutenant Chelsea Baker and the RAF's Sergeant Rob Wood have won the women's and men's titles at the Cross Country Inter Services championships.
This year's event, held at Tedworth Park, saw Lt Baker become the first female from the Royal Navy to win the event in over 30 years, after she saw off competition from the Army, RAF as well as her Navy rivals.
This year's championships also saw the Army win the overall women's team title and the reigning champions, the RAF, continue their dominance to win the men's team title.
The women's 8k race saw a group of four runners breakaway from the rest of the pack in the early stages of the race, with the front runners including the Air Force Champion Gemma Holloway, the Army champion Danielle Hodgkinson and her Army teammate Kate Olding, and the Navy's Chelsea Baker.
As the race progressed, Bristol based sailor Lt Baker had extended her lead over Danielle Hodgkinson and crossed the line first ahead of the Army champion, with Olding finishing in third.
Baker's win ends more than 30 years of waiting for a Royal Navy women's Cross Country Inter Services winner.
Reacting to her win, Lt Baker said: "It's amazing, it hasn't really sunk in. The leader's field at the moment in the Inter Services is so strong.
"We've got a fair few England runners. Last year I came fourth and I was super chuffed with that and I came back today hoping to come fourth again to be honest.
"This is top, this is it - it's an amazing achievement."
The RAF have won every men's cross country race at Inter Service level since 2010, and the light blues have come in looking to retain that winning streak in the men's 10k race.
As the race began, a leading pack began to widen the gap between them and the rest of the field, with the leading group including the RAF's Rob Wood, the Army's Max Walker and Royal Marine Corporal Dylan Naylor.
In the end, it would be Sergeant Rob Wood who would win that three-way battle to win the men's title and to bag those crucial points to help the RAF win.
Walker would cross the line in second to become the runner up and Naylor in third.
Speaking after his win, Sgt Wood credits his consistent winter training and hard work for his victory.
He said: "It feels good, I have been running probably five or six years now and I got a podium before and I have been there and abouts and to finally get there, it's a lot of hard work and it feels good to finally nail it."
The RAF's win makes this their 13th overall title in a row as well as an impressive display for the light blues to also take the men's Under-23 crown.
Join Our Newsletter
