Military cross-country runners begin build-up for the Inter Services
The RAF and the Army have held their respective Cross-Country Championships as runners begin their build-up for the up-and-coming Cross Country Inter Services.
After the Royal Navy held their championships a week prior, the RAF are looking to build on their successful Inter Services run last year.
One runner who is hoping to make an impact there is Corporal Gemma Holloway, who has come back from an injury having completed her RAF Police training.
Cpl Holloway finished well ahead of her rivals Corporal Helena Schofield and Sergeant Molly Betmead to win the Women's 7k race after four years out due to injuries.
She said: "We started the race and I felt quite good so I took it out and cruised for the first little lap and then my aim was, because the ground was quite hard and you can't run well on it, was to cruise and then push up the hills to try and get a lead.
"So really drive through the woods, up this little bit of hill there and then the rest of it just flowed nicely downhill."
In the men's 10k race, the race was dominated by Air Specialist 1 Max Hazell.
The runner from RAF Benson took a little over 30 minutes to see off his competition and to take the men's title.
He said he hopes the RAF will have "a really strong team" at this year's Inter Services.
He said: "We have got a really strong team to bring there, and we can bring the same legs we have had today and see what happens.
"I know that we have won it in the last few years and hopefully we can continue that streak."
Meanwhile, in Tidworth, the Army are looking to build a strong team to take on the RAF and the Navy at the Inter Services.
In a tightly contested women's 8k race and battling frosty and misty conditions, Sergeant Danielle Hodgkinson proved to be the best of the field, with Second Lieutenant Katie Olding finishing as runner-up.
Sgt Hodgkinson said: "It was good, we actually only just got back from South Africa a couple of days ago with the Army team, so it's Baltic! It's a bit of a shock to the system.
"It was a really good course, easy to follow, one steep hill in it but, yes, it was fine, it was good fun."
The men's 10k race saw a dominant run by Major Ed Knudson, who finished far ahead of second-place finisher Staff Sergeant Kim Bowling.
Maj Knudson is preparing to leave the Army later this year and he hopes to "give the RAF a good run for their money" at the Inter Services.
He said: "I had a bit of pressure on myself there to go out hard, I was kind of jostling from the start to try and give myself a bit of headroom to actually come away with the win.
"I'm really excited to give the RAF a good run for their money in two weeks' time, fingers crossed we can beat them."
The Cross Country Inter Services championships will take place in Tidworth on 9 February.
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