Kallan Richardson claimed the scalp of Sean Trott at the Bermuda National Athletics Association Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

Richardson navigated the 4m course at Government House Grounds in 22 min 24.07sec to win the men’s 20-39 race. Trott, who tripped at the start, finished second in 22:44.79, while Oliver Brunnock finished third in 23:32.66.

It was a sweet victory for the 20-year-old Richardson, who had never beaten Trott before and finished third behind Dennis Mbelenzi and the Derby champion at the Hannover Re Half-Marathon two weeks ago. Richardson was forced to pull out of Bermuda’s big race this year with to a hip problem.

“I’m happy with how it went,” Richardson told The Royal Gazette.

“I’ve been working hard in training and it’s good to see some progression going into the new year. I’m just hoping to keep it up, push throughout the season and see what I can do.

“We all had a strong start and unfortunately Sean fell in the race and wasn't able to recover. I was able to hold my position and keep up with the younger guys who were doing a lap less, then I just powered through the last lap.

“I’m happy with how I performed today and looking forward to what might be possible in the next couple of months. I haven’t exactly decided yet on what I’m doing going forward, but I'm planning to do the Race Weekend in January. I’m also doing a couple of races in the spring and hopefully have a good May 24.”

Trott did not seek to blame the fall for finishing second instead preferring to praise Richardson for being better on the day.

“I definitely don’t want to make excuses but I did have a bit of a fall on the first lap,” he said.

“That threw off my rhythm and from there I was trying to play catch-up to everybody, but I’m not going to use that as my reason for not winning. I caught back up to the pack and stayed in it for the most part but Kallan was just a stronger runner on the day.

“Finishing runner-up doesn’t ruin the reputation. If anything it will just make me hungrier to come back for the next one stronger and I don’t dwell on things too long.

“I know beating me is a big confidence boost for Kallan. He’s doing lots of great things and I know he’s going to be one to look out for, even next year over May 24 and the other longer races.”

Gianluca Bortoli secured victory in the boys 14-16 age group in 16:15.22 ahead of series winner Sanchez Smith (16:50.16) and Tobiah Goodchild (17:25.79).

While he missed out on winning the series as a result of not running in enough races, Bortoli was delighted to achieve his course personal best.

“I’m happy with my result and how I ran,” the 16-year-old said.

“I also had a course PB which I was really happy with. “I’ve run on this course twice this season and it’s probably one of the harder ones. I went into the race with a little bit of a different mindset. I was trying to build into it a bit more rather than getting out harder.”

Riana Robinson capped off a fine season by winning the girls 14-16 race in 21:59.20. Azari Jones (24:26.89) and Kelise Wade (24:44.15) completed the podium spots.

“I tried to go out slow and not go too fast because it’s three laps,” Robinson said.

“I just didn’t want to go out too fast as it was really hard with the hills, they were really steep and I was really tired, but I just had to push through. I knew I had an advantage over the competition because I am one of the faster people in the race.

“I feel very accomplished and very happy to win the series because I put a lot of work into it. I did wake up really early for a lot of races and I did my best, so it’s just really fulfilling that I won.”

An exciting race as witnessed in the 12-13 age groups with the girls running alongside the boys, meaning in-form Bermuda Pacers Track Club duo Spencer Haldeman and Naomi MacGuinness took each other on.

Haldeman and George Morris led for the better part of the race and while the former maintained his position to win the two-mile contest in 11:37.60, MacGuinness, who was the only female competitor in the age group, closed down on the latter to finish second overall in 12:00.40.

Morris secured second spot for the boys in 12:56.70 with Maxwell Williams third in 13:01.40.

Haldeman, the series winner, was pleased to keep MacGuinness at bay given her record of beating the boys.

“I got out strong, kept George off for a little bit until he passed me going down the big hill,” the 13-year-old said.

“Then I got him off on the second lap, kept him away and finished strong. It was a good race overall and I had to stay away from Naomi.

“Last year, I came second to Timothy Pearman and I missed out on the overall prize, so I’m happy to get it this year. I’ve been training more and harder. It’s my second year at Pacers and I’ve had more people join this year, so I’ve been having better training partners to go with.”

It was a good day for the Horrobin brothers, Nolan and Liam. Nolan started off by claiming victory in the 8-9 age group, before Liam took the honours in the 10-11 division, with the siblings also clinching the series in their respective age groups.

With 105 competitors across the five races, new BNAA president Jarita Vickers was excited with the manner in which the cross-country season concluded.

“Today was a tremendous day for athletics and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the energy that filled the course at this year’s BNAA Cross Country Championships,” Vickers said.

“The turnout of athletes, volunteers and supporters was inspiring, while the enthusiasm on display, especially from our youngest under-8 competitors, set the tone for a memorable event.

“The addition of the under-8 category was a highlight. We’re excited to officially embed this division into our line-up as we transition into the upcoming track and field season.

“We witnessed some truly outstanding performances. The momentum from today provides a strong springboard for athletes as they prepare for track season and set their sights on the junior international championships.

“We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to His Excellency, Governor Andrew Murdoch, for joining us today, officially opening the championships and firing the start of our inaugural under-8 race.

“A heartfelt thank you goes out to all our volunteers and supporters whose dedication made today possible. To the athletes, well done, your passion drives us forward.

“We look forward to seeing everyone back on the track this Friday for the Butterfield Mile trials.”