ADAM Hickey admits to feeling mixed emotions after he won a silver medal at the English Cross-Country Championships.

Second place was the 27-year-old Southend AC athlete’s best ever performance as a senior at the historic race that athletes lovingly refer to as The National.

But Hickey came so close to emulating the feats of his current coach Eamonn Martin who won it twice during his career that he can’t help but think it was an opportunity missed.

“I didn’t really know what to think as I crossed the line,” admitted Hickey.

“I got so close to winning the race on the one hand, but on the other, second place is my best ever finish at the National. My previous best was last year when I was seventh and before that I had been 12th, 13th and 27th.”

Hickey’s regrets come in no small part down to the fact he had spent much of the race’s 13 kilometres – it was meant to be 12 kilometres but was “over-distance” in runner’s parlance – chasing down the leader Jonny Hay.

He caught him with a handful of kilometres remaining before Hay kicked again in sight of the finish line and Hickey had nothing left.

“Maybe I used up all my energy bringing him back,” said the Southend man. “Or maybe it was just a bit too far for me as I’m coming back to fitness but Jonny kicked on a tough section of mud and I just couldn’t respond. Maybe I could have won it if it was 12k!”

Hickey ended up finishing seven seconds back from Hay, his team-mate in the Great Britain European Cross-Country Championships squad, with the pair a long way ahead of the rest of the field.

And that in itself has given Hickey confidence, particularly after a spell out injured immediately after the European Cross in December.

“I’ve had groin and hamstring problems and wasn’t very well after Christmas and have only really been getting back into proper sessions over the past few weeks,” he revealed.

“So I had no real idea how I would perform on the day. I know now I’m in good shape and maybe the break did me some good.”

With winner Hay in training for the London Marathon and Hickey finding his way back to race fitness, it was perhaps no surprise the Aldershot man would win out on what was a energy-sapping course at Castle Donington in Leicestershire.

But Hickey can have no regrets about giving it his all and the thousands of fans lining the course, as well as thousands of other runners in the race, certainly appreciated it.

“The noise was incredible,” he said. “When I started chasing after Jonny everyone was shouting me on and the runners I was lapping were giving me encouragement. It was an amazing feeling and the adrenaline was pumping. I just wish I could have won!”

Hickey will now have a weekend off racing before competing in the UK Intercounties Championships in Birmingham next weekend and he is hoping to take his top form into that race.

“I’m looking to medal again,” he said. “That’s the minimum goal.”

* Hickey had four Southend AC team-mates in the senior men’s field.

Oliver Kyriakides led the rest of them home in 191st place followed by Rhys Gillard (377th), Lee Taylor (444th), Alec Kyriakides (859th) and Mathew Gillard (1,608th). There were 1,730 finishers in total.

Echo:

Gemma Holloway

HOLLOWAY OVER THE MOON WITH SILVER MEDAL

GEMMA Holloway was south Essex’s other big success story from the English Cross-Country Championships.

The 18-year-old Thurrock Harrier produced one of the best performances of her career to finish second in the under-20 women’s race.

Holloway only finished behind the silver medalist from the European Cross-Country Championships in France in December, Harriet Knowles-Jones.

“I stuck with her for one lap (out of two), but then just couldn’t hold on,” said Holloway.

“It was quite a challenging course but I think everyone found it tough.

“I’m just over the moon to win a silver medal.”

Holloway is now aiming for more success at the UK Intercounties Championships in Birmingham next weekend.

“I have got nothing to lose,” she said. “Every race I do I try to get stuck in as much as possible.  

“I have run the course in Birmingham so many times and I want to do the best I can. Every race I go to win, but if I can’t do that, I want to at least close the gap between me and Harriet (Knowles-Jones).”

The Judd sisters had good weekends too with Jodie running superbly well in the under-17 women’s race to finish in 10th place.

The Canvey teenager will now look to back that up at the English Schools Cross-Country Championships tomorrow.

Her big sister Jessica finished 11th in the senior women’s race.

Southend AC’s Joanna Rimmington had a good run in the under-15 girls race finishing 31st while in the under-15 boys, her club-mate Sam Norris was 47th. Southend had two runners in the senior women’s race, Tracy English (171st) and Sarah Pennington (250th).

East Essex Tri’s Harrison Smith was 43rd in the under-17 men’s race.