Charles Hicks wins NCAA cross-country gold

Briton wins big American collegiate race ahead of Nico Young as Katelyn Tuohy beats Parker Valby to the women’s title in Oklahoma

NCAA Championships, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA, November 19

Charles Hicks became the fourth British man to win America’s premier cross-country race and the first for over 30 years. Representing Stanford University, the 21-year-old won an exciting race on a tough circuit, smashing the course record in the process.

Nick Rose, later a world cross-country bronze medallist, won it in 1974 during a golden era in the 1970s that also saw victories from Americans Steve Prefontaine and Craig Virgin and Kenya’s Henry Rono.

The other British male winners include Mark Scrutton, who won in 1982, plus John Nuttall in 1989, whereas Brits to win the women’s title include Kate Avery and Kathy Butler.

Hicks, the European under-23 champion 12 months ago in Dublin, had only been third in the NCAA regional race but by 2km he was clear with only the Northern Arizona pairing Nico Young and Drew Bosley for company.

Last year he finished 14th in the delayed previous season race held in March and then finished a competitive fourth last November before his excellent European victory.

Early in 2022 he looked in great form and his 27:40.16 smashed Dave Bedford’s UK under-23 10,000m record but he could only finish a close sixth in the NCAA final having been seventh in 2021.

Here in Stillwater he was willing to bide his time but he was up against Young and the American who ran 13:11.30 last summer for 5000m while still a teenager and came third in both the NCAA indoor and outdoor 5000m finals last summer, may have had the faster speed on paper but it was the US-based Briton who had the strongest kick.

In winning Hicks became the first ever Stanford champion and previous students have included the likes of Ryan Hall and current US 5000m and 10,000m record-holder Grant Fisher.

Only 21, he still has two more years of eligibility left.

“I didn’t know I was the first winner until the announcer said,” Hicks said. “Given our history, I would have assumed someone had done it. That’s incredible.”

Hicks had finished his track season early and focussed on 100-mile plus training weeks which meant a few disappointments in early season races.

“I just had to stay with the belief that when we started coming down my legs were going to feel fresher and when I ran the Pac-12s last month my legs felt lighter and weren’t…