OPINION: Don't forget Parliament Hill cross country legacy in face of minority complaints

There was only a short break in the rain during a traditional wet British Saturday over London last weekend. A few hours of sunshine shone over the capital in the early afternoon, with many taking the chance to stretch their legs around the iconic Hampstead Heath.

The Heath attracts over eight million visitors per year and, on Saturday, those squeezing in a dog walk or catch up with friends were joined by nearly 5,000 ardent cross country runners. The National Cross Country Championships returned to Parliament Hill, widely considered the home of the sport in England, running fervour not deterred by the wet conditions.

For the first time ever, I was one of those thousands to make my way around the course. Having been running cross country since taking up the sport as an 18-year-old fresher at university, the tricky courses of the North East and the now local Metropolitan League fixtures had become my bread-and-butter.

100 years of Hampstead cross country history

With a decent season under my belt and the Nationals happening a few stops away on the Overground, I decided to brave the 12-kilometre course, infamous for its 265 metres of elevation. The route around Parliament Hill is a legend amongst runners, the start line offering a daunting look up the incline, and challenging participants for over 100 years.

The Nationals moves around the country each year but was first held at Parliament Hill in 1950. This year’s edition was the 18th time the course has hosted the pinnacle event in the country’s cross country calendar and - although it is the first I have attended - I can safely say few had been muddier.

The fairly warm conditions and battering of rain the days prior had turned parts of the Heath into somewhat of a bog. A quick walk around to cheer on some club mates in earlier races proved all I needed to see to ensure my spikes were laced-up tighter than ever before and a text sent to flatmates warning that the shower might be out of action for a few hours that evening.

As is the case with any cross country runner, however, there’s a degree of masochism in the enjoyment of the sport. The danger of falling face-first into the quagmire is a large part of the fun. Thankfully, that didn’t happen to me, but bodies were hitting the ground left, right and centre, before getting back up with a wry smile and continuing to plod on.

It appears this year, from mutterings online, that some local residents have not found the mud quite so amusing. Worries over the ground’s recovery time are naturally raised each time the event happens at Parliament Hill, but LondonWorld understands that in 2025 there have been more than usual sent the way of the council.

Cross country runners like myself obviously hold no priority over the Heath. Indeed, if figures are to be believed about the area’s popularity, 7,995,000 other people visit the green space ever year. That makes us just 0.06%.

However, while worries over the ground’s conditions are valid, it’s a leap to think that a day’s cross country event is detrimental to both the Heath’s long-term condition and other park users.

English Cross Country Association efforts - from shire horses to ‘selfless’ volunteers

The Nationals are organised by the English Cross Country Association (ECCA) and helped become a reality by a hub of volunteers who love and understand the importance of the sport. The event isn’t organised in 24 hours with markers set up randomly in short notice, it’s months of planning and collaboration with the City of London council, whose job it is to look after the park and allow events such as this to happen.

In previous years, the ECCA and the council have brought in shire horses after the event to help land recovery and, ever year, an army of volunteers stays well after the final finisher crosses the line to take down the course and return the land in the best state possible. The ECCA has also sent out thousands of surveys following the conclusion of the event, asking for honest feedback to implement in years to come. No stone is left unturned.

What’s more, if there’s one group of people who want to keep green spaces in their best condition and suitable for use by all in years to come, it’s cross country runners. Die-hard fans of hills, mud and the great outdoors, there are few events on Hampstead Heath whose participants will be so sure not to litter and respect the land.

Where some parks have taken the decision to ban cross country races, such as Richmond Park to great criticism from the running community in 2023, Hampstead Heath has proved its ability to host and recover from the events for a century. While I told myself there can’t have been tougher conditions than in 2025 as I squelched around the course, over 100 years there surely has been. Each time, the Heath has recovered and it will again.

For local people who have enough sense about them to stay away from the self-inflicted pain of cross country running, it may be hard to understand how such an event can be worth it. I can testify as to the sense of community spirit, the excitement at seeing familiar faces from across the country on the course and the amount spent in local pubs afterwards to nurse the pain away, but so can many others.

LondonWorld has seen feedback from some of the 5,000 who took part at the weekend. The Nationals are described as an ‘electric’ and ‘superb’ cross country course that is as ‘proper’ as can be. There are also so many mentions for the ‘fantastic’ and ‘selfless’ team who work to make it all happen.

Seeing the murmurs of controversey online this week over the event has somewhat taken the wind out of the sails of a brilliant Saturday afternoon. While those conversations over land recovery are needed, maintaining Parliament Hill as the home of English cross country is surely the most important matter of conservation at hand - kicking out the 0.06% of enthusiastic Hampstead Heath users would be a farce.

The feature photo is kindly provided by Will Bowran, who is @will.b.framed on Instagram.