The going was 'soft' for the 2023 South of England Inter-Counties and Masters Championships at Horspath near Oxford on Saturday 9 December – or it would have been, had the event not been cancelled by organisers South of England Athletics Association (SEAA) a few minutes before the start of the first event on the nine-race programme.

It seems that a Land Rover used to help mark the course had become stuck in the mud which is always a feature of this traditional venue and officials were concerned that this could compromise the safety of competitors and the provision of first aid, should it be required.

The entire programme was cancelled but the decision was made so late that the under-13 girls were already on the start line and most decided to race unofficially anyway. The first event was due to start at 11:00am and it was 12:48pm when SEAA posted the following message on Facebook: "Please note SEAA Masters/Inter Counties Cross Country Championships has been cancelled due to unsafe course".

The late cancellation and communication meant most of the competitors were already at the venue, or well on their way, some having travelled long distances and paid for overnight accommodation.

Experienced organiser and M75 competitor John Exley of Oxford City AC, who had spent many hours setting out the course, said: “I was outraged. There was nothing that was any more dangerous than the usual cross-country course. The courses were all as last year and SEAA approved.”

Regarding suggestions that a medical vehicle had got stuck in the mud, Exley said: “The 4x4 was our course setting-out Land Rover, although it was pencilled in for transporting the first aiders or injured athletes where required.”

Among responses posted on the SEAA Facebook page was this from Chris Dyke: "I get the caution in cancelling junior events (as an event director for kids' events I understand the elevated duty of care) but the adults' events? This isn't a parkrun with new runners, it's an advanced event full of seasoned adult XC runners, who know what they're getting into and know the courses will be tough".

The Horspath course includes flat sports fields, boggy woodland and testing hills in Shotover Country Park. It has been used for more than 50 years and this writer has competed and trained there in all conditions, finding it a testing but enjoyable 'proper' cross country course.

Have we entered an era when cancellation of what is, after all, a tough winter sport becomes the norm rather than looking at possible mitigations such as a short delay and re-routing the course, even if that takes some of the enjoyment and 'true cross country' aspects away from the event?

Have we gone soft...?

Photo from English National Cross Country Championships 2019 courtesy of England Athletics