Surrey’s Kitty Scott returns to the English Schools’ Athletics Association Championships in 2026 hoping to defend her title in the intermediate girls’ race. In an interview with Vinco, she talks about muddy conditions at Sefton Park, pre-race nerves and why she has kept her lucky hairstyle. 

Interview by Rosie Tinbergen

English Schools is always a huge event. How are you feeling ahead of your title defence this year?

I am obviously a bit nervous. It’s a stacked field this year, everyone is so fast. But that only makes it more exciting. The more fast people there are, the better!

Do you often get nervous going into these kinds of events?

Definitely, but it helps a lot that I’m friends with a lot of the people I’m racing with. Everyone is in the same boat and feeling the same thing. And the vibes at English Schools are always so great, so it should be an exciting race.

Do you feed off those good vibes? Do you perform better when there are lots of spectators and a good atmosphere?

The more people cheering on the course, the better! I remember at one point last year I passed two of my friends who were cheering me along and thought: I really need this! I can normally tell who is cheering for me. My mum says that I sometimes make eye contact with her and she can always tell at that moment if I’m struggling!

This year’s championships will be at Sefton Park, an iconic venue that also hosts the Liverpool Cross Challenge. You finished second at that event last year. What will it be like to return?

It’s definitely a very hard course because it’s always muddy. But I think that just makes it more exciting. It’s so iconic, everyone is excited to go there and it’s a great experience. I think it also prepares you for those bigger races that you might be racing when you’re older.

Is there any part of the course you think is particularly difficult?

I think maybe the final straight. Normally you would come around the corner and double back to the finish line, but in Liverpool you can see the line for miles ahead of you. You have to be prepared for that.

You are going into the intermediate girls’ race as defending champion and you also won the ESAA Cup last December. Are you feeling extra pressure this year?

I used to feel pressure but people say that pressure is a privilege, so you have to use it to your advantage. When I first ran at English Schools, I didn’t have any expectations whatsoever and it went really well. I think that kind of helped me in the ones since then. I’m always excited for it and I think that gives me confidence. 

Is there anything you did when you won last year that you’ve kept in your routine ever since?

It did give me a lucky hairstyle! I had ponytails into two plaits when I won, and I have stuck with that ever since. I always have to wear the same ribbon as well and the same lucky socks!

You are a pretty seasoned racer now. Do you have any pre-race rituals?

Walking the course always gets me locked in. If I don’t walk the course, I don’t feel ready. But once I’ve done that, I’m always like: I’ve got this!

What will your training look like in the week leading up to the race?

We normally do a slightly reduced track session on Tuesday and then either no session or a fully reduced session on Thursday. I’ll probably also put some speed reps in just to stay sharp. 

Does it disrupt your normal routine when you have to travel to these big races?

You just have to be prepared for everything and ready to communicate. You might be sharing a room with someone you don’t know very well, for example, and you want to get an early night. If you communicate with the team managers and everyone in your team, it makes it a lot easier.

The 2026 ESAA Cross Country Championships take place at Liverpool’s Sefton Park on March 14th, and will be available to watch live exclusively on Vinco with a RunnerSpace+ subscription.