All the news from the past few days on the UK cross-country running circuit

START FITNESS NORTH EASTERN HARRIER LEAGUE, Wrekenton, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, January 19

After several cancelled fixtures due to weather and car parking difficulties, it was back to action for the league and Durham University student James Johnson, a World Aquathlon Championship contestant, was not only first home overall but also the fastest man competing.

It was a similar story in the women’s section as Lydia Turner was first home and fastest overall. However she had to overcome a time deferral of over two minutes to still cross the line first.

The Birtley Harrier repeated her victory in the league from Thornley Hall last September.

Back in 2014 Turner placed third in the under-20 women's race at the European Cross-Country Championships, which was one of several appearances in that event.

Overall (first home): 1 J Johnson (Durh U) 31:25; 2 A Sayers (Crook) 32:58; 3 C Alborough (Crook) 33:18

Fastest: Johnson 31:25

M40: 1 J McKenna (Tyne Br) 31:51

M50: 1 J Armstrong (Morp) 35:58

M60: 1 P Redman (Sund) 40:17

U17: 1 L Powell (Tyne Br) 18:39

Fastest: A Cook (Gate) 16:28

U15: 1 A Darling (T’dale) 8:50

Fastest: Darling 8:50

U13: 1 M Carter (T’dale) 10:0

Fastest: O Curran (Darl) 8:57

Women: 1 L Turner (Birt) 25:25; 2 A Bell (Gate, U20) 26:01; 3 J Patterson (Durh U) 26:19

Fastest: 1 Turner 22:54; 2 J Heslop (Elsw, W45) 24:28; 3 R Newman (Durh U) 25:29

W40: 1 J Hodgson (Morp) 24:57

W50: 1 L Short (T’dale) 26:20

W55: 1 J Murfy (S Shields) 27:52

U17: 1 H Cutler 21:31

Fastest: G Carter (Durh) 20:31

U15: 1 T Bishop (Birt) 10:38

Fastest: H Robison (Hought) 9:29

U13: 1 E Hawkins (NSP) 10:47

Fastest: P Phillipson (Birt) 9:39

CHINGFORD LEAGUE, Epping Forest, January 18

Overall: 1 S McCauley (Lon H) 30:31; 2 A Other (Lon H) 30:35; 3 C Bruce (Trent P, M40) 31:10

M50: 1 R Maidment (Orion) 32:43

M60: 1 R McCormick (Barn) 35:49

U17: 1 A O’Driscoll (WG&EL) 17:14; 2 W Muffett (WG&EL) 17:15; 3 S Lindsell (E&H) 17:56

U15: 1 F Reina (Ilf) 18:59

Women: 1 C O’Shea (VP&TH) 36:05; 2 Z Oldfield (Lought, W40) 36:24; 3 K Clark (VP&TH, W40) 36:53

W50: 1 M Reid (Ilf) 37:09

U17: 1 E Trainor (WG&EL) 24:12

U15: 1J Falkowski ((Trent P) 19:56

SOUTH EAST LANCS LEAGUE, Heaton Park, Greater Manchester, January 18

Men: 1 J Watson (Traff, U20) 30:14; 2 M Harris (E Chesh) 30:40; 3 D Norman (Alt, M45) 30:56

M55: 1 T Shanker (Manch YMCA) 34:11

TEAM: 1 E Cheshire 21; 2 Manchester YMCA 48; 3 Glossopdale 56

M40 TEAM: 1 E Cheshire 18

M50 TEAML 1 Glossopdale 28

M60 TEAM: 1 Rochdale 17

U17: 1 M Fleet (E Chesh) 21:02; 2 O Walker (E Chesh) 21:11; 3 N Dunne (E Chesh) 21:23

TEAM: 1 East Cheshire 6

U15: 1 H Yates (Horw) 21:16; 2 B Hadfield (Roch) 21:31; 3 L Rhodes (E Chesh) 22:42

TEAM: no team closed in

U13: 1 L Schofield (Salf M) 11:02; 2 T Stewart (Chorl Tri) 11:05; 3 Z Jones (E hesh) 11:13

TEAM: 1 Salford Mets 10

Women: 1 C McMurdoch (Salf M, W35) 22;47; 2 K Kay (E Chesh, W40) 34:55; 3 R Marshall (Bury) 35:01

W50: 1 M Vaughan (E Chesh) 37:38

W60: 1 G Kinloch (Burnden) 38:48

TEAM: 1 E Cheshire 14; 2 Salford Mets 18; 3 Horwich RMI 34

W40 TEAM: 1 E Cheshire 15

U17: 1 A Clark (Salf M) 25:49; 2 H Fleet (E Chesh) 25:57; 3 M Wright (E Chesh) 27:09

TEAM: no team closed in

U15: 1 L Dent (Bury) 22:43; 2 M Preston Tri) 23:30; 3 I Reid (Chor) 24:22

TEAM: 1 Chorley 9

U13: 1 G Freary (Horw) 11:52; 2 G Benson (Chor Tri) 12:09; 3 H Wilkinson (Burty) 12:33

TEAM: 1 Bury 20

SUSSEX MASTERS, Lancing, West Sussex, January 18

Zared Arasaretnam-Hale took the championship which was again held at Combe Farm in the shadow of Lancing School, from multi-race winner James Baker who was top M45 home ahead of third placed Howard Bristow.

It was an over-50 who came home ahead of the separate women’s race and Linda Schofield, who lies second on the all-time British masters 10km lists with a 36:06 best, beat all of the younger age groups by nearly a minute.

Men (M35-49): 1 Z Arasaretnam-Hale (B&H, M40) 26:47; 2 J Baker (Chich R, M45) 26:58; 3 H Bristow (B&H, M45) 27:38; 4 J Dicks (B&H) 27:59; 5 G Tomlinson (Horsh J, M45) 28;18; 6 B Buchanen (Hy, M40) 28:24

TEAM: 1 Brighton & Hove 15; 2 Chich R 56; 3 B&H B 58

Men (M50+): 1 S Rowan (Hay H) 29:47; 2 C Trigg (Phoe) 30:12; 3 L Sida (Lewes, M55) 31:04

M55: 2 G Godden (B&H) 31:54

M60: 1 J Burrell (Lewes) 32:14; 2 M Herron (Phoe) 34:29

M65: 1 J Lowden (B&H) 38:54

M70: 1 D Prince-Isles (Lewes) 38:27

M75: 1 A Haig (Phoe) 51:11

M50 TEAM: 1 Haywards H 28; 2 Phoenix 30; 3 Arena 80 42

M60 TEAM: 1 Lewes 23; 2 Phoenix 28; 3 B&H 30

Women: 1 L Schofield (B&H, W50) 31:24; 2 A Robinson (Worth, W35) 32:09; 3 R Hillman (Lewes) 32:27

W50: 1 S Amer (Hay H) 36:41

W55: 1 L Lumber (E’brne) 37:13

W60: 1 G Moffatt (P’slade) 34:29; 2 C Wood (Arena) 36:23

W35 TEAM: 1 Phoenix 16; 2 Lewes 18; 3 Arena 80 32

W50 TEAM: 1 B&H 12; 2 Haywards H 20; 3 Chich R 42

VETERANS AC CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS, Wimbledon Common, January 18

Athletics Weekly female masters athlete of 2024, Clare Elms, became the oldest ever individual overall woman's winner when the 61-year-old led home the younger athletes, Steve Smythe reports.

The event for the all-masters organisations, which was founded to support veteran athletes at Stamford Bridge in 1931, had to have a course change for this year.

The usual loop around Queensmere Lake had to be removed due to engineering work, which cut a total of 800 metres off of the usual two-lap course and the race was just 6.8km.

The overall winner of the race was Surrey Masters 1500m runner-up Wimbledon Windmiler and M40 David Sharman, who enjoyed his biggest win to date in a time of 24:57.

However, Sharman is not a member of VAC so their overall champion was runner-up Rich Berry who had only been eighth overall in his previous appearance in 2023. Fellow M50 Craig Jackson was third to finish and then there was a big gap to a succession of age-group winners.

M35 Eric Dol, M60 Mark Tennyson, M55 Muhamud Haile and M45 Martin Edwards completed the top seven as they all won VAC titles.

Tennyson, the South of Thames champion in his age group, was the pick of the winners and the M60s easily produced the most competitors with 15 per-cent of the field.

Eighth home was Elms, the multiple world record-holder, who was making her first appearance in the race since winning in 2012 and 2013. After starting steadily, she proved too strong for the 25 year-younger Clapham Chasers’ Portuguese national, Mariana Arques, who was half-a-minute down

Third woman home and second VAC was Elms' predecessor as AW masters athlete of the year Sue McDonald. The 2023 W55 World Masters 10km and half-marathon champion has yet to beat Elms on the country but took W55 gold here.

In older age groups, new M65 Martin Leat narrowly defeated defending champion and the 2023 British 5km champion Tony Pamphilon.

M75 winner Mike Mann, just about got the better of fellow England international and multiple M80 record-breaker Peter Giles.

Overall (6.8km (VAC unless stated): 1 D Sharman (Wimb W/gst, M40) 24:57; 2 R Berry (M50) 25:27; 3 C Jackson (M50) 25:57; 4 E Dol (M35) 26:59; 5 M Tennyson (M60) 27:13; 6 M Haile (M55) 27:20; 7 M Edwards (M45) 27:39; 8 C Elms (W60) 27:43; 9 J Carrington (M45) 27:44; 10 M Marques (Clap C/gst, W35) 28:14

M45: 3 R Steeples (Coll/gst) 28:44

M50: 3 J Armstrong-Plieth 28:35

M60: 2 L Reilly 29:21; 3 D Haughey 30:16

M65: 1 M Leat 30:04; 2 T Pamphilon 30:13; 3 S Smythe 33:23

M70: 1 R Turner (THH/gst) 33:13; 2 D Coates (SCVAC/gst) 34:38; 3 V Pauzers 35:33

M75: 1 M Mann 36:29; 2 M Anglim (SWV/gst) 36:34; 3 D Maskell 41:59

M80: 1 P Giles 37:08; 2 P Newby (THH/gst) 43:29

Women: 1 Elms (W60) 27:43; 2 Marques (W35) 28:14; 3 S McDonald (W55) 28:30; 4 L Hancock (Clap C/gst, W40) 29:04; 5 M Armstrong-Plieth (W40) 29:18; 6 V Buck (W50) 29:26; 7 R Berry (W50) 29:34; 8 A Coomber (W50) 30:15; 9 N Richmond (W50) 30:30; 10 R Pickard (W45) 30:35

W45: 2 J Sinfield (Col/gst) 32:48

W55: 2 H Davies 34:12; 3 L Mill 36:51

W60: 2 L Woolhouse 31:17; 3 N Atkins 36:23

W65: 1 L Wilson 34:51; 2 M Davis (SCVAC/gst) 35:03; 3 J Quantrill 36:55

W70: 1 J Georghiou 40:57; 2 A Ross 46:12

SCOTTISH EAST DISTRICT LEAGUE, Bathgate, January 18

Men (8.8km): 1 L Rees (Fife) 25:38; 2 S Stirling (Falk VH) 25:55; 3 H Hickey (Centr) 26:03; 4 A Marshall (Centr) 26:07; 5 L Fanorolli (Cantr) 26:18

M40: D Hastie (Gala) 27:01

U20: H Pagett (S’earn) 26:44

TEAM: 1 Centr 63; 2 Cors 149; 3 Fife 156; 4 A’deen 283

MASTERS TEAM: 1 Metro 15; 2 Centr 32; 3 Cors 42

U17 (5.8km): 1 F MacKenzie (Metro) 18:17; 2 O Chirnside (A’deen) 18:18; 3 K Hardie (Harm) 18:19

TEAM: 1 Harm 14; 2 A’deen 39; 3 Metro 40

U15 (4.6km): 1 L Sedman (Falk VH) 15:13; 2 L Anderson (Anst) 15:24; 3 R Lees (Edin) 15:29

TEAM: 1 Edin 16; 2 Falk VH 17; 3 T Bord 22

U13 (2.9km): 1 T Hilton (Perth S) 10:07; 2 F Bell (Perth S) 10:09; 3 J Shinnie (A’deen) 10:15

TEAM: 1 Perth S 12; 2 Edin 28; 3 Harm 35

U11 (1.7km): 1 G Wright (Hadd) 6:13; 2 Q McInally (S’earn) 6:29; 3 J Gerrard (A’deen) 6:30

TEAM: 1 Edin 28; 2 Perth S 36; 3 G Her Sc 62

Women (5.8km): 1 N Scott (Edin) 19:47; 2 K Walker (Edin) 20:45; 3 M Sanchez Oller (Edin) 21:09; 4 G Whelan (Centr) 21:16; 5 H Cox (Edin) 21:20

W35: M McClelland (HBT) 23:01

TEAM: 1 Edin 11; 2 Cors 49; 3 Centr 69; 4 HBT 115

MASTERS TEAM: 1 HBT 10; 2 Edin 18; 3 Gala 49

U17/U15 (4.6km): 1 E Dallas (S’earn, U17) 15:57; 2 C Wright (Lass, U15) 16:17; 3 R Caves (Harm, U15) 16:27

U15: 3 L Gibb (Dunf T) 17:33

TEAM: 1 Harm 18; 2 Falk VH 18; 3 T Bord 45

U13 (2.9km): 1 I Madhra (Lass) 11:06; 2 G Whyte (Perth S) 11:08; 3 E Daunt (Edin) 11:22

TEAM: 1 Edin 17; 2 Harm 35; 3 T Bord 36

U11 (1.7km): 1 C Czekalowska (A’deen) 6:04; 2 A Thomas (Dunf T) 6:14; 3 K McNab (Edin) 6:19

TEAM: 1 Edin 12; 2 A’deen 19; 3 S’earn 34

Overall male team: 1 A’deen 672; 2 Edin 845; 3 Lass 878

Overall female team: 1 Edin 93; 2 Cors 318; 3 Lass 520

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