Students take honours with a Relay fine run
DURHAM University students came top of the class when they beat off the opposition to retain their Durham Cathedral Cross-Country Relay title at Maiden Castle.
Over a flat 3,000 metres course, the university was in pole position from the first of the three stages and was never headed after that.
Birtley’s Adrian Bailes, who had finished fourth in the previous day’s Northern Athletics Indoor Championships in Sheffield over 1,500m, tried to run the sting out of the university’s first-leg runner Cameron Field who was the only member of last year’s winning team.
However, Field, a member of Liverpool Harriers, seized the initiative with around 800m to go and forged into the lead to reach the first changeover with a six-second advantage over Bailes - Andy Burn bringing Jarrow and Hebburn into third a further nine seconds adrift.
On stage two Callum Elsen (Roundhay Runners) extended the students’ lead as Birtley drifted out of contention, leaving Morpeth to move into second ahead of hosts Durham City Harriers.
On the final leg the university held a 22-second lead over Morpeth, Lewis Timmins quickly setting out to cut back the deficit for the Northumbrians.
However, it was Morpeth’s second-team which caught the eye as George Lowry moved them through from fourth to overtake their A team - though Sam Whitehead (Vale Athletics writer Royal) still had a huge lead. At the finish Whitehead coasted home to bring the students across the line 16 seconds clear as an exciting battle for second place behind was unfolding.
It was Timmins who regained the runners-up spot in the closing 100 metres though Lowry with the run of the day, crossing the line two seconds adrift for the B team.
Field’s opening leg time of 8min 48secs was the fastest of the day with Lowry (8:54) rewarded with the second best together with Bailes.
Durham City finished in fourth with Robin Linten their quickest and Gateshead fifth, Conrad Franks their best, and Tyne Bridge sixth with Marc Fenwick their fastest.
The women’s relay was over the same 3x3,000m course and again it was a gun-to-tape victory - this time for the North Shields Poly club.
Former track international Charlotte Penfold set out the Poly’s stall from the off.
She stormed away to reach the first changeover with a huge 37-second lead over second-placed Durham University Tri club, Houghton in third a further six seconds adrift in third.
Penfold held the fastest time of the day until the last leg, when her 10:29 was equalled by Morpeth’s Jane Hodgson. Carla Maley, with the second stage time, extended the Poly’s advantage before passing over to Steph Dann to contest the glory leg.
Houghton were in second followed by Durham Tri with Wallsend fourth and Heaton fifth.
Hodgson took over in sixth for Morpeth but despite her gutsy run to move into second place she could only cut into Dann’s lead by 54 seconds, which still gave the Poly nearly a minute-and-a-half gap at the finish as Durham Tri consolidated third.
Morpeth, however, did manage to lift the veteran men’s relay title, finishing ahead of Sunderland with the Wearsiders’ second trio in third.
Chris Smith was the quickest vet on the course after posting a time of 9:18 on the last leg.