Dom Shaw is a fast mover at Silksworth

THE fast Silksworth course lived up to its name with five athletes dipping under 15 minutes for the tricky five-kilometres contest, writes BILL McGUIRK.

The Sunderland Harriers’ promotion again hosted the North East Counties and Northern Athletics Championships - all of the medals going to local athletes.

The men’s race was won by Teesside’s Dominic Shaw, whose winning time of 14min 33secs was just 10 seconds adrift of the course record.

In the early stages Shaw, who finished runner-up in 2017, had to dig deep to keep Morpeth’s in-form Sam Hancox at bay.

However, as the race progressed he eased away to cross the line 15 seconds clear Hancox just seeing off the late challenge of Houghton’s Alex Brown to claim the runners-up award.

Hancox, backed up by Thomas Straughan (ninth) and Joe Armstrong (10th), led Morpeth to a narrow team victory ahead of Tyne Bridge, Sunderland collecting the bronze awards.

In the women’s race Wallsend’s Danielle Hodgkinson repeated her victory of last year - making it a hat-trick of successes having also triumphed in 2012.

Hodgkinson, winner of the Blaydon Race last month, recorded 16:31 this time round 18 seconds faster than her winning time last year.

North Shields Poly’s Charlotte Penfold was prominent in the early stages but, after slipping back, managed to hang on to second 39 seconds behind the winner.

Sunderland, led home by Alice Smith in ninth place, were clear winners of the team race finishing with 26 points.

Tyne Bridge were runners-up with 33, just one point better than North Shields Poly with Wallsend a further three points adrift in fourth.

The non-championship veterans’ race was claimed by Guy Bracken (16:12) with Sunderland’s Paul Collins third. LEADING RESULTS - Women: 1 D Hodgkinson (Walls) 16:31; 2 C Penfold (NSP) 17:10; 3 G Campbell (NSP) 17:39; 4 D Smythe (Heat) 17:48; 5 R Bennett (Morp) 18:25; 6 A Smith (W35, Sund) 18:32; 7 J Fox (Sund) 18:48; 8 M Clancy (TyneBr) 19:01; 9 K Stevenson (W45, TyneBr) 19:06; 10 S Knight (Sund) 19:14. Team: Sunderland. Men: 1 D Shaw (NewMsk) 14:33; 2 S Hancox (Morp) 14:48; 3 A Brown (Hough) 14:49; 4 T Charlton (TyneBr) 14:51; 5 O James (Sund) 14:58; 6 C Smith (TyneBr) 15:04; 7 G Jayasriya (M&C) 15:12; 8 C Franks (V35, Gates) 15:13; 9 T Straughan (Morp) 15:13; 10 J Armstrong (Morp) 15:14. Team: Morpeth. Vets: 1 G Bracken (V55, NSP) 16:12; 2 A Hussey (V50, Chelt) 17:11; 3 P Collins (V55, Sund) 17:17; 4 A Walker (V60, Tev) 17:28; 5 K Smith (V55, TyneBr) 17:34; 6 G Penn (V55, NSP) 17:35.