Brandon creates history after winning English Schools’ CC title
Brandon Pye became the first male athlete, representing Durham, to win an English Schools’ Cross Country title in the events 61-year history.
A pupil of St Roberts of Newminster School, Washington, and competing in the Intermediate Boys Race, the Houghton Harrier beat a field of 325 to take the title in Kent.
Team Manager and teacher Nathan Reed said: “It was a great performance from Brandon. He ran a superb race. These titles are hard to win as you are competing against the very best in the country who have come through rounds of competition to get here.
“The weather was glorious sunshine all day long and the course was fast and flat. The start was quite short before it turned and there were plenty of fallers.
“He got a good start and was among the leading group for the first lap. On the second lap he moved to the front, halfway round on the big loop he kicked on and started to stretch into a 20m lead.
''James Dargan from Hampshire closed him back in and was almost level with him as they went out of sight of the spectators through the trees, but once they returned into the finishing loop Brandon kicked clear, opening up a seven second gap which he held onto in the finishing straight’’
This was only Pye’s seventh race of the season and that no doubt helped in the goals he achieved since the start of his season in November, opening his account with a win at Aykley Heads, Durham, in the North East Harrier League. He took second place in the North East Championship at Sedgefield behind Gateshead's Jushua Blevins, before finishing second in the Northern Championships at Pontefract. He then won the Northern Schools Inter Counties Championships at Middlesbrough and followed that with ninth place in the national Championships in London and fourth place in the Inter Counties at Loughborough
Sunderland Harriers led from start to finish to walk away with the first North Eastern Counties Four Stage Cross CountryRelayChampionships at Thornley Hall Farm.
The Wearsiders were quick to get off their mark with Steven Jackson on the opening leg clocking the fastest time of the day of 10.47.
Next off was Liam Taylor who is just back to racing after three months out with a foot injury and he recorded the second fastest time with his circuit of 10.58.
Michael Rodenby, making his relay debut in the first team, spent the previous evening checking the form of his third leg rivals. He need not have bothered as both Tyne Bridge and Gateshead runners were out of sight.
On the anchor leg was Steve Rankin and he was way out on his own to record 11.03 to head Tyne Bridge (46.53) and Gateshead (48.06), for an easy victory.
Sunderland Harriers travel to Birkenhead on Sunday for the the Northern Road Relay 12-Stage Championships.
They are one of only three North East clubs to contest the men’s relay, the others are Morpeth and Heaton. While Sunderland and Heaton are also down to compete in the women’s race relay.
Sunderland’s men’s team is: Long legs (8km): Nathan Reed, Stephen Jackson, Owen Walpole and Craig Gunn.
Short leg (4km): Michael Wilson, Joe Armstrong, Scott Armstrong, Joe Pomfret, Chris Bell, Michael Edwards, Alex Seed and Steve Rankin.