Fresh from regional success, runners look for national glory

AFTER a highly successful Northern Athletics Cross-Country Relays Championships as far as the North East was concerned, attention now switches to the National XC Relays in Mansfield in 10 days’ time.

The Mansfield fixture is certainly one of the highlights of the crosscountry season, with contests for all ages from under-13 to seniors, which gives our clubs the opportunity to experience competition at the highest level. Last weekend in Sheffield, the region picked up six medals – one gold, two silver and three bronze – which is an extremely good haul considering just a small number of North East teams contested the Graves Park championships.

However, while medals may be hard to come by in Mansfield, a larger number of entries have been received from clubs based here in the region. More than 230 teams are entered for the senior men’s fourstage relay alone with the likes of Birtley (two teams), Blackhill Bounders, Durham City (2), Gateshead (2), Morpeth (2) and North Shields Poly (2) helping to swell the numbers.

In the age group races, Houghton, who won two bronze medals at Sheffield, unfortunately won’t be competing having missed the entry deadline, but the likes of Birtley, Gateshead, Morpeth, North Shields Poly, Darlington and Middlesbrough will be lining up in a number of the events.

Such is the high standard of competition, only Birtley’s under-20 women made it on to the podium last year with Kate Waugh, Lydia Turner and Sophie Burnett receiving the runners-up medals.