Yaxley are the top local team yet again

Yaxley Runners finished as the top local team for the fifth year running, as the Winter Frostbite League concluded at a muddy Jubilee Park in Huntingdon.

The village running club with a big membership had finished as runners-up to Hunts AC in the previous two seasons, but were happy to settle for third place this season with Cambridge & Coleridge AC finishing second behind Hunts.

Yaxley may not have any superstars in their ranks. but they do possess tremendous strength in depth. This was especially evident amongst the ladies in the final race with Kayleigh Longfoot finishing sixth. Rhiannon Loutit was 16th, Ellie Piccaver 17th and Gina Crane 18th.

Peterborough & Nene Valley AC finished fourth on the day with Yaxley second, and they too were indebted to their ladies. Sarah Caskey placed 5th, Josie Knight 8th, Elizabeth Eames 11th, Rebecca Lee 14th and Alison Staines 19th.

Eye's Sam Cullen finished as second lady with Thorney's Zion Demba ninth.

PANVAC's Micheal Major was the first local man home, finishing in10th place.

Yaxley Runners had three men in the top 30 with Jordan Buttigieg 14th, Darren Wells 28th and Craig Bradley 29th. Jack Green of Werrington placed 15th.

Thorney Runners were the second junior team at Huntingdon and finished fifth in the overall standings. PANVAC ended the series third.

Thorney's Goodwin brothers Tobias and Elijah placed 5th and 6th respectively with the club's leading girl Rosie Ackerman in second place.

PANVAC's Jasper Dunham finished 9th while Yaxley pair Elisa Berisha and Bella Wiseman were the 8th and 9th girls home.

BURGHLEY 7

Helpston Harrier Ruth Jones and Stuart Haw of Peterborough & Nene Valley AC enjoyed fine runs at Sunday's Burghley 7, but both were left frustrated after being beaten into second place.

Haw was well behind race winner 28 year-old Elliott Smales, who has recently retired as a professional triathlete. Smales clocked 36:13 to Haw's 38:00.

Over 1,400 runners flocked to the park and Jones, a shepherd on the Burghley estate, led for most of the race before being passed by Wellingborough’s Natasha Martin late on.

Martin crossed the line in 44.24 with Jones three seconds back. They finished 30th and 31st in the overall field.

Other locals:

Mark Popple (9th, 39.46), Simon Hearty (10th, 39.55), Nat Freeman (12th, 40.47), Dave Newton (14th, 41.07).

ROUND-UP

Yaxley's Ros Loutit wore an international vest for the first time on Sunday when representing England masters in a home countries fixture which was incorporated into the Cheshire 10k.

Loutit completed the race in a time of 42.49.

PANVAC's Max Hall won the British Masters Over 35s Indoor Pentathlon for the second year running.

Hall picked up 3,256 points in the event staged at Lee Valley with his highlight an 8.77 clocking in the 60m Hurdles.

Ruth Jones was overhauled late on in the Burghley 7 race.