SIX MEDALS FOR THE NORTH EAST IN NORTHERN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

The North East came away with two gold medals, three silvers and a bronze in the Northern Cross Country Championships at Knowsley Safari Park on Saturday.

Well over 2,000 athletes took part in the championships where conditions changed from dry to a mud bath from overnight rain.

It was a true test of stamina and gritty determination as the runners negotiated their way round the testing course with some formidable hills to negotiate.

Six Medals For The North East In Northern Cross Country Championships.

National senior men’s champions Morpeth Harriers missed out on the team gold by a whisker.

Sale were the ones to deny the Northumberland club their place at the top of the podium, by taking first place by just two points.

Morpeth placed Peter Newton in third, after pushing through from a cautious start to climb into the frame (41min 58sec). He was followed by Nick Swinburn in ninth (42.38) and Carl Avery 13th (42.51), but had to wait until 44th, 45th and 75th positions for their three final counters in the race won by Derby’s Ben Connor (41.13).

Durham City Harriers finished second North East team in eighth, with 2014 champion Dan Garbutt in 19th (43.37) leading them home.

The other team counters were James Askew 49th, Mathew Hornsby 58th, Dan Jenkin 61st, Robin Linten 102nd and Robert Eaton 111th

Sunderland Harriers’ hopes of a top-10 spot collapsed at the 11th hour when a number of drop-outs ruled out any expectations.

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