Sunderland Harriers thrived in the worst conditions of the winter to improve their league positions in both the men’s and women’s divisions of the North Eastern Harrier League at Thornley Hall Farm on Saturday.
In what can only be described as a quagmire of a course, where mud was ankle deep for most of the routes, it proved a stamina-sapping challenge for the hardiest of cross country runners.
The Sunderland senior men’s team finished third in Division One to climb into second place in the league behind Tyne Bridge Harriers.
The club’s women’s team won their Division Two match and have now moved into a promotion spot behind Morpeth.
The first two runners home in both the men’s and women’s races were runners from the fast pack, who, despite up to a five-minute handicap, charged through the big fields to emphasise their strength.
Durham’s Dan Jenkin (38min 50sec) and Wallsend’s Harry Coates (39.00) were the first athletes this season to claim a place in the frame, running from the fasts.
Sunderland’s first team counter was Steve Potts, who ran from the medium pack with a handicap of two minutes 30 seconds, to finish fourth (42.16).
Then came fast men Ian Dixon in 14th (40.59) and Ian Ritchie 23rd (41.42) before medium man Matty Devlin closed in 25th (44.20).