JACK COMPLETES MARTIN DOUBLE AT NORTH EASTERN COUNTIES CROSS COUNTRY SENOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sunderland-born Jack Martin followed his brother Patrick, the 2015 champion, in winning the North Eastern Counties Cross Country Senor Championship at Redcar Racecourse on Saturday.

The former Sunderland Harrier took the race by the scruff of its neck to win by 31 seconds.

But he admitted that his win was not as easy as it looked: “I found it quite hard as I could not get into a rhythm due to the twisting nature of the course.”

Jack Completes Martin Double At North Eastern Counties Cross Country Senor Championships.

The Stockport Harrier recorded 36.42 to beat Gateshead’s Calum Johnson (37.13) and Morpeth’s Carl Avery (37.22).

His victory was significant, as Jack and Patrick became only the second brothers to win the title in its 112 year history.

Elswick Harriers’ George and Bill Boak were successful from 1949, George winning in that year and Bill winning the title from 1950 to 1957.

The Sunderland women’s team won their first ever team medals in finishing third behind winners Jarrow and Hebburn and Morpeth.

They were led home on the pancake flat bone-dry course by sterling performances from Alice Smith in eighth (31.57), Vicky Haswell 11th (32.38), Nicola Woodward 17th (33.19) and Vikki Cotton 52nd (36.52).

The race was won by Sale’s Sonia Samuels (28.07) from Morpeth’s Emma Holt (28.55) and Jane Hodgson (29.07).

There was also medals for the Sunderland Under17/20 Women’s team who took the silver medals through back-to-form Jess Fox in sixth (23.37), Sarah Knight 12th (24.49) and Eve Quinn 19th (25.22).

Sunderland’s Sophie Burnett (Birtley), the early leader, eventually finished second (22.33) to Darlington’s India Pentland (22.12), who also led her club to the team title, four points ahead of Sunderland.

The Sunderland Under-20 Men’s team were also on podium in taking third place. They had Mark Smith in fifth (27.00), Chris Bell 12th (28.03) and Sean Mackie 15th (28.43)....

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