Three Houghton Harriers made the long journey to Cardiff - despite gale force winds and torrential rain - to contest the first major cross country event of the season on Saturday.
The Cardiff Cross Challenge opened the 2018 /2019 British Athletics Cross Challenge Series and ends at the UK Inter County Cross Country Championships at Loughborough on March 9.
Will Bellamy, Henry Johnson and Sam Gibson, are all first years in the Under-17 Men’s age group and faced stiff competition.
It was Bellamy that was first home for the Wearsiders’ in finishing 17th (18.48) followed by Johnson 28th (19.28) and Gibson took 34th (19.49).
The race was won by Mohamed Ali (Ealing and Southall) in 17.53. Morpeth Harrier David Melling finished 15th (18.43). Melling’s clubmate Rory Leonard was runner-up in the Under-20s (20.34) to Cardiff’s Jake Heyward (19.56).
Shildon’s Kate Avery was second (21.48) in the Senior Women’s race to Denmark’s Anna Muller (21.48), Morpeth’s Mhairi MacLennan was fifth (22.10) and Birtley’s Lydia Turner was 13th (23.04)...