Elswick Harriers received a bumper entry for their revised Norman Woodcock Road Relay on the ambulance track around the race course at Gosforth Park on Saturday.
The three stage-relay catered for all age groups and attracted 112 teams to the tight circuit over the short distance of just over 1.6 miles.
Teams had to be of the same age group and one of the team had to be a woman.
And it was Sunderland Harriers and Sunderland Strollers, along with Morpeth Harriers, who were all involved in the chase for first place entering the final leg.
Only four seconds covered the three clubs, with Sunderland Harrier Alice Smith just holding onto first place with her second fastest overall leg of 9.19. Stroller Alyson Dixon had a pulsating run to charge through the field from 14th to second, only three seconds behind the Harriers. Her time of 8.48 was easily the fastest women’s time.
But it would be Morpeth who upset the applecart by quickly making up their four seconds deficit to sail into the lead and win through Tom Straughan’s superb leg of 7.58. He was the quickest of the day and the only runner to dip under eight minutes....