Hartlepool Burn Road Harriers out in force for the first fixture of the 2016-2017 North Yorkshire South Durham Cross Country League

The event was held at Caedmon School at Whitby and saw record numbers of athletes attend.

The course is one of the best in the league, with athletes covering a multi-terrain route and a very steep hill on each lap of the course.

The first race was the Under 11 Race over 1.2 kilometres.

In the Under 11 Boys Race, Jace Vickers had a great run to cross the finish line in fifth position in 5:11.

Emma McNeill paced her run brilliantly to secure second place in the Girls Under 11 Race, finishing in 4:56. A great start to the day’s racing.

The juniors received fantastic support around the course by parents and many senior club members.

In the Under 13s Boys 2.8 kilometre Race, Scott Temple demonstrated great speed and determination, powering down the finish straight to finish fifth in 12:14. Jonah Houltby had a great run to finish 23rd in 17:25.

Bradley O’Donoghue was racing as a Hartlepool Burn Road Harrier for the first time in the Boys Under 17 5.5k Race.

A great run from Bradley saw him clinch fourth place in 26:02.

The Senior Ladies two lap 5.5k race was next. The Under 17s, Under 20s and Senior Ladies all run the course at the same time and a record number 125 athletes set up on the start line. Hartlepool’s Jane Wistow and Cheryl Laycock both led the team out and by the steep hill on the first lap were neck and neck.

Cheryl broke away up the hill and it took Jane a good kilometre to make up the 20 metres between them.

They ran together along the fast section of the course, showing great support for one another and overtook many athletes from other clubs. They finished very close with Jane just edging over the finish line first in 25:24 and Cheryl in 25:28.

Jo Beddow has shown excellent form over the summer months and this translated well into cross country racing. Pacing her run very well to ensure the hill did not sap the legs too much, she powered to the finish line in 26:51.

Laura Jones was next in her second cross country season for the club.

She had a great run, knocking a minute off her time from the previous year, finishing in 27:42.

Jan Naisbitt showed strengths over the inclines, finishing in 30:10, with Claire Earle not far behind in 30:26.

Lesley Strickland has just returned to running after a period away from the sport and took the course in her stride, crossing the finish line in 31:04 and looking forward to the next fixture.

Finola Andelic was racing the course for the first time and looked in great form as she finished in 31:23.

Angela Lawlor was next, covering the 5.5k in 33:00, with Christine Bruce racing over the difficult terrain just over six weeks after having a baby and finishing to the applause of her team mates in 39:34.

The Senior Men’s Race was very well populated, with 183 runners racing three laps of the course with a total distance of 9.4k.

Hartlepool Burn Road Harrier’s Richard Darling had a great race, powering over the hills with ease, he cross the finish line in 34:42.

Simon Bennett has recently returned to training after a period away and showed no signs of slowing down, crossing the line in 35:10. Andrew Minister was the third Burn Road Male to finish in 35:54, with Tony Oliver tucked in behind in 35:55. A great performance by the first four Harriers.

Vaughan Godber covered the 9.4k course in 36:14, followed by Paul Stephenson in 37:33.

John Davis had a great run to race to the finish line as the sixth team counter in 37:40.

Martin Cooper’s first race for the club went remarkably well, with Martyn finishing strongly in 39:00. A great run over the hard course.

Graham Jones was next to cross the line in 41:11, followed by Ian Cook in 42:18.

Richard Hambly raced very well in 43:43, with Simon Lawlor next in 43:58.

Andrew Bate was the next Harrier to finish in 44:06, with Steve Wilson next in 44:26.

Dave Wallace has a lot of experience over the cross country terrain and had a great run, covering the 9.4k in 45:09, with John Mansfield returning from injury working hard over the course to finish in 45:13.

Keith Galbraith was neck and neck with John and finished a few strides behind in 45:14.

James Bate was the next Burn Road Harrier to finish in 45:40, followed by Nigel Shaw in 46:37.

Graeme Surtees covered the course quicker than the previous year in 47:13, with Peter Johnson next in 51:15.

Dave Clouston had a great run in the Vet65 Men’s 5.5k Race to finish second in 29:45.