YORK Knavesmire Harriers are revelling in the most successful Yorkshire Cross Country races in club history at the meeting at Lightwater Valley.

In the ladies’ race, which was won by Alexander Bell of Pudsey & Bramley, the Mire girls packed well from the start to finish and took a club record seventh overall team placing.

Andrea Lancaster was the first home in 37th, with fellow team-mate Kirsty Vogan in 38th. Anwen Darlington was just behind in 40th and the final ladies’ counter was Cassie Holmes 67th.

Other Knavesmire finishers were Sarah Attwood 82nd, Bryony Parkinson 106th, Liz Matthews 122nd and Kirsty Harvey 128th.

In the men’s race - Johnathan Thewlis (Nott’s AC) was the winner - the Mire ranks also posted seventh position and were the first club from North Yorkshire to finish.

Club mainstay Kim Critchley, who has kept good form throughout the winter season, was in 12th position while Josh Beech returned from Sweden to support his club-mates to finish 48th.

Chris Roberts was 58th, Simon Collins 74th, Giles Hawking 95th and Barry Atkinson 101st.

Other Mire finishers included Thomas Ratcliffe 105th, Darren Hendley 109th, Rory Henderson 114th, Danny Chan 134th, Phil Richardson 151st, Pete Downes 170th, Richard Tarrega 179th, Stef Durkin 188th, Alistair McQueen 221st and Ian Bithell 222nd.

The squad are now looking forward to the Northern Cross Country Championships at Pontefract Racecourse on January 24.

In the Jolly Holly Jog 10k race at Ripon, Knavesmire men finished the top team led by David Lees, who was 16th in 39.00 followed by George Bilsby 40.16 and Stephen Robson 40.40.

Kirsty Vogan was the first Mire woman home in 43.15, while Pat Boden was second in the ladies 60 section in 55.13.

HILARY COVENTRY was the first Thirsk & Sowerby Harrier club finisher in the 4.2 kilometre ladies’ race in the NYSD cross-country race at Summerhill in Hartlepool.

She finished 22nd in a time of 21 minutes and 48 seconds, ahead of club-mates Claire Gillan 33rd in 23.25, Andrea Almack 57th in 27.59, Christine Burn 58th in 28.18, Jane Cummins 59th in 28.27, Alison Butcher 60th in 29.12, Bev Davies 64th in 31.36, Gillian Crane 65th in 31.52, Hannah Pollit 66th in 32.26, Marian Codling 68th in 36.12 and Liz Stephenson 69th in 38.38.

Cameron Choules was the first of the male runners to finish, over a course twice as long.

He took 31st spot in 36.55, followed by Stephan Tomszewski 48th in 38.48, Ken Wood 70th in 41.28, Bryan Miller 80th in 42.39, Graham Robinson 82nd in 42.49, Rob Lickley 88th in 43.27, Martin Cummins 105th in 46.21, Marc Davies 109th in 47.05, Andrew Butcher 115th in 48.50 and Duncan Fothergill 120th in 49.59.