PAUL Goble led Nestl Rowntree home in 122nd place in the National Cross Country Championships at Hampstead Heath, London.

Next home for the York club was Andy Hilton (133rd), followed by Andy Burt (154th), Steve Simpson (243rd) and Michael Raynes (321st).

Jerry Barnes (411st) rolled back the years to ensure the Rowntree team finished in 22nd place.

Louise Banfield (152nd) was the only woman runner from York to run but the Rowntree junior section produced many good performances, the most notable being Lara Gibbs who was 15th in the Under-17 women's race.

The U20 women ran well but the absence of a fourth runner cost the team the possibility of taking a team medal with Suzanne Dale leading the way in 32nd and backed up by Aime Collett (42nd) and Claire Duck (55th).

The U15 girls' team came 11th with Emma McAllister-Hall first home in 25th followed by Charlotte Maxted (89th), Rachel Morrison (113rd), Alice McCabe (125th) following.

Victoria Needham produced an excellent run to finish 26th in the U13 girls' race.

Richard Menzies was the first Knavesmire Harrier home in the championships, completing the 12K course in 190th place.

Team-mates Andy Bissell (261st), Barry Atkinson (587th) and Richard Gott also completed the course based on Parliament Hill.

York Acorn Running Club picked up the first women's team prize at the Snake Lane ten mile race in Pocklington.

Dawn Gibbs took a break from her marathon training to lead the team home in 66 mins 44 secs with Helen Southall (70.02) and Heather McIntosh (72.45) being the other two members of the team.

Colin Hawxby narrowly edged out Dave Lancaster in the men's race which was won by Darren Bilton (Leeds City AC) in 51.46.

Knavesmire Harriers supplied 49 runners of the 750 who participated in the race.

That strength in numbers counted as the York club's men's team were second and the women third in the team races.

Knavesmire's first finisher was Great Britain ultra-distance international Ian Anderson in ninth place, clocking 55mins 52secs.

Dave Chippett (14th 57:14) and Alan Beavers (19th and 2nd over 40 57.38) scored an aggregate of 42 which was only beaten by Beverley AC's score of 28.

Harold Dobson won the over 60 section in 65mins 21secs to lift the Bill Hardcastle memorial trophy.

Other Knavesmire prize winners were Neil Strange (4th over 40 58.52) and Mike McGrath (3rd over 50 62.42).

Knavesmire's ladies team were led home by Helen Turton in 70 mins 47secs. She was backed up by Veronica Mackley (4th over 40 72.41) and Pat Boden (4th over 45 76.10).

Jean Snelling was Knavesmire's only prize winner at the first Yorkshire Veterans Athletic Association's Grand Prix race of the season.

She finished the six mile course in 56mins 41 secs to win the over 65 award at the Horsforth fixture.

Richard Gott (65th 41.15) and Phil Duck (73rd 43.52) also competed in a race won by last year's champion Dave Hinchcliffe (Longwood Harriers) in 31.15.

Updated: 10:13 Friday, February 28, 2003