A TRIO from Nestle Rowntree Athletics Club were overhauled on the last leg as they finished second in the York Christmas Relay cross country race.

The race saw the first runner from each team run a 1.5-mile leg, with the other two racers running three-mile legs. There were also stuttered starts depending on the number of young children or females in the teams.

Vicky Needham set the pace for Nestle with the second-fastest short leg on 10 mins 04 secs, with fellow teenagers Iain Lynn then clocking 17.52 and Tom Bean 17.51 for a total time - with starts factored in - of 48.47.

But the Spenborough trio of Paul Davies, Matthew Johnson and Jake Rowlands won out in 47.46 thanks to last man Rowlands' fastest leg of the day, timed at 16.36.

Teams from Scarborough took the next three places, with York Boys the next local team home, in a time of 51.17. Under-12s runner Jean Luc Weller clocked 10.56, U14s Ben France 19.08 and U16s Matthew Lister 21.13.

The event was used by many of the young runners as preparation for the Yorkshire Cross Country Championships, which will be held at Skipton next Saturday.

There was also a very good run by Knavesmire Harriers veteran Harold Dobson, an over-70, who clocked 22.10 over three miles.

The junior relay race, which consisted of three 1.5-mile legs, was won by Nestle Girls comprising U14s runners Rebecca James (11.56) and Rachel Colton (11.00), U12s girl Saffron Botterill (11.30).

There was also a shorter race of less than a mile for primary school children, and two records were set. Sam Harper from Scarborough clocked 6.18 for the boys' best, and Lauren Bird from York timed 6.19 for the girls' record.

Andy Normandale set a new course record in the over-50 men's section.