MORPETH Harriers were comfortable winners, by 54 seconds, of yesterday’s Durham Cathedral cross country relays as their B team was just pipped for second place, one second behind Gateshead.

The Northumbrian winners were North-East cross country championships silver medallist Nick Swinburn, Nathan Shrubb and former regional champion Lewis Timmins, while B team anchorman Karl Avery clocked the fastest 3K leg.

The senior women’s relay was won by Birtley trio Sophie Burnett, Amber Leigh and Robyn Waugh, finishing exactly a minute ahead of Morpeth, while former Great Britain international Justina Heslop recorded the fastest leg helping Elswick to victory in the over-35 section.

Results – Senior Men (3x3K): 1 Morpeth 28 mins 12 secs (N Swinburn, N Shrubb, L Timmins); 2 Gateshead 29.06 (B Maskell, C Franks, D Johnson) 29.06; 3 Morpeth B 29.07. Fastest time: K Avery (Morpeth B) 9.11.

North-East Masters Championships: O/35: Sunderland 30.27 (I Dixon, K Jeffress, S McMahon); O/45 Tyne Bridge 31.39 (K McPherson, D Moir, S Cairns); O/55 Sunderland Strollers 36.34 (K Maynard, K Blyth, M Cox); O/65 North Shields Poly 45.52 (I Richardson, A Webb, P Payne)Senior Women (3x3K): 1 Birtley 34.48 (S Burnett, A Leigh, R Waugh); 2 Morpeth 35.48 (J Carruthers, L MacDonald, J Cram); 3 Gateshead 35.58.

North-East Masters Championships: O/35: Elswick 36.28 (C Tumia, J Heslop, A Banner); O/45: North Shields Poly 39.40 (A Cummings, K Jones, K Davis); O/55: Elvet 46.01 (J Young, A Towers, F Shenton). Fastest time: J Heslop (Elswick) 10.49.

*Youngster Emilia Gorecka ran the race of her life to spare Great Britain blushes as she beat two European champions winning the senior women’s race in the snowy Great Edinburgh Cross Country meeting.

The 20-year-old Aldershot athlete bounced back after her disappointing 12th placing in last month’s European Cross Country Championships in Bulgaria to beat Ireland’s former European champion Fionnuala Britton and newly-crowned team-mate and pre-race favourite, Gemma Steel, who slumped to 11th place on a muddy Holyrood course.

Gorecka’s brilliant run came too late to help Great Britain retained their overall team title, with the USA – with Gareth Heath and Chris Derrick winners of the two men’s races – taking the gold medals from Europe in second place.

Morpeth’s Great Britain team captain Jonny Taylor finished 11th and third team counter in the men’s 8K race, while late recruits Rosie Smith (Durham City) was 28th and Sunderland Stroller Alyson Dixon 31st in the senior women’s event. Birtley teenager Lydia Turner, the European under-20 bronze medallist, was tenth in the junior women’s race.