NEW-KIDS-on-the-block Tyne Bridge Harriers virtually clinched the Start Fitness North-East Harrier League senior men’s and senior women’s Division One team titles in the fifth and penultimate fixture at Alnwick.

The Newcastle-based club – only founded in 2011 – stormed home to a fourth victory in the men’s handicap race to amass an unassailable 11 points lead, while the women’s team finished second to extend their advantage to eight points. Even if Tyne Bridge’s men’s squad finished tenth and last in the final meeting at Wrekenton in two weeks time they cannot be caught by their nearest rivals, defending champions Durham City, while the women would have to finish nine places behind a winning North Shields Polytechnic team to be denied the title.

Tyne Bridge’s men’s team, led home by medium-pack runner Marc Fenwick in fourth place, packed their six counters into the first 19 - a superb performance which saw them beat runner-up Heaton by a huge 92 points. The women, headed by slow-packer Magda Grinsdale in first place, finished just eight points behind Durham City, with North Shields a further 34 points behind in third.

Derwentside’s new signing, Spaniard Francisco Martinez Sevilla, receiving a five minutes’ start with the slow pack, won the men’s race, finishing four second clear of runner-up, Morpeth’s Robert Balmbra, who had a two-and-a-half minutes’ start with the mediums.

Results – Senior Men: 1 F Sevilla (Derwentside, Slow Pack +5 mins) 37.29; 2 R Balmbra (Morpeth, Medium Park +2 1/2m)37.32; 3 C Carruthers (Birtley, SP) 37.57; 4 M Fenwick (Tyne Bridge, MP)38.20; 5 C Smith (Morp, MP)38.32. Fastest times: 1 C Isherwood (Sunderland, Fast Pack, scr) 35.01; 2 R Balmbra 35.02; 3 J Bell (Blackhall Bounders, FP) 35.47.

Teams – Div 1: 1 Tyne Bridge 62; 2 Heaton 154; 3 Wallsend 177; 4 Durham City 187; 5 NSP 193. Placings after five fixtures: 1 Tyne Bridge 9; 2 Durham City 20; 3 Morpeth 21. Div 2: 1 Elvet 159; 2 Tynedale 160; 3 Blackhill 170; 4 Crook 192. Div 3: 1 Jesmond Joggers 89; 2 Derwentside 129; 3 Blyth 140.

Women: 1 M Grinsdale (Tyne Bridge, SP +4 mins) 28.22; 2 C Shields (Dur C, SP) 28.52; 3 L Butt (Dur C, SP) 28.54; 4 J Nutt (Elswick V35 SP) 29.58; 5 E Holt (Morpeth, FP scr) 30.34. Fastest times: 1 E Holt 26.34; 2 A Dargie (Tyne Bridge W35, FP) 26.46; 3 J Gascoigne-Owens (Alnwick W35, FP) 27.12.

Teams: Div 1: 1 Durham City 20; 2 Tyne Bridge 28; 3 NSP 62. Positions after five fixtures: 1 Tyne Bridge 11; 2 NSP 18; 3 Durham City 20. Div 2: 1 Elswick 29; 2 South Shields 48; 3 Jarrow & Hebburn 83.