Last Saturday saw fifteen brave Striders put in great performances at the Northern Athletics Cross Country Championships in a very muddy Pontrefract.

A tribe of nine women were led home by Fiona Shenton with their placings resulting in a 25th team placing out of 41 which is great work!

The gents spent their time chasing Olympic and Commonwealth Games triathlete Alistair Brownlee (who came second by 6 seconds) round the course and fittingly it was XC Captain Geoff Davis who was first across the line in purple.

Some brilliant performances and great groundwork for next weekend's Harrier League meeting in Jarrow!

On Sunday a small group of Striders made their way to Newcastle Racecourse to run laps of the 1.6mile loop in a bid for half marathon (8 laps) and marathon (16 laps) glory. Conditions were sunny but with a strong headwind in parts. General consensus on the day was that it was a very difficult run, the mental strength to do so many laps is a real skill to hone.

Monday evening saw a social recovery run lead from the Duke of Wellington pub in Nevilles Cross - this run is ideal for all speeds because the fast guys loop back to make sure noone is left behind.

For anyone not exhausted by their weekend's efforts there was a training session focused on speed and stamina on the grass at Graham Sports Centre. These sessions are also great for all abilities because you work at your own pace and speed.

Wednesday evening sees regular Striders club night at the Graham Sports Centre, Maiden Castle from 7pm with a number of runs for seniors of all abilities. New runners are always welcome and we encourage people to come along for a few weeks before committing to joining.

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Submitted by Anita Dunseith