MORPETH Harriers battled hard to finish runners-up in the English Road Running Association National 12-Stage Relay Championships at Sutton Park, their best performance for seven years.

The Northumbrians came home only 57 seconds behind the North of England champions, Leeds City, as they held on to second place in the final two legs, climbing from seventh, their lowest position, on leg four.

Teessider Jonny Taylor – a member of Morpeth’s silvermedal winning team in 2007 – got off to a great start, finishing second on the opening circuit and former Portugese junior champion Paulo Pinheiro, making his club debut, moved his team from fourth to second on leg six.

Morpeth’s women’s team, the North-East’s only representatives in the women’s sixstage championships, were onlky 44 seconds away from the bronze medals, finishing fifth. Olympic Games 1500m finalist Laura Weightman, running the second fastest time of the day, moved the team from 38th to seventh on the second leg.

Results - Men’s 12-Stage: 1 Leeds City 3 hours 50 mins 41 secs; 2 Morpeth 3:51:38 (J Taylor (2) 24.41, N Shrubb (3) 13.20, L Timmins (4) 25.28, R Stephenson (7) 13.49, N Swinburn (4) 25.01, P Pinheiro (2) 12.44, R Morrell (4) 26.24, A Whitwam (4) 13.23, I Hudspith (3) 25.20, M Nicholson (3) 13.08, P Newton (2) 24.51, R Floyd (2) 13.29); 3 Aldershot, Farnham & Dist 3:51:57; 20 Gateshead 4:08:02; 33 Tyne Bridge 4:19:09.

Women’s 6-Stage: 1 Aldershot, Farnham & Dist 1:27:00; 2 Swansea 1:29:28; 3 Bristol & West 1:32:03; 5 Morpeth 1:32:47 (S Graham (38) 16.44, L Weightman (7) 14.03, M Stead (7) 15.33, A Gibson (4) 14.41, D James (5) 16.29, S Wilkinson (5) 15.17). Fastest times: 1 E Gorecka (AFD) 13.51; 2 L Weightman 14.03; 3 L Whittle (Royal Sutton Coldfield) 14.06.

Durham City Harriers’ Great Britain cross country international Rosie Smith was crowned the North-East 10K road race champion after a superb eighth placing overall in the Transped Blyth Valley race.

Smith, who clocked 34 mins 12 secs, was over three minutes ahead of the next woman finisher and only 48 seconds behind the men’s winner, Graeme Cook, of North Shields Polytechnic.