KATE AVERY maintained her superb winter form as she outperformed a world-class field to triumph in the senior women’s race at the Great Edinburgh X-Country.

Having won a silver medal at last month’s European Cross-Country Championships, Avery was expected to be among the leading contenders for the one of the most prestigious winter meetings on the domestic calendar.

And the Newton Aycliffe runner, who was a member of Shildon Harriers before moving to the United States on a sports scholarship, did not disappoint as she paced herself to perfection in testing muddy conditions.

Avery, who will hope to secure a place in the Olympic 10,000m when she turns her attention to the track this spring, was in control throughout, eventually finishing four seconds clear of Ireland’s Fionnuala McCormack, with her British team-mates Gemma Steel and Charlotte Arter in third and fifth positions.

“I didn’t really know what to expect because I prefer the firmer conditions,” said Avery, who finished fourth in the 10,000m final at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. “I’m over the moon with the win, and especially how I did it being able to run away from the girls.

“It’s not so much the muddy conditions that I found difficult, but the little inclines and streams. I wanted to be hitting them first rather than trying to follow other girls. Even if I was in a group, I tried to move to the side to see where my feet were going.”

The Northern Echo:

PLOUGHING ON: Kate Avery (left) makes light work of negotiating the muddy conditions

Another Shildon Harrier, Cameron Boyek, was part of the Scotland A team that won the mixed 4x1km relay.

Boyek produced an impressive opening leg of 2:43 to hand over the baton in the lead ahead of Team Europe’s Charlie Grice.

Steph Twell, Jake Wightman and Laura Muir ran the remaining three legs as Scotland finished nine seconds clear of a combined British team.

There was a surprise in the elite men’s race as double Olympic and World champion Mo Farah could only finish second behind American Garrett Heath.

Farah was taking part in his first race on the cross-country circuit for five years, but was unable to repeat his success from 2011 as the difficult underfoot conditions appeared to take their toll.

“It was tough, but that’s cross-country, that’s what you get,” said Farah. “Garrett was the better man on the course and he showed that. He proved that – he was bouncing off the ground quicker.

“There were a couple of times I nearly went, and you could see with the corners that when you’re comfortable you can run off it, but I just wasn’t that comfortable.

“I don’t want to lose a race, I hate losing, but it’s better to lose now than in August. Garrett’s shown year after year winning on this course, and he was the better athlete over the course.”