10:42am Saturday 24th July 2010
MORPETH Harrier Matthew Nicholson won his first North- East championship when he led a strong field in the Sunderland 5K road race.
The 28-year-old Tynesider broke away from the leading pack after 3km and gradually extended his lead to win in a personal- best 15min 12s, beating clubmate Peter Newton by a clear eight seconds. Former Middlesbrough Tees Pride and Darlington 10K winner Stephen Hepples claimed the bronze medal in a time of 15min 28s.
Nicholson said: “I’m normally known as a track runner, so I’m particularly pleased to have won on the road – especially in a North-East championship race.”
It was Nicholson’s first 5K on the roads since finishing seventh in last year’s Tees Pride event.
RESULTS: Men: 1 M Nicholson (Morpeth)15 mins 12 secs; 2 P Newton (Morp) 15.20; 3 S Hepples (Newham & Essex Beagles) 15.28; 4 D Garbut (Durham City) 15.30; 5 B Rushworth (Sunderland M45) 15.36; 6 N Wilkinson (Morp M40) 15.44; 7 M Dawson (Morp) 15.50; 8 L Timmins (Morp) 16.05; 9 J Askew (Newton Aycliffe) 16.13; 10 M Foggin (Sund) 16.16.
Women: 1 H Dix (Blaydon) 17.00; 2 D Hodgkinson (Wallsend) 17.13; 3 C Simpson (Chesterle- Street) 17.32; 4 M Czarnecka (ClS) 17.39; 5 C Summersgill (Middlesbrough & Cleveland) 18.06.
■ Chester-le-Street’s North-East 5,000m track champion Sue Laws won the 6.4-mile Newlands Valley Round race in Cumbria in a time of 39 min 1s. Her mother, Sue Ramage, was first over-50 veteran in 48min 19s.
■ New Marske Harriers host the annual Victorian 10K road race tomorrow (10.15am start).
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