On Wednesday, July 3 the club competed at the Croft Circuit, better known for motor racing than athletics, in the Darlington Pit Stop 10k and 2k Fun run which was organised by Darlington Harriers.

First to the starting grid were the 2k fun runners, Matthew Lomax accelerated from the start and was never overtaken to come past the chequered flag in first place in a time of 6.39.

First girl back for the club was Abby Duffield who was ninth overall in a time of 7.43.

Others: Matthew Hewitson 8th 7.41; Simon Hewitson 14th 8.21; Amy Bunning 15th 8.25; Natasha Heslop 18th 8.33; David Best 19th 8.34; Claire Wilson 25th 9.35; Jonathan Griffith 28th 10.08.

In the 10k event runners had to complete three extended laps, Paul Best was up with the leading trio from the gun for the first two laps then just could not keep the pace set by the eventual winner Alistair Tatum. Paul hung on a eventually finish third in a time of 35.37. First lady back for the club was Jackie Robinson in 47th overall in 48.13.

Others: Chris Griffth 19th 40.21; John Hewitson 34th 44.16; David Hewitson 41st 46.29; Gary Bainbridge 52nd 49.41; Sahra Wilson 53rd 49.43; Debbie Hollick 57th 53. 15; Dorothy Borrowdale 61st 59.07 (first O-40); Jean Best 63rd 64.29; Margaret Elsey 64th 64.29 (first O-50).

* Anyone who would be interested in becoming part of the club, which caters for all sprint and middle distance events also throws and jumps, which train at the Stadium 2000 on Monday and Wednesday evenings ( 6pm) and Saturday mornings (10am),the age groups start from 8 years to seniors, and also seniors who take pail in road races and cross country all standards catered for should contact the Club Secretary Nell Stockley on (01388) 776083.

Middlesbrough AC

The club's talented teenage athletes were in fine form in the premiership of the national junior league at Scunthorpe.

Peter Vickers clocked a personal best of 10.73 over 100m and repeated the feat in the 200m with 22.10 and with a shot putt of 8.73 remains on course to qualify for the Grand Prix final as one of the top eight points scorers in the country.

Suote Nyananya warmed up for the schools championships with 14.9 for 110m hurdles and 6.70 for the long jump events in which he gained medals at last year's AAA and schools championships.

Anthony Lowery stepped down from 800m and set personal bests in three events (200m, 400m, 400m H).

National Junior League Premier Men

A: 100m P Vickers, 1, 10.8; 200m P Vickers, 2, 22.2; 400m A Lowery, 6, 53.9; 800m P White, 8, 2:07.5; 1500 O McNally, 3, 4:10.8; 3000m C Coates, 4, 9:10.1; 110m H S Nyananya, 4, 14.9; 400m H A Lowery, 2, 60.7; 3000m s/c P White, 2, 6.3; 4x100m Middlesbrough AC, 7, 45.9; 4x400m Middlesbrough AC, 6, ntr.

B: 100m C Jones, 5, 11.6; 200m A Lowery 7, 24.3; 400m C Jones, 2, 52.5; 1500 S Pogue, 1, 4:17.2; 3000 C Burdett, 2, 9:35.8; 110m H D Jordan, 2, 17.5; 400m H D Jordan, 2, 60.5. 3000m s/c J Herring, 5, 7.13.

A: LJ S Nyananya, 2, 6.70; HJ J Herring, 8, 1.70; PV D Jordan, 3, 2.98; SP P Vickers, 7, 8.73; DT S Pogue, 7, 19.16; JT L Costello, 6, 38.29.

B: LJ C Jones, 2, 6.0; HJ P McNally, 7, 1.6; SP N O'Leary 5.60; DT N O'Leary 7.15; JT N O'Leary 31.0.

Match: 1 Sale 252; 2 Liverpool 233; 3 Birchfield 223; 4 Notts 215; 5 Stoke 188; 6 Middlesbrough AC 179; 7 Derby 163; 8 Scunthorpe 110.

League: Sale 15; Notts AC 13; Liverpool 11; Stoke 10; Birchfield 9; Scunthorpe 6. Derby 4; Middlesbrough AC 4.

English Schools Championships

The championships take place at Nottingham today and tomorrow with Cleveland again fielding a strong team.

Cleveland have won the trophy for the smallest counties in the past at intermediate level and this year will hope to make their mark at senior level.

The senior team includes Suota Nyananyo, last year's intermediate long jump bronze medallist who goes in the 110m hurdles this time. Leslie Richards won the intermediate discus title last year and is a medal contender this time. Andrew Smith (HT), Steph Gill (400m) and Andrew Teate (800m) were all finalists last year. Sophie Dewell recently set a British U20 decathlon record in Vienna and opts for the pole vault.

The intermediate boys team has ten entrants, John Baines and Dean Daniel compete over 200m with Adam Robson selected for the 100m, Paul Stockton runs the 800m. Dale Jordan goes in the 400m hurdles with Steph Pogue and James Minter paired in the 1500m steeplechase.

The field even also includes possible medallists with Gavin Hill (discus) and Charles Hogarth (hammer) and James Herring (high jump) all highly ranked. Marise Barclay (200m) and Samantha Hurst (1500m) are the girls representatives in this age group.

Ben Wilson (100m) makes a return trip to the nationals in the junior age group with Karl Bindley (200m) and Tommy Grant (400m) also running into form. Scott Dixon and John Taylor team up over 1500m with Nick Gillespie (discus) completing the boys team. Caroline Sellers (high jump) has just started this event and has already cleared 1.60m.

The first round of the North of England Inter-Club KO Cup is at Darlington on Sunday starting at 11am and will consist of three matches (Cup, Plate and Ladies).

The Cup competition includes the top North-East clubs, Durham City, Gateshead, Middlesbrough AC, Morpeth and Nestle-Rowntree. The Plate competition, which was introduced in recent years, is for the smaller clubs and features Hartlepool Burn Road, Middlesbrough and Cleveland, New Marske and Richmond and Zetland.

The ladies event features seven teams, Cleethorpes, Gateshead, Hull Achilles, Morpeth, Nestle-Rowntree and New Marske.

The first two teams in each category will progress through to the finals which are to be staged at Ludworth on Sunday, August 25.

Also featured at the meeting will be the North East Counties men's 10,000m track championship which will be incorporated into the inter-club event.

Crook and District

A good turn out at the Tynedale 10k resulted in Mike Mallen being first home in 36.37.

Others: John Dennis 36.55, Phil Carter 37.07, Geoff Hewitson 38.15, Malcolm Ingram 38.25, Kevin Allen 38.40, Colin Everson 39.20, Martin Lowrie 41.40, Gerry Hehir 42.35, Paul Cowan 44.00, Allen Purdham 45.58.