Caine sends out warning

The 24-year-old Tynedale Harrier was beaten last year by Brian Rushworth as the Wearsider claimed a record tenth title at Hartlepool, but he believes he can claim the crown in December.

"Brian is still a top cross country runner but I am fitter and stronger than I have ever been and I want his title," said Caine, who graduated in sports science at Loughborough University before returning to his native Tyneside.

The former Northern junior champion ran from the fast pack in yesterday's handicap race, giving away up to five minutes start to the slower runners.

But he gradually worked his way through the 260-strong field to finish eighth overall, though Rushworth was a notable absentee.

Caine, whose father John finished fifth in the 1970 Commonwealth Games 10,000m in Edinburgh, has finished sixth, fourth, third and second in the North-East Championships over the last four years when Rushworth has been triumphant.

He said: "Brian will take some beating but I am getting more and more determined to win the trophy - I want it on my mantel-piece this year."

The 9.3K men's race was won by teenage slow pack runner Jonathan Graham, of Gosforth, who took full advantage of his start to beat Sunderland's Richard Kemp, who also received five minutes, by 26 seconds.

Defending senior men's champions, Sunderland, going for a hat-trick of titles, were beaten into fourth place despite the efforts of leading counter Tim Field, who ran only five hours after flying back from a holiday in Spain to clock the third fastest behind Caine and Durham City's Rob Hand.

The women's 5K race was won by former Scottish internationalk fell runner Morag McDonnell, who now runs for Chester-le-Street. She beat defending champion Sheila Allen, who recently won British Veterans' cross country title, by 21 seconds.

Allen, however, was tired after her exertions in the British Veterans' Cross Country Relay Championships at Darlington 24 hours earlier, when she anchored Houghton and Peterlee to victory in the over-35 section.

l Morpeth Harriers were the leading North-East club as they finished seventh in the Nike AAA National Six-Stage Road relay Championships at Sutton Park.

The Northumbrians, runners up in the Northern Championships at Sunderland earlier this month opened in 29th position, but Mark Hudspith hoisted the team into 14th place on the third leg before his younger brother, Ian, finished seventh on the final leg with the third fastest run of the afternoon.

Results (6 x 3.5m): 1 Belgrave 1:45:28; 2 Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow 1:45:32; 3 Cardiff 1:46:31; 7 Morpeth 1:47:48 (C Sampson 18.22, R Holladay 18.02, M Hudspith 17.54, T Wall 18.27, C McBurney 18.01, I Hudspith 17.02); 26 Chester-le-Street 1:53:52; 36 Sunderland 1:56:11; 46 Gateshead 1:58:13; 50 Hartlepool Burn Road 1:59:26; 56 North Shields Polytechnic 2:00:31; 58 Durham City 2:00:58.

Women (4 x 3.5m): 1 Charnwood 58:44; 34 Chester-le-Street 1:06:51; 49 Gateshead 1:09:49.

North-East Harrier League 1st Meeting (Blaydon)

Senior Men (9.3K): 1 J Graham (Gosforth, Slow Pack + 5 mins) 32.40; 2 R Kemp (Sunderland, SP) 33.05; 3 D Purvis (Birtley, SP) 33.40; 4 S Pringle (Alnwick, SP) 33.42; 5 T Power (Jarrow and Hebburn, SP) 34.07; 6 I Monkman (Newton Aycliffe, SP) 34.18; 7 C Stoker (Sund, SP) 34.20; 8 A Caine (Tynedale, Fast Pack scr) 34.29; 9 S Redshaw (Chester-le-Street, SP) 34.31; 10 R Jacobson (Blaydon, SP) 34.32. Fastest times: 1 A Caine 29.29; 2 R Hand (Durham City, FP) 31.09; 3 T Field (Sund, FP) 31.30.

Teams: 1 Wallsend 195 pts; 2 Blaydon 230; 3 Durham City 234; 4 Sunderland 266; 5 North Shields Poly 375.

Under-17 Men (5K): 1 B Hannant (Blackhill) 18.34; 2 T Settle (ClS) 19.13; 3 S Brown (Gateshead) 19.44; 4 M Armstrong (Blaydon) 19.50; 5 C Watson (Birtley) 19.53. Fastest times: 1 C Lamb (ClS) 18.07; 2 A Graham (Gos) 18.33; 3 B Hannant 18.34. Teams: 1 North Shields Poly 32; 2 Chester-le-Street 39; 3 Gosforth 48.

Under-15 Boys (3.95K): 1 M Crawley (Dur C) 14.53; 2 A Welford (Gos) 15.00; 3 D Henry (Sund) 15.12; 4 J Wood (Morp) 15.17; 5 S Brewis (Houghton and Peterlee) 15.21. Fastest times: 1 J Creegan (Blackhill) 14.17; 2 L Moses (Quakers) 14.32; 3 L Timmins (Gos) 14.33. Teams: 1 Morpeth 25; 2 Gosforth 40; 3 Birtley 42.

Under-13 Boys (2.9K): 1 W Pike (Gates) 10.50; 2 A Brown (Shildon) 10.58; 3 R Robinson (Blyth) 10.59; 4 R Cunningham (Birt) 11.06; 5 M Cochrane (Morp) 11.07. 1 Teams: 1 Morpeth 19; 2 Shildon 24; 3 Birtley 37.

Senior Women (5K): 1 M McDonnell (ClS) 20.04; 2 S Allen (H&P) 20.25; 3 H Robinson (ClS) 20.48; 4 C Ratcliffe (Dur C) 21.35; 5 A Hunter (J&H) 21.40. Teams: 1 Durham City 26; 2 Elswick 34; 3 Houghton and Peterlee 49.

Junior/Inter Women (4.75K): 1 C Wilson (Morp, Jun) 19.28; 2 N Owens (Shildon) 19.43; 3 M Holt (Sund, Jun) 20.16; 4 A Lappin (Middlesbrough and Cleveland, Guest) 20.26; 5 R Simpson (Blackhill) 20.49. Teams: 1 Sunderland 21.

Under-15 Girls (3.95K): 1 E Nesbitt (Morp) 15.58; 2 D James (Morp) 16.29; 3 C Harrison (Sund) 16.41; 4 C Bellamy (Gos)17.13; 5 L Prudhoe (Tynedale) 17.22. Teams: 1 Sunderland 23; 2 Birtley 52; 3 Blaydon 58.

Under-13 Girls (2.9K): 1 G Rutherford (NSP) 11.25; 2 L rawlings (Blaydon) 11.25; 3 L Wright (Blackhill) 11.49; 4 A Turnbull (Morp) 11.53; 5 R Hughes (NSP) 11.58. Teams: 1 Blaydon 24; 2 North Shields Poly 35; 3 Sunderland 39.

Hartlepool Burn

Road Harriers

Burn Road have put behind them the disappointment of last season losing out to rivals Knavesmire by only one point, it was a cruel blow dealt when three remaining events had to be cancelled due to the foot and mouth outbreak, which stopped the Hartlepool team defending their third NYSD Cross County championship title.

A positive start to this season has seen the team take relay honours at Darlington and an outstanding win on home ground.

Driving rain and ankle deep mud greeted the NYSD harrier league to the Hartlepool Summerhill course but this didn't stop the fixture from being a tremendous success.

Mark Armstrong led his team to victory with a brilliant determined run lapping up the wet muddy conditions on one of the toughest courses in the league. Mark should be really pleased with his performance, as he has steadily progressed through the field over the last four years and his fourth position now confirms he is well and truly in the top ten. Just behind Mark was club stalwart winter captain Ian Cook, whose sixth place clinched him victory in the veteran over 40s class, a title he is defending.

Finishing just inside the top twenty with just ten seconds separating them.

Results: Paul Stephenson (17th ), Andy Hardy (18th) and Ian Wilson (l9th).

Completing the scoring team was Vl, Alistair Robertson in 30th position, who just fought off a challenge from Mick Brunskill (31st). These athletes will be competing hard for the team and against each other and should prove very interesting over the coming season. Next home was Mick Lamb in 36th position who is not fully fit yet, but will be fighting for a team place in the coming events.

In the Over-50 veterans category Burn Road had second and third place runners, Mike Frostick (49th ) and Michael Ludgate (62nd).

Remaining senior men's squad: Keith Galbraith (55th), Karl Edwards (58th) Graham Stevens (66th), Steve Major (76th), Tony Dixon(77th), Eddie Rudd (78th), Mark Berry (86th), Andrew Bennett (91st), Dave Clouston (94th), Dave Kirk(97th), Paul Alderson(101st), Chris Lax (103rd), Harry Blackwood (113th), Dennis Wake (119th), Alan Musgrove (125th), Steve Vincent (127th), and in 130th position club secretary Peter Johnson.

Not only was it a successful day for the men's team, but the Burn Road ladies' squad excelled themselves to finish second, their highest ever position.

Leading the team home in eighth position was Tracy Waller the clubs top lady, second home in her first league XC was newcomer Karen Henderson (17th) who also gained second place in the Vet 1 category. Third counter was all round athlete Felicity Beedle who finished in 20th position. Completing the scoring team was Sharon Stephenson in 35th place Sharon has just returned to the sport after settling down to motherhood and will no doubt be keen to get back to full fitness. The much-improved Dorothy Bird (39th) and Julie Stead (40th) fought well to back up the team, and were followed in by another new member Julie Tierney (47th) who in her first ever XC coped very well.

In the Under-15s Boys race Richard Morrell and David Johnson battled in these difficult conditions to finish in 26th and 27th place respectively.

Jeremy Bird finished strongly for 21st place in the Under-13 Boys race On a sad note Burn Road Harriers were sorry to hear of the death of Brian Chard. Brian served the club faithfully for over 40 years as both an athlete and ever willing helper and will be sadly missed by all his club friends.