CALUM JOHNSON became the first Gateshead Harrier to triumph in the senior men’s race at the English National Cross-Country Championships for more than 40 years as he ploughed through the mud to triumph in Nottingham.

Johnson emulated Brendan Foster, who was the last Gateshead runner to win gold at the National Championships in 1977, as he saw off a top-class field by almost half-a-minute despite treacherous underfoot conditions.

The North-Easterner, who is a former British Elite Triathlon champion and bronze medallist at the World Junior Duathlon Championships, went into the National finals in fine form, having triumphed at last month’s Northern Championships.

And he lived up to his billing as pre-race favourite as he completed the cross-country course in 43:36mins, 23 seconds clear of the silver medallist, East Cheshire Harriers’ Joe Steward.

Steward had finished as runner-up to Johnson in the Northern Championships, and the 1-2-3 was repeated at the Nationals with Leeds’ Linton Taylor filling the third-place slot in both events.

On a good day for Northern runners, Morpeth Harrier Carl Avery finished in fifth position in the Nationals, almost a minute behind Johnson.

“It means so much,” said Johnson, in a post-race interview with the Tri247.com website. “It’s been a journey and a half to get to this point, beyond struggles at times, but moments like this just make sticking at it all worthwhile. I hope I can have a triathlon season like no other too.”

The senior women’s title went to Anna Moller, with track specialist Jessica Judd finishing second and Leeds City’s Bronwen Owen taking the bronze medal.