Vale Royal Athletics Club win two medals at Northern Cross Country Relays Championships

Elliot Bowker, who ran the third fastest split at Sheffield’s Graves Park, Matthew Sheen, Stuart Doyle and Sam Whithead – returning after a lengthy absence through injury – squeezed Hallamshire into fourth.

They were only two seconds adrift of Warrington, who took silver.

The quartet have made history as the first senior men's team to win a medal in Vale Royal's colours at a regional championships.

Meanwhile an under 15s boys’ trio, consisting of Arun Dight, Harry Dexter and Ben Lee, went one better and claimed silver in their age category.

Vale Royal teams placed inside the top 10 in six of the eight other races, including sixth spot for the under 17s boys.

Jacob Brown, Josh Betteley and Jon Chatten made up the trio.

The under 17s and under 15s girls were both seventh, while Katie Gerrard led the senior women to ninth overall with Kate Titlow and Clara Pettitt.

Results

Northern Cross Country Relays

Graves Park, Sheffield, Saturday – Senior men (selected Vale Royal AC results only): 3. Elliot Bowker, Matthew Sheen, Stuart Doyle, Sam Whitehead 43:34.

Senior women: 9. Katie Gerrard, Kate Titlow, Clara Pettitt 40:59.

Under 17s boys: 6. Jacob Brown, Josh Betteley, Jon Chatten 23:02.

Under 17s girls: 7. Cara Gibbons, Chloe Broad, Sophie Smith 27:51.

Under 15s boys: 2. Arun Dight, Harry Dexter, Ben Lee 22:11.

Under 15s girls: 7. Caitlin Dimmick, Esme Bridge, Georgina Denham 26:05.

Under 13s boys: 14. William McKay, Sam Washington, Edward Pettitt 18:47; 23. John Booher, Aaron Doyle, Edward Smiles 19:52; 24. Alfie Dexter, Lewis Stanley, Charlie Fawkes 20:00.

Under 13s girls: 23. Holly Smith, Lucy Smith, Cerys Pilliner 20:38; 30. Beth Latham, Holly Dooley, Kate Sherry 22:14.

Under 11s boys: 10. Wilf Dight, Flynn Loftus, James Lanni 18:02.

Under 11s girls: 9. Anna Smiles, Megan Henshall, Faye Conboy 18:59; 12. Isabelle Walker, Tilly Gibbs, Rebecca Main 20:16.