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Wilkinson pipped in cross country finals but Adams triumphs
National champion Steve Vernon (Stockport) won an exciting race to beat Leeds City’s James Wilkinson in the Northern Cross Country Championships at Pontefract Park on Saturday while Hallamshire’s Lizzie Adams beat defending champion Susan Partridge (Leeds City) to win the women’s title.
Vernon and Wilkinson were always prominent with Wilkinson looking more relaxed for much of the race. It was Vernon, however, who began to pull away with half a lap to go and Wilkinson could not respond. Even so, it was a fine performance by the 21-year-old Leeds runner who is now established among the best British seniors.
Simon Deakin (Leeds City) had a good run in eighth place but the rest of the Leeds counters (six in the top 52) were too far back to give them a 10th team title in this event, the honours going to Altrincham with Leeds runners-up.
A superb run by Adams gave her the women’s title. Strongly fancied by her Hallamshire team-mates to challenge for the title against Leeds marathon star Partridge, Adams, an international mountain runner, got away from Partridge on the long uphill finish for a well-deserved victory. Partridge had the consolation of leading the Leeds team to victory over defending champions Bingley.
The other Leeds counters were Claire Duck (12), Emily Birchall (17) and Charlotte Wills (22).
There was a win in the junior men’s race by Mark Shaw (New Marske) who got clear in the closing stages, in contrast to junior women’s winner Jenny Walsh (Spenborough) who led every bit of the way to beat Hallamshire’s Calli Thackery by 45 seconds.
Equally impressive was Bronwen Owen (Scarborough) who defended her Under-15 title with a 30-second margin over Wakefield’s Annabel Mason.
In the Under-17 women’s race Jessica Lonsdale (Kingston upon Hull) led all the way to beat Hallamshire duo Fiona Bell and Natalia Hackett
Leeds City’s James Walsh scored a record breaking sixth win in the Midlands Cross Country Championship at Nottingham on Saturday, winning by half a minute.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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