Okbazghi leads White Rose to silver success

Yorkshire champion Meles Okbazghi (Sheffield RC) had a fine run to finish sixth in the Inter Counties Cross-Country Championships at Birmingham and he led the White Rose to silver in the team race behind a powerful North Eastern Counties.

Okbazghi, who came to Sheffield from Eritrea five years ago, ran strongly in the second half of the race to overtake Yorkshire team-mate James Wilkinson (Leeds City) who had also been beaten by the Sheffield runner for the Yorkshire title earlier in the year.

The first four were guaranteed selection for the World Championships with two more discretionary places.

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At halfway, Wilkinson looked well placed for selection but faded to eighth.

Without the Brownlee brothers, Yorkshire did well to place their counting six in the top 56 places.

Frank Tickner (Avon & Somerset) was an impressive winner.

Yorkshire women finished third in their race with Emma Clayton (Bingley) their top runner in seventh.

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This has been a fine season for Clayton, prominent throughout in Saturday’s race which saw her only just miss out on the World Championship team.

Yorkshire counters packed well, with six finishing inside the top 50. Pre-race favourite Louise Damen (Hampshire) overcame a bad patch in the middle to win.

Junior international triathlete Gordon Benson (Leeds City) ran a gritty race to finish runner-up in the junior race, leading Yorkshire to bronze, and Scarborough’s Bronwen Owen was also second in the Under-17 women’s race. Yorkshire were third, just five points away from winning.

There was a splendid team win for Yorkshire in the Under-15 boys’ race with City of Sheffield’s Jonathan Shields leading them home in 14th place with the other three counters close behind.

There was an Under-13 bronze for Amelia Lancaster (City of Sheffield).

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