Sillence is golden at Start Fitness North Eastern Harrier League

We’re now well into the 2025-26 cross country season and here’s our latest round-up from the UK racing scene.

START FITNESS NORTH EASTERN HARRIER LEAGUE, Thornley, September 28

Neil Sillence won overall and was also posted the fastest senior men’s time of 36:13 as the hugely popular league with its wave starts, depending on predicted times, got underway.

Three weeks earlier, Sillence had won the Cotswold Classic 10 in Oxfordshire and here was nearly a minute clear of Max Hazlehurst in both finishing position and overall times.

Women’s winner Megan Stenhouse was more than three minutes clear of the field in her race but deeper in the field, Ava Leadbetter was only just a minute down on net times as second fastest.

Elswick’s top W45 Justine Heslop was not first from her age group home but her 28:23 was faster than all but five other women.

Overall: 1 N Sillence (NSP) 36:13; 2 M Hazlehurst (Newc U, U20) 37:32; 3 L McDonough (Alnw, U20) 37:38

M40: 1 K Haddon (Elsw) 40:25

M45: 1 B Cook (NSP) 41:06

M50: 1 M Mason (Elvet) 42:31

M55: 1 N Saddique(NE Proj) 44:18

M60: 1 I Norman (Heaton) 44:25

M65: 1 T Tinsley (C’mont) 48:19

Fastest Masters (net time)

M40: J McKenna (Tyne Br) 36:18; J Anderson (NSP) 37:18

M45: B Cook NSP) 38:34

M50: M Mason (Elvet) 42:31

M55: N Saddique(NE Proj) 44:18

M60: I Norman (Heaton) 44:25

M65: T Tinsley (C’mont) 48:19

U17: 1 A Darling(T’dale) 22:52

Fastest: A de Lullo (T’dale) 22:23

U15: 1 G Hunter (T’dale) 12:10

Fastest: K Pearson (W’send) 11:57

U13: 1 J Hooper (J&H) 13:43

Women: 1 M Stenhouse (Durh U) 25:36; 2 S Attwood (Crook, W40) 28:54; 3 A Rea (Jesmond) 30:42

W45: 1 L Graham (Birt) 32:34

W50: 1 A Basu (Elvet) 33:46

W55: 1 A Taylor (Crook) 34:03

W60: 1 J Taylor (Birt) 34:43

W65: 1 L Scola (Alnw) 36:30

Fastest: Stenhouse 25:36; A Leadbetter (Newc U) 26:50; I Bungay (Elsw) 27:14

W40: S Attwood (Crook) 28:54

W45: J Heslop (Elsw) 28:23

W50: L Short (T’dale) 29:55

W55: K Robertson (T’dale) 30:58

W60: J Taylor (Birt) 34:43

W65: L Scola (Alnw) 36:30

U17: 1 A Johnson (NSP) 23:15

U15: 1 E Kleiser (Durh) 14:33

U13: 1 R Collins (Gosf) 15:12

Fastest: M Carr (Prudhoe) 14;46

NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE XC LEAGUE, Betley Court Farm, September 27

Men: 1 L Gratton (Ruge) 23:21; 2 A Doyle (Vale R) 24:55; 3 J Droogmanns INewc St) 25:11

M40: 1 S Fisher (Stoke)…