WILMSLOW Running Club’s men starred at the Cheshire Cross Country Championships again.

Jon Cheshire led the team to first place in the prestigious county competition staged on a fairly firm but hilly course at Birchwood Forest Park in Warrington on Saturday.

And the veterans team also secured first prize to cap a great day’s racing.

There were individual medals for vets runners Richard Coen, Peter Speake, Andrew Whittingham and Trevor Morris.

Cheshire had great support from Coen, Speake, Damian Nicholls, Daniel Bundred and Whittingham to secure 102 points and comfortably see off the challenge of second-placed Sale Harriers in the men’s race.

Vets Coen, Speake and Whittingham were joined by Morris to bag the over 40s team honour.

It is the 15th year in a row that the veterans team have finished among the medals, the 13th in succession in first place.

For six consecutive years the men’s team have bagged a top-three spot too.

The men wrestled back first place for the first time in four years with four finishers in the top 20 over the 10k distance.

Cheshire, who went round in 36mins 44secs, got across the line in sixth place as the gloom started to descend.

Coen, who won a gold medal as the first over 40s veteran, was 10th in 37mins 43secs, followed in by clubmate and second-placed over 40s athlete Speake in 11th spot in 38mins 04secs.

Nicholls was 17th in 38mins 57secs, Bundred 21st in 39mins 34secs, second-placed over 45s runner Whittingham was 37th in 41mins 45secs and Morris was third-placed over 55s athlete – and 20th placed vet – as he finished 58th overall 43mins 03secs.

The remarkable team record for Wilmslow Running Club’s veterans over the past 14 years is 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st and 3rd, 1st and 3rd, 1st and 3rd, 1st, 1st, 1st and 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd.

Wilmslow’s women finished ninth in the senior and vets team competitions.

The best individual performance from the four who competed was produced by Claire Clancy, who came home seventh in 33mins 55secs but fourth in the senior women’s category.

Sally Gilliver bagged a silver medal as the second over 55s woman to finish. She clocked 39mins 24secs as she crossed the line 34th overall.

More than 460 athletes from across the county finished the races across all age groups.

n Watch our videos and browse 180 pictures from this year’s men’s and women’s races at wilmslowguardian.co.uk.