ATHLETE Harriet Knowles-Jones signalled she is back on course in magnificent style as winner of the Cheshire Cross Country Championships women's race on Sunday.
The former European under 20s champion, running her first cross country race for five years, was an outstanding victor for Warrington Athletics Club on a quagmire course in windy conditions at Knights Grange in Winsford.
Her comeback follows five years of illness, struggling to recover from exertion, but the smile on her face as she crossed the finish line showed her delight to be making a mark again.
The former Lymm High School student led for all bar the first couple of hundred metres to win gold in 32mins 17secs, 91secs clear of her nearest rival.
In what was a highly successful day for Warrington AC, there were six further individual wins along with three silver medal claims and one bronze, plus four gold, two silver and four bronze team medals.
Behind Knowles Jones in the women's race in ninth place was Claire Andrew with an excellent run of 36mins 23secs to place fourth in the over 40s age group.
Anne Gregory ran well to finish in 60th place in 46mins 30secs, placing her eighth in the over 50s category.
The day started, though, with the under 11s age group.
Harry Millar and Eddie Walker dominated from early on to take gold and silver medals with times of 6mins 49secs and 6mins 53secs respectively.
The counting team was completed by Tristan Tickle in 12th place with 7mins 48secs to take the team gold on 15pts.
Close behind Tristan in 14th place was Hugo Stanford with 8mins 01secs to complete the boys' squad.
In the girls' race Grace Rashud led the squad home in eighth place with 8mins 03secs.
Grace was supported by April Rimmer and Beth Lowe in 10th and 11th places with 8mins 16secs and 8mins 17secs respectively to take the team silver medals on 29pts.
The B team were led home by Bethany Roberts in 12th place and completed by Eva Brazier-Kobus, 14th, and Charlotte Andrew, 19th, with 8mins 26secs, 8mins 29secs and 8mins 59secs respectively to take the team bronze medals on 45pts.
The girls' squad was completed by sisters Edie and Bella McArthur in 24th and 25th places with respective times of 9mins 27secs and 10mins 48secs.
In the under 13s age group, Euan Lawton took the boys' individual silver medal in 12mins 31secs and with Oliver Davenport in 11th and Joshua Pryor, 15th, with 13mins 24secs and 15mins 10secs respectively they took the team bronze medals on 28 points.
Evie-May Williams ran excellently to take gold in the girls' race in 14mins exactly, with Emily Kinsey taking the bronze medal in 14mins 13secs.
Sophie Parkinson completed the team in an excellent fourth place in 14mins 33secs2, securing the three girls the team gold medals with eight points.
The squad was completed by Orlaith Clarke and Ruby Brazier-Kobus in 12th and 16th places with 16mins 28secs and 16mins 47secs respectively.
The under 15s age group got the worst of the weather for their race, with the wind getting stronger and the rain heavier, but this did not stop Warrington's athletes.
Jack Marwood led from the start to take an outstanding gold medal in 15mins 08secs, winning by 43secs.
With Jacob Pryor sixth and Sebastian Hampson 10th in 16mins 53secs and 17mins 49secs they bagged the team gold medals with 17 points.
In the girls' race Imogen Wharton secured the gold medal with 17mins 27secs and Esme Heavey achieved the silver medal in 17mins 56secs.
Sinead Gregory completed the A team in sixth place in 19mins 13secs to earn the team gold medals on nine points.
The B team were led home by Hannah Hull in seventh place just two seconds behind Sinead and was completed by Cara Gregory 11th and Sarah Ashcroft 13th with times of 20mins exactly and 20mins 07secs to collect the team bronze medals on 31pts.
Emma Whiston completed the squad in 17th place with 21mins 20secs.
Alex Rix, Ben Pucill and Rory Gregory were the only under 17s from the club, finishing in sixth, seventh and 10th places in the men’s race with times of 22mins 30secs, 23mins 23secs and 25mins 38secs respectively taking the team silver medals on 23pts.
In the under 20s women’s event, the Warrington AC team was incomplete as Orla Gregory was ill but Ellen Turnbull and Jess Connolly ran well to finish fifth and sixth with 41mins 22secs and 44mins 19secs.
The senior men brought the day to a close with Chris Stanford leading the team home in eighth place in 41mins 58secs, with Joe Buckley and Jack Wadsworth close behind in 10th and 13th places with 42mins 22secs and 42mins 33secs.
Next in was Dan Schofield in 32nd place in 46mins 47secs and the team was completed by Stan Ogden and Steve Burthem in 51mins 03secs and 52mins 57secs for a surprise bronze medal on 204 points after losing two of their strongest runners in the previous few days with injury and illness.
Ogden took gold in the over 60s age group with Burthem in second place.
The squad was completed by Warrington AC's oldest athlete on the day David Gill finishing 87th in 54mins 12secs which won him the gold medal in the over 65s age group.
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