GOING from an 8km cross country race in mudbath conditions to an 800m one on boards takes some doing, but Sam Stephens managed it in style at the weekend.

The Vale Royal Athletics Club under 20s runner won the 800m title at the Northern Athletics Indoor Championships in Sheffield on Sunday, eight days after finishing sixth in his age group in the Cheshire Cross Country Championships.

Stephens, in his sixth year competing with the club and the reigning Cheshire outdoors 800m champion, clocked 1min 57.64secs – the ninth best time in his age group in the UK so far this year.

He finished strongly, coming from third to first in the closing metres.

In the senior men’s 3,000m, Andy Miles ran a new personal best to take second place while Josh Betteley ran a personal best as a T38.

Meanwhile, 46 of the club’s runners headed to Tatton Park on Saturday for the fourth fixture in the Manchester Area Cross Country League.

Under 11s Gus Fraser and Lily Coates were the club’s standout athletes on a flat and mostly mud-free course, finishing in fifth and eighth places in their respective races.

With three to count, Vale Royal’s boys were fifth team while the girls were seventh.

Nancy Carrington continued her encouraging form with a 10th place finish in the under 13 girls’ race. Combined with Imogen Ward and Ella Harvey the team were fifth.

Thomas Taylor ran well in the under 15 boys’ race, crossing the line ninth.

Sarah Murphy was sixth and first veteran in a senior women’s race with 358 finishers.

Helen Smith, third home for the club behind Hollie Carrington, was second over 50s woman.

Lucy Burch was fourth home in 66th place and fourth counter Claire Thompson, 71st, was Vale Royal’s third counting veteran team member.

The women were sixth team out of 74 and fourth veteran team of 77.

Selection of action pictures from Tatton Park by Robert Brown:

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Results:

MACCL, Tatton Park:

U11B Gus Fraser 5th 11:09

U11B Alexander Kruithof 10th 11:23

U11B Mattis Kennerley 37th 13:09

U11B James McBain 39th 13:29

U11B Charlie Latham 43rd 13:47

U11B Billy Spann 46th 13:57

U11B Noah Smith 51st 14:47

U11B Matthew Knox 52nd 14:53

U11G Lily Coates 8th 12:00

U11G Mia Broughton 24th 13:11

U11G Olivia Tickell 40th 14:14

U13B Zack Cocksedge 31st 13:42

U13B Ethan Price 37th 14:00

U13B Tom Jenkins 51st 14:59

U13B Samuel Woolley 52nd 15:03

U13B Noah Anderson 77th 18:43

U13G Nancy Carrington 10th 13:52

U13G Imogen Ward 18th 14:20

U13G Ella Harvey 22nd 14:32

U13G Alba March 39th 15:47

U13G Leah Smith 43rd 16:00

U13G Olivia Proudlove 44th 16:00

U13G Alexis Evers 66th 18:40

U15B Thomas Taylor 9th 16:00

U15B Evan Williams 49th 19:39

U15G Anna Smith 42nd 20:48

U15G Lavinia Burke 43rd 21:00

U15G Alex Sayers 45th 21:23

U15G Ruby Carrington 49th 21:39

SW Sarah Murphy 6th 33:03 1st VF40

SW Hollie Carrington 27th 35:01

SW Helen Smith 63rd 37:16 2nd VF50

SW Lucy Burch 66th 37:24

SW Claire Thompson 71st 37:46

SW Jeanette Pope 156th 41:51

SW Melanie Johnson 200th 43:20

SM Ryan Moore 37th 34:32

SM Oli Williams 101st 36:54

SM Lee Carrington 143rd 38:12

SM Rob McBain 160th 38:43

SM Gareth Williams 196th 39:57

SM Ian Simpson 255th 41:46

SM Stuart Fraser 276th 42:54

SM Mark Pilliner 347th 45:19

SM John Clarke 405th 48:29 6th VM65

SM Richard Pettitt 446th 52:46

The Four Villages half marathon took place on Sunday with Rick Murray improving his personal best and breaking the club's VM55 record by over 20 seconds.

Rob McBain, not content with racing the cross country on Saturday, took to the roads on Sunday and also broke his personal best. Liz Gale, running a half marathon for the first time, also set her personal best.

Results, Four Villages HM, Helsby:

Rick Murray 57th 1:22:04 PB 3rd VM55

Rob McBain 73rd 1:24:34 PB

Liz Gale 375th 1:45:28 PB 52nd woman

A really big well done to everyone that competed this weekend. We always pride ourselves on what a great club spirit we have and demonstrative of that spirit was the sight of Helen Smith running back around the course at Tatton Park after she'd finished her race to encourage others behind her. Marvellous.