DARREN Rowlands and James Roberts starred for Wrexham Athletic Club in the second race of the North Staffs Cross Country League at Park Hall, Longton, writes Paul Wheelock.

Rowlands claimed the M40 crown after leading the club’s senior men’s charge in fourth (36.44mins).

Chris Bailey was 36th (40.46), Tony Parry 85th (44.43 – second M50), Adrian Bryan 112th (46.07), Arthur Egan 122nd (46.49 – third M50), Ed Hughes 142nd (48.48), Steve Spires 181st (51.45), Bob Frost 188th (52.24), David Williams 199th (53.51) and Mike Edwards 220th (57.54).

Roberts was the Under 15s boys winner (9.37) while Nia Jones finished fifth (8.08) in the U11s girls, Tom Csizmadia sixth (19.55) in the U17 men’s and Emily Rowlands and Emily Clarke 21st (10.04) and 23rd (10.17) respectively in the U13s girls.

Ruth Pearson was the 78th (26.59) senior women home, Gill Csizmadia the 102nd (29.36).

There were podium places for David Blower and Llewellyn Edwards in the opening North Wales Junior Cross Country League race in Northop.

Blower was second (14.52) and Edwards third (15.16) in the U15s boys.

Gina Parcesepe passed the post in sixth (6.57) in the U11s girls while Gethin Morris was 12th (15.06) in the U13s boys.

Wrexham finished 59th at the 116-strong British Fell Running Relay Championships in Llangynhafal with a combined time of 4.35.59hours.

Antony Tibbetts came 40th (48.28mins) in the first leg, Rowlands and Mike Robbins 46th (1.27.09hours) in the second, Lisa Morley and Charles Ashley 69th (1.28.50) in the third and Anna Frost 59th (51.32mins) in the fourth.

Wrexham Special Olympics Club aces, led by their home coach Steve Walker, helped Great Britain to top the medal table at the Special Olympics European Championships in Castellon, Spain.

Stephen Morris won the men’s 800m (2.06.0mins), 5,000m (17.50.0) and the 4x100m with clubmates David Bellis, Tony Gittins and Neil Morris.

Bellis won the 400m (72.00secs) and came second in the 200m (32.08), as did Gittins in the 100m (18.55). Neil Morris was fourth in the 100m (19.00).