WEST CHESHIRE AC took the veterans team award at the Haigh Hall road relays, finishing fourth out of 28 teams in the main race and producing four of the six fastest times on the day.

Gary Munslow and Graham McNeil put the club into 11th place at the halfway stage before Ken Begley recorded the fastest vets lap of the day to bring the team into seventh and Paul Frodsham produced another superb lap to clinch the veterans' team prize.

SouthportWaterloo AC scored a double success in the British Masters' cross country championships. Steve James won the M65 title with two minutes to spare and Sue Cooper was second to former national champion Ann Ford in the F50 category.

On the international front Karrie Hawitt of Warrington led the junior team home in the IAAF world cross country event in Brussels while Manxman Keith Gerrard was the first junior man home in the same championships.

The road racing season has brought clarification of the second claim rule. No one can represent their second claim club in a road race unless the race organisers have stipulated in advance that the race is open to second claim members. Runners breaking this rule may be suspended from competing.

Jenny Clague finished fifth in the Wilmslow Half-Marathon in a time of 76mins 14secs with Gill Bacon 14th in 84 mins 58 secs, 30 seconds slower than last year but only 15 seconds down on Liverpool's John Ferguson.

Further afield Sammy Rashid (LPS) continued his fine run of form by winning the Doncaster Half Marathon in 72mins 38secs. The John Young Award for services to the North West Sports Hall Association was given to Terry Arnold of St Helens-Sutton at the Regional Final held in Wigan's Robin Park Stadium.

Saints' under-11 girls promptly won the team title by taking every running event and the under-13 boys septet were second to the powerful West Cheshire team.

SouthportWaterloo AC also showed up well with Rhea Ellis and Lauren Brennan, who competed over cross country the previous day, winning medals indoors alongside shot putter Sam Moran. Ellis and Brennan had won their races in the final match of the Merseyside Schools' League at Fazakerley the previous day.

The County Committee meets on Wednesday when they will discuss the proposal by St Helens-Sutton A C to reduce the entry fees for the track and field championships for athletes under 15 from £18 for three events to the more affordable £2 for one event and £5 for three. Saints argue that the high fees are turning athletics into a middle class activity and militate against community involvement in sport.

Sunday sees the Pendle Open track and field meeting. There is a winter floodlight meeting with a limited programme at Traf-ford on Tuesday while the following weekend the Northern senior road relays are at Bradford and National Young Athletes take place at Sutton Coldfield.