REDCAR-BASED Stephen Hepples led home the Great Britain team when he finished 12th in yesterday's Reims International half-marathon in France.

The 24-year-old North Yorkshireman, who was making his senior UK debut, was nearly a minute outside his personal best in the cold and windy conditions, recording a time of 65 mins 26 secs.

But North-East colleague Neil Wilkinson, of Morpeth Harriers, managed to clip five seconds off his best, finishing 16th in 65.39, one place and one second behind the second Great Britain counter, Dave Mitchinson. Cardiff's Richard Gardiner was 19th in 66.32.

The race was won by Ethiopian Mesfin Haylu, who defied the conditions to beat the course record he set last year by three seconds with a time of 62.19.

* Gosforth Harriers completed a superb double by becoming the youngest men's team to win the annual Blaydon Cross Country Relays.

But it took a gallant finish by their anchorman, 22-year-old Matthew Nicholson, to secure the senior men's trophy when he defied a storming late run by former AAA half marathon champion Ian Hudspith.

The Morpeth Harrier - in his first race since the London Marathon in April - started to eat up the ground between himself and the leader over the final 500 metres, closing the gap from 30 metres until he was only five metres in arrears.

But Nicholson - a track middle-distance specialist - found hidden reserves as he sprinted away over the final 100 metres to win by two seconds, cheered on by jubilant team-mates Lewis Timmins, 17, and 21-year-old Jonathan Graham.

Nicholson said: "I knew he was coming up fast but I thought I would have something left for a sprint finish. It must have looked exciting - I wish I'd been watching instead of running!"

It was Gosforth's second major upset of the cross country season after becoming the youngest team to win the Farringdon Relays at Sunderland last month.

The fastest time in the senior race was recorded by guest runner Martin Scaife, who clocked 10 mins 3 secs on the opening 3K leg, one second quicker than Ryan McLeod, who helped Elswick Harriers into fifth place.

Newly-wed Claire Smallwood, racing for the first time in her new surname of Simpson, moved from third place to anchor Jarrow and Hebburn to victory in the women's relay. The three-times North-East Harrier League champion, said: "I've been troubled by injury and I'm still a long way off peak fitness. But I'm making a new start and it's nice to be back."

* Blaydon Harriers Nichol Hunter Memorial Cross Country Relays.

Senior men (3x3K): 1 Gosforth (L Timmins 10.20, J Graham 10.25, M Nicholson 10.17) 31 mins 2 secs; 2 Morpeth A (D Samuels 10.13, C Sampson 10.39, I Hudspith 10.12) 31.04; 3 Morpeth B (M Brown 10.28, T Wall 10.31, M Hudspith 10.12) 31.31; 4 North Shields Poly (32.02); 5 Elswick 32.12; 6 Sunderland 32.55. Fastest times: 1 R McLeod (Elswick) 10.04; 2= M Hudspith & I Hudspith 10.12. Guest M Scaife (Morpeth) 10.03.

Veteran Men (3x3K): 1 Sunderland A (T Doughty 10.37, B Rushworth 10.37, J Watson 11.52) 33.06; 2 Sunderland B (D Robertson 10.52, R Rush 11.28, D Ellis 11.48) 34.08; 3 Wallsend 34.33; 4 Blaydon 36.13; 5 Tynedale 36.17. Fastest times: 1= B Rushworth & T Doughty 10.37; 3 D Robertson 10.52.

Under-17 Men (3x3K): 1 Morpeth (J Young 10.54, A Colwell 11.12, R Floyd 10.51) 32.57; 2 Gateshead 33.07; 3 Houghton & Peterlee 34.54. Fastest times: 1 R Floyd 10.51; 2 C Hall (Gates) 10.53; 3 J Young 10.54.

Under-15 Boys (3x2K): 1 Chester-le-Street (C Bell 7.17, J Mansell 7.17, C Smith 6.55) 21.29; 2 Gateshead 21.55; 3 Morpeth 22.27. Fastest times: 1 FC Smith 6.55; 2 J Gibson (Gates) 7.02; 3 K Thompson (Shildon) 7.05.

Under-13 Boys (3x2K): 1 Sunderland (S Younger 8.03, J Archer 8.03, N Reed 7.43) 23.49; 2 Tynedale 23.52; 3 Gateshead 24.40. Fastest times: 1 T Venus (Tynedale) 7.41; 2 N Reed 7.43; 3 M Grimes (Durham City) 7.52.

Senior/Junior/Under-17 Women (3x3K): 1 Jarrow & Hebburn (A Hunter 12.46, S Evans 12.48, C Simpson 12.16) 37.50; 2 Chester-le-Street (AWatson 12.50, K Waugh 12.11, S Milburn 13.05) 38.06; 3 Durham City 38.20; 4 Morpeth 38.29; 5 Chester-le-Street B 38.48.

Under-15 Girls (3x2K): 1 Gosforth (N Bellamy 8.11, L Smith 8.26, A Toman 8.16) 24.53; 2 Blaydon 25.04; 3 Morpeth 26.08. Fastest times: 1 R Adams (Morp) 7.58; 2 N Bellamy 8.11; 3 H Gertig (Blay) 8.16.

Under-13 Girls (3x2K): 1 Gateshead (C Fletcher 8.15, J Hudson 8.35, S Bell (8.06) 24.56; 2 Sunderland 26.25; 3 Jarrow & Hebburn 27.01. Fastest times: 1 L Hewitson (Shildon) 7.47; 2 S Bell 8.06; 3 S Cosby (Sund) 8.11.