DOUBLE World Veterans Championships gold medallist Sheila Allen produced one of her best performances leading England to victory in the Home Countries Cross Country International in Falkirk.
The 44-year-old Sunderland University domestic was beaten only by Ireland's Anne Keenan-Buckley - six years years her junior - in the testing 2.8m event and put her gritty display down to fell-racing.
A week earlier the prolific Houghton and Peterlee racer had clinched the Wild Races Grand Prix at Keilder, often being forced to drop to her knees on the gruelling climbs.
Allen, who recently won the British Veterans Cross Country Championship, said: "I'm delighted - I didn't expect to be the first over-40 let alone finish second in the race.
"I'm sure the fell running has made me stronger."
Durham City's Val Hancock was also in top form in the women's over-55 section, finishing second to help England to team victory.
Les Atkinson was the region's most successful competitor in the 5.9-mile men's races, finishing second in the over-45 section, while Elswick's Harry Matthews was sixth in the over-50s and a member of the winning England team.
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