QUAKERS runner Alisdair Tatham scored the biggest success of his career yesterday when he raced away to a clear-cut victory in the Fruit Bowl Seven in the grounds of the Gibside Estate at Rowlands Gill, Derwentside.

The 29-year-old Middlesbrough PE teacher left his rivals on a stiff climb after two miles and relentlessly extended his lead to beat second-placed Steve Clark, of North Shields Polytechnic, by over a minute.

Tatham, who'd previously won his club's Hamsterley 10K and the Kilburn 7, said: "I'm delighted - this is my biggest-ever win."

Now in training for the Leicester Marathon, Tatham added: "I've been doing a lot of fell work and that undoubtedly helped me on the climbs."

The women's race saw a first North-East victory for Elvet's Fiona Shenton. The 42-year-old finally ended a string of placings, usually behind Houghton and Peterlee's World Veterans double gold medallist Sheila Allen.

But with Allen on international duty in Scotland, Shenton took advantage to beat pre-race favourite Angela Hunter by an impressive 27 seconds.

"I'm dead pleased to win at last," admitted Shenton, whose only earlier success was in the Mendip Muddle in Somerset.

"I'm usually second or third behind Sheila Allen and I'm pleased she wasn't here today!"

Results: 1 A Tatham (Quakers) 41.23; 2 S Clark (North Shileds Poly) 42.41; 3 N Carr (Chester-le-Street) 42.49; 4 S Gray (Unatt) 43.09; 5 G Dickinson (ClS) 43.15; 6 M Jones (South Shields) 43.18; 7 J Ranson (Unatt) 43.31; 8 M Hunter (Newcastle Univ) 44.10; 9 P Milburn (Newton Aycliffe M40) 43.14; 10 A Brown (Blyth) 44.46. M50 K Elliott (Sunderland) 44.53; M60 J Edwards (Lincoln Well) 51.28.

Women: 1 F Shenton (Elvet Striders W40) 49.47; 2 A Hunter (Jarrow and Hebburn) 49.14; 3 K Reynolds (Aurora) 49.46; 4 S Milburn (Newton Aycliffe V35) 50.31; 5 L Hayes (Chester-le-Street) 51.15. W45 S Parr (ClS) 56.11.

* Morpeth Harriers were the region's top placed team when they finished fifth in the National Cross Country Relays at Mansfield, with second-leg runner Ian Hudspith recording the fastest time of the day. Gateshead's Chris Parr was the fastest U-17, helping the Tynesiders to fifth.

* Jonathan Edwards and Paula Radcliffe have been named athletes of the year by the British Athletics Writers' Association.

Edwards picked up the male award for the third time during his career.