BORDER Harrier Steve Murdoch returned to his native Sunderland yesterday to notch up his first ever road race victory on home soil.

The 40-year-old chartered accountant - now based in Penrith - produced a blistering finish to out-sprint Gateshead Harrier Mick Thompson in the Sunderland Marina 10K.

"I think I'm running better than ever - and I've certainly waited a long time to win a race in my home town," said Murdoch, who used to live in Seaburn, near the course of the race.

The former England orienteering international, who used to run for Jarrow and Hebburn before moving to work in Cumbria, was content to sit in on the shoulder of pre-race favourite Thompson until the finish line was in sight.

"I felt confident I could finish well but I didn't know just how strong he would be," explained Murdoch, who was runner up in the British Veterans' 5K road race championships last month.

He said: "Mick tried a couple of times to drop me in the second half of the race but I managed to stay alongside him until we were near the finish and managed to break clear.

"I enjoyed it - it's nice to come back home and win a race here at long last. I used to enter in all sorts of races when I was younger but I never won anything - I must be getting better with age!"

Thompson said: "I tried to get away a couple of times late on but I just couldn't shift him and then he produced the stronger finish."

Durham University history and politics undergraduate Angela Hunter timed her race perfectly to win the women's title.

Third at the halfway mark, the 20-year-old Jarrow and Hebburn runner overtook the early leaders, Sunderland Harrier Alison Dixon and Elswick's Judith Nutt and turned a 50m deficit into a winning margin of over 100m.

The former National Catholic Schools cross country champion said: "I think the other went off a bit too fast - I knew what pace I should run at and I managed to take the lead in the last mile."

l Multiple victories by Durham City Harriers Brenda Elliott, Caroline Ratcliff and Val Hancock were not enough to prevent the North-East Veterans losing their annual match against Scotland at Jarrow's Monkton Stadium on Saturday.

British Veterans over-50 champion Elliott notched up victories in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m, Ratcliff scored maximum points in the 800m, 1500m and 3,000m, and Hancock was first in the over-55 1500m and 3,000m.