CROSS-COUNTRY runners continue to enjoy the changing countryside as the season unfurls, even more so if it is over a new course.Such was the case at Easton last Wednesday for the second race in the East Anglian Cross-Country League.

CROSS-COUNTRY runners continue to enjoy the changing countryside as the season unfurls, even more so if it is over a new course.

Such was the case at Easton last Wednesday for the second race in the East Anglian Cross-Country League. A sizeable field gathered for this first staging of a race in this league by Easton College and they were not disappointed.

There was mud, pools of water, fields of heavy soils, stony tracks and a number of inclines - just the job for getting rid of the cobwebs on what turned out to be a reasonably benign afternoon as far as the weather was concerned.

In the midst of all this were 14 runners representing the Great Yarmouth Road Runners and the East Norfolk Sixth Form College - and again it was the college youngsters who took the lion's share of the honours.

Leading the way home for the first team was Damian Rogers who, together with twin brother Micah and James Jackson, was to form the vanguard in the college team for the British Colleges' race over the very same course the following week.

On this occasion, however, it was newcomer Adam Varvel who followed the twins home, with marathoner Neil Sibley running strongly to make up the A team.

Leading the B team home was Vincent Barrand, closely followed by team captain Jordon Reed, Stephen Etherington representing the older contingent and Ryan Chapman who ran so well recently in the local 10k.

No more team points after this, but individual points for those next to finish, notably Tim Harris, Gary Stanley, Mike Spragg and Paul Westgate - all of them running smoothly and more than pleased with their performances.

So too were the ladies in the form of Josie French and Fiona Walls, both of them holding their own in what turned out to be a quite competitive ladies' field.

They too will be joined by a number of others for the British Colleges' race and hopefully also for subsequent races in this league.

Results

EACCL race two, Easton College, Wednesday, November 4: 2 Damian Rogers 199 pts, 5 Micah Rogers 196, 29 Adam Varvel 172, 31 Neil Sibley 170 (total team A 737), 35 Vincent Barrand 166, 39 Jordon Reed 162, 41 Stephen Etherington 160, 43 Ryan Chapman 158 (total team B 646), 55 Tim Harris 146, 6 Gary Stanley 145, 59 Mike Spragg 142, 63 Paul Westgate 138, 8 Josie French 193, 26 Fiona Walls 175.