A SUPERBLY-TIMED last lap run from Craig Gunderson earned Liverpool Harriers the bronze medal in the Junior Men’s race at the National Cross Country relays held at Mansfield.

The Birmingham University student took over from James Russell in sixth place at the end of the second circuit and overtook Warrington, Enfield and finally Aldershot to grab third spot by less than two seconds, recording the fifth fastest lap.

It was Liverpool’s second medal of the day the first coming in the under 13 girls where Beth Tynan, Erin Stewart and Rachel Burton combined for the silver medals behind Aldershot.

Chelsea Jarvis (St Helens-Sutton) led colleagues Rachel Woosey and Vicky Lamb to their best ever performance of 14th overall, Jarvis recording the fastest lap of the day, eight seconds ahead of her nearest rival.

Saints also produced a good performances in the Under 17 men, Matt Crehan, John Ashcroft and Jake Healy finishing 18th, four places behind Liverpool Pembroke Sefton for whom David Forrester ran the anchor leg. Crehan ran the eighth fastest leg.

Wirral AC were the first Merseyside team home in the under 17 ladies’ event, Jess Schofield, Clare

Duckers and Nicholle Haviland taking thirteenth spot, four places ahead of Liverpool with St Helens-Sutton a further eight places adrift.

Liverpool also contested the senior men’s and women’s races, finishing thirteenth in the former and fourteenth in the latter.

Richard Burney, Jonny Mellor, John McCole and Graham Powell were the men’s counters while the women’s trio of Vicky Griffiths, Hanna Carroll and Catherine Draper did enough to hold off the Warrington team of Louisa Tanner, Jenny Smith and Rachel Brooks.

Warrington’s Louisa Wood took the women’s title at the Through the Villages race near Chorley.

Port’s Sue Copper and Christine Cutner, took the over 55 and over 50 age group awards.