BREAK'S Stody cross-country, now in its fifth year, is going from strength to strength and despite a morning of lashing rain and strong winds well over 100 runners turned out at Hanworth for a run round the Stody Estate.

BREAK'S Stody cross-country, now in its fifth year, is going from strength to strength and despite a morning of lashing rain and strong winds well over 100 runners turned out at Hanworth for a run round the Stody Estate.

The race is organised with the help of the North Norfolk Beach Runners and 12 members of the Cromer Club also ran round the five-mile course.

Fastest of these were John Christopher and Jamie Seamark who finished sixth and seventh respectively in just over 33 minutes.

The prolific Claire Donovan won the ladies' race despite going well off course on the first lap to remain unbeaten in cross-country races this winter.

Next home were three members of the Wade family, Jamie and Chris and father Ian all comfortably breaking

40 minutes whilst the speedy Darren Neale wisely allowed wife Charlotte to beat him to the line in a time of 42:56 for 37th place.

Further back in the field were Shelley Burton, Emma Cully, Andrew Toogood and Geoff Hayward, all braving the dreadful conditions to get round a double circuit of the picturesque but muddy course.

In much better conditions seven Beach Runners used the Wymondham 20 mile race to tune up for marathon efforts later in the spring. Phil Quantril put in a superb run to finish seventh out of 285 starters in a hugely impressive time of 2-08:43.

Jamie Seamark, a recent recruit to the Beach Runners, came in 21st to show that he is back in form after a period away from racing whilst Colin Stark showed no ill effects from his

50-mile cross-country last weekend to record a stunning 2-15:07.

Jim Hayes took first over 60 prize with a time of 2-29:38 for 76th place overall. Jim showed no sign of slowing up as he comfortably beat last year's time at Wymondham.

Jack Houghton prefers to race over shorter distances but still beat his running partner Matt Dickens by exactly a minute.

Matt finished in a highly creditable

2-37:21 as he prepared for April's London Marathon by running more than 13 miles for the first time ever.

The only lady Beach Runner in the race was Christina Walker who, like Jim Hayes had run the gruelling Belvoir Challenge the previous weekend and demonstrated a speedy recovery to record 2-57:02.