MEMBERS of Herefordshire running club Wye Valley Runners have been celebrating the 80th birthday of their chairman, Harry Franklin.

Franklin, who is also president of the Herefordshire Athletic Association, is still active in the county running scene and rarely misses club training nights.

He also continues to compete in races including the Herefordshire Cross Country League.

Over many decades in sport he has won numerous age-group awards and represented England in the Masters Cross Country events.

On his birthday, Franklin led the rest of the Wye Valley club on a training run before being presented with gifts and a cake to mark the event.

He has also become the first octogenarian to compete in a league event after finishing 108th in a race at Ufton Court in Berkshire.

The race, part of the cross country league, was dominated by Wye Valley Runners as they claimed victory in both the men’s and women’s team events.

The course was one of the flattest courses in the series, mostly consisting of field margins with a short section of woodland. The runners, however, still had a different challenge as they had to contend with mud and a strong gusting wind.

Hereford Couriers’ 30-year-old Matt James made a positive attacking start to the race and soon opened up clear daylight between himself and his rivals as he skated through the sticky mud.

But Croft Ambrey RC’s evergreen veteran Stacey Morgan, leading the chasing group, remained in pursuit before James hung on to win the race by 13 seconds and register his first league triumph since the 2008/09 season when he dominated the series by winning all five races.

Morgan forged ahead of the pack to take a clear-cut second place. Thirty seconds further back, Wye Valley’s Steve Flowers held off team-mate Christian Jones to record his best ever league finishing position.

These two leading racers formed the basis of a substantial team win, and they were well supported by Jeremy Jehan in ninth and Liam Grice in 11th.

Maldwyn Harriers finished second to remain in contention for the league title.

A weakened Croft Ambrey team finished third. Just a single point separates these top three teams in the contest to be crowned league champions, with two events remaining.

The women’s race, over the same course, was dominated by Wye Valley who registered the first three runners home, with six in the top ten.

There is now a seasonal break before the next race in the series, which will be held at Monkhall Farm on Sunday 10th January.