THE 30th running of the annual Herefordshire Cross Country League race at Croft Castle had two first-time winners.

The men’s race, over three arduous laps, was won in comfortable fashion by Tim Davies, the 2010 British Fell Running champion, representing the newly enrolled Maldwyn Harriers who are based in Newtown.

The women's race, over one and a half laps, saw a record number of 66 finishers led home by 18-year-old Heulwen Gilbert of Ludlow Runners.

Davies powered to the front in the early stages with reigning league champion and winner of this season’s first race, Eliot Taylor, valiantly giving chase.

Davies powered on relentlessly to complete his first league victory in a time of 46.40 with Taylor just over a minute behind, and Tim Iveson of Builth Wells completing the top three.

Taylor had the consolation of leading his Hereford Couriers team to asecond successive league triumph, receiving good supported by Matt James in a battling 5th place and two strong runs from stalwart veteran runners Richard Hughes in 13th and Russell James in 16th.

The team total of 36 points was four ahead of Maldwyn Harriers with home club Croft Ambrey in third thanks to the efforts of Simon Norwood in eighth place, Stacey Morgan in 11th closely followed by the improving Sam Mayglothling, 12th, and Dave George in 17th.

After 2 races, Couriers hold a 4 point lead at the top with Croft Ambrey and Monross Trailblazers tied in second place.

Gilbert set a fast pace and continued to make light work of the tough conditions but Wye Valley Runners’ Laura Tootell never stopped chasing to finish well clear in second place, with Hereford Triathlon Club’s Faith Addison, determinedly just holding off a hard charging Gemma Mallett of Croft Ambrey, finishing third.

The youthful Ludlow team with Claire Thomas in sixth and Heulwen’s twin sister Eilish Gilbert in seventh duly recorded their first league victory for many years. Just three points adrift were Croft Ambrey who, in stark contrast to the winners, were represented by age and experience with a dynamic run from 62-year-old Scottish international Liz Bowers in sixth place and a typically tenacious run from 54-year-old GB triathlon international Nicky Turvey in eighth as they supported the sprightly Mallett.

Third-placed Wye Valley Runners had Alex Champ in ninth, closely followed by Danca Machakova in 10th providing solid backing for Tootell.

The third race in the series will be held at Ufton Court on Sunday, December 7.

The 30th anniversary race was marked with the ceremonial planting of an oak tree which will, hopefully, constitute the race start line for many decades to come.

The planting was performed by Brian Davies, one of the founding members of Croft Ambrey RC in 1982, who has run in every one of those 30 races, as other founding members Tom Davies, Bryan Markham and Peter Faulkner looked on.

The race, appropriately for the historic occasion, attracted a record turnout of 176 finishers, including Mick Ligema of Croft Ambrey, who set the course record of 45.43 back in 1990 and Russell James of Hereford Couriers who ran just three seconds slower in 1993.

These two remain the only runners to have broken the 46-minute barrier on this notoriously challenging course.