RELEGATION to Division Three looks a certainty for Tynedale Harriers' senior men as their season hit another low point.

For they were unable to field a complete team in the penultimate fixture of the season at a muddy Thornley Hall Farm, near Peterlee, as the torrential rain and strong wind kept runners away.

While a bumper 1,500 people ran at the Druridge Bay event in October, numbers dropped to fewer than 900 for the weekend's meeting as a wet week transformed the course into a mud bath.

And Tynedale were just one of the many clubs to suffer from a low turn-out, the men only able to field three runners in the men's category which means a step down a division is very likely after the final fixture at Alnwick on March 4.

Andy Green was the club's leading light in the section as he continues to hit top form with another victory in the V45 class to claim 52nd overall from the fast pack.

Bernard Kivlehan, from the slow pack, and Jaycee Shotton, from the medium, were 275th and 281st, but a lack of other teammates meant their performances didn't translate into points for the cause.

There were other Tyne Valley runners on display in the men's section with Wylam's Lee Bennett, of Elswick Harriers, finishing 111th from the fast pack, just one place ahead of slow packer Daniel Barry, of Ponteland Runners.

Tynedale's women didn't have the same problems as the men as they managed to take a team of six to the event, finishing thrid on the day to move them up one place to fifth in Division One.

Karen Robertson has been in terrific form all year and was again the fastest V45 runner, her handicap of three minutes and 20 seconds not standing in her way as she finished a very impressive 13th in a field of almost 250 runners.

Fellow fast packer Kirstie Anderson overtook clubmate Charlie Pinkney, from the medium pack, as they raced for the line to pip her to 38th spot.

Elizabeth Earle was the final counter for the team as she finished not too far behind in 45th.

Making it a good day for the women, Kim Bluck and Rhiannon Robinson, the latter returning to action after a long injury lay-off, completed the six-strong squad.

Tynedale's best performing team came from the U17/U20 women's section as they battled against the tough conditions to finish second on the day, seeing them go into the finale at Alnwick in sixth position.

Hannah Pinkney put in a fantastic display to finish ninth from the fast pack, while medium runners Ellie Bluck and Lisa Thornley came in one after another in 14th and 15th respectively.

Prudhoe High School pupil Robyn Bennett, of Elswick, has enjoyed a great season and she matched her achievement of second in the category as she recorded the fastest time of the day, her handicap of starting from the fast pack meaning she finished just 15 seconds off Jessica Leslie, of Gateshead Harriers.

In the U13 boys' race, Charlie Daley and Archie Marston both had typically strong runs from the fast pack to claim sixth and 14th respectively.

Fellow Tynedaler Kate Salthouse, also from the fast pack, impressed with eighth in the girls' race.

Meanwhile, young Owen Forbes chose particularly tough conditions to make his debut in the U11's race where he finished well up the field in 24th place.

Joe Green continued his improvement and was a fantastic 13th in a very competitive U15 boys' race, which included Prudhoe High's Luke Shears, of Blaydon Harriers, who claimed 24th place from the fast pack.

Meanwhile, Hexham's Rebecca Wren, of Gosforth Harriers, again excelled in the U15 girls' race to claim the final place on the podium.

The conditions on the day were tough for all runners as they splodged their way through ankle-deep mud on each lap, and had to wade through sections of fields which had been transformed into ponds and rivers.

It was something of a luxtury to hit the short ssections of grass, which gave some respite and allowed easier running!

In the conditions, the better technical runners stand out and they seemed to glide over the mud while the masses slipped, slid or fell in their wake.

A particularly recurring theme of the weekend was seeing a large number of athletes carrying their shoes, or having lost their footwear completely!