THERE was a new venue for the third fixture of North Wales Cross County League on Saturday.

Denbigh Harriers turned out in force in Dolgellau, with 23 club members making the journey despite the ominous weather forecast.

The course was longer than usual, with with the women running over four miles on the mainly flat but low lying course, with very muddy and uneven sections.

The course also had a large water feature to navigate on multiple occasions.

In the women’s race, there were superb performances all the way down the field, with all four Harrier counters high up.

As is the case with cross-country, those behind the counters had a big role to play in knocking competitor teams lower down the large field.

There were category placings for Rhian Pierce, Emma Collins, Tracey Williams and Menai Baugh.

The hard work really paid off as the women finished as the third team on the day out of the 24, putting them fourth in Division One and well clear of relegation.

The women's masters team is in second place, making it a successful day all round for the women.

Results: 14, Rhian Pierce (3rd F35) 31.16; 26, Mel Morris 32.26; 29, Emma Collins (1st F55) 32.45; 32, Tracey Williams (2nd F55) 33.05; 36, Alaw Medi 33.36; 46, Elen Baugh 35.20; 52, Katy Baugh 35.20; 60, Carys Davies 36.25; 66, Kate Wilson 36.52; 83, Menai Baugh (1st F60) 38.37.

In the men's O-65 race, the team of Harriers' veterans put in a great performance to finish first on the day and they are vying for the top spot in their league.

In the senior men’s race, the team also had a very successful run over the six-mile course.

Special mention should go to Shaun Hughes for his superb 17th place and for the close race between Owen Conry and Glen Price to be fourth Harriers' counter.

As often happens in team races, there were hard fought battles all the way down the field, with every run counting towards increasing the gap between the club and its rivals.

The team was second on the day and moves into second place, with promotion a distinct possibility.

Men's O-65s: 5, Fred Jones 34.30; 9, Chris Baldwin 36.10; 15, Bob Neale 39.19; 18, Jeff Jones 41.30.

Senior men: 17, Shaun Hughes 37.14; 40, Joe Welch 39.02; 52, Tony Wood 40.12; 67, Owen Conry 41.48; 68, Glen Price 41.52; 97, Mat Jones 44.20; 106, David Baugh 45.37; 140, Tony Benton 50.28; 143, Duncan Jones 51.05.

Parkrun results:

Kingston: 144, Sian Pritchard 26.47.

Didcot: 305, Sally Smith 56.28.

Conwy: 27, Vic Belshaw 22.02; 114, Ceri Jones 27.06; 268, John Llewelyn Thomas 47.46.

Dolgellau: 13, Joe Welch 25.38.