Telford runner Claire Martin is a national champion
Shropshire's leading female distance runner Claire Martin has become a national champion.
Shropshire's leading female distance runner Claire Martin has become a national champion.
Telford Athletic Club's Martin claimed success in the British and Irish Masters cross country.
Selected for the England Masters team, 36-year-old Claire, from Aqueduct, travelled to Dublin to represent her country in the race held at Santry Park.
On a muddy but flat four-lap six kilometre course, Martin made her break at the beginning of the third lap. And that proved decisive as she crossed the line 80 metres clear of her nearest rival in a time of 22mins 7secs.
Fellow England runner Emma Stallard was second in 22:21 with Scotland's Melissa Whyte five seconds further behind in third.
England were second in the over-35s team race to Ireland but won the overall women's race.
Claire, who was the winner of the opening North Wales Cross Country League and third in the first Midland Women's League, plans to race at Wrexham in the next North Wales League, before focusing on the major cross country championships after Christmas.
