Sunderland on Saturday 10/03/2007 9.2 Km (Senior Ladies)
The seventy-fifth Senior Women's National Cross-Country Championships took place in Herrington Country Park, Sunderland. Saucony sponsored the race and the course length was 8.2km and consisted of 2 laps. The number of finishers was down on previous year's races likely because the venue was too far north. The former colliery is in an exposed area and the race was run in the shadow of the Penshaw Monument that is a 70-foot-high replica of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens.
Hayley Yelling (Windsor, Slough, Eton, & Hounslow AC) the Inter-Counties winner, Liz Yelling (Bedford & County AC) and Louise Damen (Winchester & District AC) the Inter-Counties runner-up were amongst the favourites for the race.
Liz Yelling (Bedford & County AC) Senior Women's winner
The weather on the day was blustery but there was nothing stopping Liz Yelling who built on her lead throughout the race winning by 39 seconds from sister-in-law Hayley. Liz crossed the line in 28:56 for her third championship after wins in 2001 and 2002 . Third place went to Louise Damen.
Louise Damen - 823 (Winchester & District AC) chases Hayley Yelling (Windsor, Slough, Eton, & Hounslow AC)
32-year-old Liz Yelling told Jason Henderson at Athletics Weekly: "I felt really relaxed and strong, that was a good proper cross-country course and reminds me of the good old days when we used to jump through ditches and over stiles. "Nowadays most courses seem to have millions of laps and are run over playing fields, but this was more of a traditional course."
Damen led her Winchester & District AC team to their first victory in the team race, Damen had support from 41-year-old Lucy Elliott (7th), Karen Hazlitt (15th) and J Kelsey (16th). The excellent packing from Winchester gave them a total of only 41 points, 82 ahead of runners-up Telford AC with Bingley Harriers in third.