Telford Athletic Club saved the best performance for last as they rounded off an excellent cross country season by recording the club's best ever cross country performance in their 30 year history as they finished second team in the National Cross Country Championships.

The National Championships held this year on an undualting and twisting 8 kilometre course around the Herrington Country Park, Sunderland, is open to every club in the country to enter. In dry but very windy conditions the Telford squad had made the long journey north after being crowned Midland League champions for the second successive year. The club had finished 6th team last year at Parliament Fields, London as well as 23rd at Leeds in 2004 and with a stronger team this year they thought they had a realistic chance of a medal.

Claire Martin, Midland League champion, who had finished 9th in the recent inter counties at Nottingham, led the Telford charge. Always in the top 10, Claire looked set to better her 11th finishing position from last year and 12th from 2004 in Leeds. At the front of the field Liz Yelling, from Bedford was forging ahead and establishing a comfortable winning margin of just under 40 seconds to win this prestigous title for the 3rd time in 28.56. The first four were away and clear, then with a kilometre to run, came a group of 6 including Claire Martin. In a great battle over the closing stages Claire finished 10th,30.44, her highest ever National position and was just 11 seconds behind 6th.

Louise Taylor,from Shawbirch, ran well to be the second Telford scorer finishing 26th in 32.01, a massive improvement on her 38th position from last year. Sian Davies ran a really determined race moving through over the final stages to take 40th, in 33.00, an improvement from 64th last year. New Telford member Hayley Jennings was the 4th scorer in 47th, 33.10, whilst sarah Mackness was the club's 5th finisher in 171st, 38.34.

This gave Telford a team score of 123, and with it the silver medals behind the Southern Champions Winchester, who packed their first 4 into the top 16. Bingley the Northern champions were 3rd with 145 points. The finishing team list read like a who's who of British athletics with very established clubs like Birchfield, Bedford, Leeds, Shaftsbury Barnet all behind Telford.

The Telford team received their splendid AAA of England medals from the Mayor of the City of Sunderland, the right worshipful Tom Foster and the club will be sent an English Cross Country Association Development Grant of £300. Watched by an enthusiastic band of Telford supporters including coach Terry Davies who is Sian's father and the proud coach to the Telford squad.

In the 12 kilometre senior mens' race won by pre race favourite Frank Tickner, from Wells City, Somerset, Wayne Dashper led the Telford contingent in 121st, with Ian Beattie 876th and Alan Hodgkiss 892nd.

Paul Sanderson