In the absence of the first race winner Jade Wright, her St Mary's College, Twickenham, team-mate Tania Sturton raced away with the second of this season's London Colleges Cross Country League meetings in Richmond Park, writes Tom Pollack.

But Tania, a member of Belgrave Harriers, faced a panic before she comfortably won the 2.7-miles race in 17 mins 12 secs.

Pain

During the race she felt a sharp pain in her tongue which almost forced her to pull up.

"It felt like a wasp sting, but it was probably a foreign object landing on the tip of my tongue," she said, after finishing in spme considerable discomfort.

Her time was 11 seconds faster than Louise Dulley, of Imperial College, with Antonia Burt, of Brunel University College, third in 17:34.

Tania, who finished runner-up in the opening race at Parliament Hill Fields, also led St Mary's to a narrow two-points team win over Brunel University College.

Winners

Other members of the winning St Mary's team were Karen Goode (fourth, 17:45) and Jessica Frost (16th, 19:30).

The victory left St Mary's comfortable team leaders after two matches with 338 points, ahead of University College (312) and King's College (296).

St George's Hospital medical school are in 10th place with 181 points, ahead of the St Mary's College B team (169).

The medical students were 11th of the 16 teams in the Richmond Park match with 78 points. Lucy Mansfield was 20th (19:49) and Helen Pearce 24th (20:31).

l Kingston is one of just six London boroughs that will not be competing in the Heathrow London Youth Games cross country championships at Parliament Hill Fields, North London, tomorrow.

Merton, Wandsworth, Richmond and Sutton will all be sending squads to the meeting.

The London and Southern Veterans Championships are also being held there.

November 23, 2001 17:30