SUDBURY Joggers' Marie Shirley ran a superbly paced race in the senior women's 8km race at the Inter-Counties and World Cross Country Trials.Wollaton Park, Nottingham, was the venue for the event on Saturday which featured the best of Britain's cross-country starts, with the first three finishers being guaranteed qualification for Great Britain.

SUDBURY Joggers' Marie Shirley ran a superbly paced race in the senior women's 8km race at the Inter-Counties and World Cross Country Trials.

Wollaton Park, Nottingham, was the venue for the event on Saturday which featured the best of Britain's cross-country starts, with the first three finishers being guaranteed qualification for Great Britain.

The breezy conditions did not aid the 2,000-plus runners representing their counties on this tough undulating course.

Marie finished in a very impressive 215th position with a time of 35:26, scoring to help Suffolk into 19th position overall.

She said afterwards: “I did not realise I was so close to the back running up the first hill, but keeping the even pace allowed me to pass other runners throughout as they dropped pace. I would have picked up the run-in to the finish sooner, had I known I was that close to the end.”

Sudbury Joggers meet at Sudbury Sports Centre on Wednesdays at 7:20pm. For more details please visit www.sudburyjoggers.org.uk or contact Jem Smith on 07779 498405.