Former Radley ace Hatti Dean took the women’s title in the English Cross Country Championships at Parliament Hill.

The Great Britain steeplechase international, now running for Hallamshire Harriers, took the crown with a time of 29mins 34secs on an arduous and muddy eight kilometre course, in only her second competitive cross country race of the year.

In a thrilling finish, Dean held off a challenge from Kendal’s Sara Tunstall to record victory, although she had to dig deep into her reserves of stamina to clinch the crown.

Dean said: “It’s amazing to win the national championships.

“I think it ranks right up there with my win in the inter-counties championship.

“It was a really tough race. Sara went off really hard and was ahead for half of the race.

“But I paced myself better than I have done in other races and pulled her back slowly.

“When I went past her at half way, she just never gave up. I could always see her just behind me, so I had to race this one quite hard.

“I thought I had a chance of winning it, but it really depends how you feel on the day.

“You just try and run as well as you can – you can’t tell what others are going to do, and Sara had a really good race.”

Dean is now looking forward to the Inter-Counties Cross Country Championship at Nottingham’s Wollerton Park in two weeks time.

This is the event which decides the qualification for the World Cross Country Championships, which this year is being held in Jordan.

Dean, who finished 15th in Kenya two years ago said: “I would love to qualify for the worlds again.

“It won’t be quite as hot in Jordan as it was in Kenya thankfully, and it would be great to run for Great Britain again.”

In the senior men’s race, Steve Kimber, running for first-claim club Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow, clocked 42.49 in the 12km race to finish 99th in a huge field approaching 1500 athletes.

In the junior age groups, there were some notable performances among the Oxford City ranks.

There was nothing to choose between talented sisters Melissa and Beth Hawtin, who both finished sixth in their respective age groups.

Melissa clocked 19.54 over five kilometres in the under 17 girls’ category, while Beth, running in the three kilometre under 13 race, recorded a time of 12.58.

The third of the Hawtin sisters, Lauren, finished a respectable 18th in the 15.41 over four kilometres in the under 15 girls’ race.

Martha Lloyd ran the best race of her life in the junior women’s event, clocking 21.45 on a five kilometre course.

In the under 13 boys’ race, City’s Josh Tack finished a creditable 54th in 12.56 over three kilometres.

OTHER CLUB RESULTS

Senior men (12km): 99 S Kimber (WSEH) 42.49, 1044 J Peake (WHH, V40) 58.09, 1263 I Brennan (WHH) 1.02.56, 1305 D Stringfellow (WHH, V40) 1.04.08.

Senior women (8km): 6 M Sikes (Ox Uni) 30.35, 82 E Rockett (Ox Uni) 34.46, 98 P Williams (Ox Uni) 35.12, 199 M Reynolds (Ox Uni) 38.10, 403 L Sammons (Oxford C) 44.55.

Junior men (10km): 156 A Hamilton (Abingdon) 44.38, 162 D Hamilton (Abingdon) 46.05.

Under 17 boys (6km): 220 D Walters (Abingdon) 22.05.

Under 15 boys (4.5km): 168 R Meredith (Oxford C) 18.11, 211 A Mills (WHH) 18.36, 278 J Beech (Abingdon) 19.13, 317 O Stepney (Abingdon) 19.49.

Under 15 girls (4km): 46 J Walker (Oxford C) 16.21, 114 E Clarke-Jacques (Oxford C) 17.17, 261 E Wilkins (Abingdon) 19.48, 276 L Webb (Abingdon) 20.05.

Under 13 boys (3km): 103 M Marshall 13.20, 176 Z Olliffe (WHH) 14.01.

Under 13 girls (3km): 124 S Lloyd (WHH) 14.30, 173 I van-Zyl (Oxford C) 14.58, 213 M Walker (Oxford C) 15.17.