Alan Rowe reclaimed the men's individual title with a superb display of front running in the CI Cross Country Championships held at Noirmont, Jersey.
Rowe was well aware aware of the threat of Jersey's rising star, 19 year old Ian Carter-the 2002 Island Games 1500M gold medalist- and set off at a blistering pace to dominate the 5.5 Mile race and finish a minute clear of his young rival in 28 minutes 47 seconds. Guernsey's Lee Garland, the reigning Island Games steeplechase champion, ran one of his best ever 'domestic' races to claim third.
Garland was followed in by a string of Guernsey vests and, with 7 of the first 9 finishers, the Sarnian men comfortably claimed the Boots team trophy for the ninth year in succession. Rowe has now won the CI title an incredible 7 times.
Jersey reversed the result in the women's event where Jo McGarry was a comfortable winner. Guernsey's Deborah Doherty and Sara Queripel, however, were involved in a battle for second and third.
Doherty used her track speed to good effect over the final half mile of the four mile race to claim the individual silver with Queripel a clear third. Behind Queripel Jersey's strength in depth showed and they easily won the women's tem trophy.
Other Guernsey individual winners were Mark Mercier and Becky Le Maitre in the Under 15 Boys' and Girls' races and team titles were picked up by the Sarnian's in the all four boys' and girls' under 13 and under 15 categories.
At the other end of the age scale Guernsey's super-veteran (50+) men also claimed team victory.