GUS Cockle won the men’s under-20 title at the UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships in Birmingham.

The Aldershot, Farnham & District runner steadily drew away from the field to finish 22 seconds ahead of Blackheath & Bromley’s Will Fuller, representing Kent.

Cockle and clubmate George Gathercole, who was 14th, formed the first half of a Surrey quartet which came second in the team competition.

Bryn Smith, also of AFD, closed Hampshire’s bronze-medal winning side with 61st place.

Louise Small, running for Hampshire, was the individual bronze medallist in the senior women’s race, which was won by Shildon’s Kate Avery (North-East Counties), the runner-up in the last two editions of the European Championships.

Georgie Bruinvels, ninth, Katie Bingle, 40th, and Laura Gent, 60th, comprised half of the Surrey team that took third.

Three-quarters of Hampshire’s second-placed team in the women’s U17 event were supplied by AFD. Lucy Pygott led them home in fifth, while Stacey Burrows finished 27th and Tilly Horton 36th