Airienteers held their first major event of the new year on Sunday – a cross-country orienteering event at Temple Newsam in Leeds which attracted more than 270 runners from across the region.

The woods and parkland provided a series of fast and furious courses of differing length and technical difficulty, which were well planned by Guy Patterson.

The longest course (brown 7.9km) was won by York’s Josh Beech in a sizzling 46min 47sec, closely followed by Aire runners Dave Bowman in 47.21 and Dave Alcock in 47,26. Pauls Liepins had another good run to bag fourth in 48.36.

Meanwhile, Simon Martland from Sheffield University showed a clean pair of heels to local runners, winning the 7.2km blue course in 47.16, with Airienteers’ Peter Jones from Baildon (56.12), Chris Penny from Addingham (56.52) and Mike Cox from Leeds(57.13) featuring strongly. Cerys Jones of Baildon was first woman in 60.10.

Junior runner Joe Woodley from Guiseley, who will represent Britain in the World Schools' Championships later in the year, won the 6.8km short blue course in 48.55.

Frank Kew from Ilkley (56.42), and Bruce Woodley from Guiseley (59.15), were third and fourth respectively, while Joyce Marshall, from Burley-in-Wharfedale, was first woman in 63.48.

Sam Brown had a good run to beat 63 runners on the 5.2km green course in 39.57, with veteran international Ruth Ker of Leeds close behind in second place in 40.47.

Lee Beavers was third and Will Patterson seventh. Nick Jones won the 3.7km short green in 33.45, with Rob King second. At junior level, Annie Brown won the 1.3km white course, with William Smith runner-up.

Other Airienteers making it into the top 20 were as follows (positions in brackets) - Brown course: Andrew Kelly (12=), Ian Marshall (12=), Mike Winter(15). Blue course: Martyn Gill (13), Dave Armstrong (14), Dave Shelley (17), Andis Celinskis(19), Tony Carlyle (20). Green course: Lindsay King (12), Tom Crowther (14), Eva Watson (15), Jez Wilkinson (18), Nigel Hulley (20). Short green course: Hilary Allen (4), Wendy Carlyle (5), Jeremy Walford (7). Light green course: Scott Marshall (3), Mark Penny (4), Jonathan Smith (5). Orange course: Chris Hulley (2). Yellow course: Amy Bowman (6).

Meanwhile, Airienteers continue with their successful Night League a week tomorrow in Otley, while the next Saturday O-Lite event - an ideal taster event for newcomers to ‘cunning running’ - is at Rothwell Country Park on Saturday.

Details of these and other events at this friendly club can be found at www.aire.org.uk.