Sparrow Morley enjoyed the company of Tadele Geremew before the Elswick Harrier pulled away to win his own club’s Norman Woodcock Memorial Road Race at Gosforth Park on Saturday.
The Sunderland Harrier ran with the Ethiopian for two laps of the ambulance track around the racecourse before Geremew showed his class to go on to win the five-mile race in 26min 43sec.
Morley took second place in 27.22.
Sunderland Stroller Michael Henderson was 18th (30.55) and Durham City Harrier Chloe Price won the women’s race in 30.27.
Birtley, with a series of consistent performances, won the silver medals behind winners Birmingham University in the National Cross Country Relays Championships at Mansfield on Saturday.