YORK'S Jenny Whitehead has regained the women's trophy at the fifth York City Orienteering Park Race, writes Roger Marshall.

Whitehead, who has now represented Great Britain in the sport for several years, had a three-minute lead on her nearest rivals Liz Day and Karen Heppenstall.

Neil Northrop was the first senior man, winning in 28mins 20secs, two seconds ahead of Neil Bourke (EPOC).

The race attracted more than 130 runners with several Great Britain Team members and competitors from Ireland and Norway. Like last year's event, it started and finished in Parliament Street but this time the first control presented a route choice to Skeldergate Bridge with some runners racing through Coppergate and past Clifford's Tower.

Competitors ran around streets and alleys to St Nicholas Field Urban Nature Park with a bit of more traditional-style orienteering around the park before coming back into the city centre for controls by the bar walls and in snickelways.

Stuart Hooton, from Haxby, won the Junior course for the second year running in a time of 15m 50s on his 16th birthday, while Jenny Thornton (CLOK) finished second in 16m 46s.

Updated: 10:37 Wednesday, June 01, 2005