COURSE records tumbled at the York New Year Relay Races on Knavesmire.

A new mark for the female team was set by the Nestl Rowntree AC trio of Emma Macalister-Hall, Dawn Gibbs and Lara Gibbs.

They clocked 48 minutes 59 seconds, finishing fifth overall, after the three legs of 1.5 miles, three miles and three miles.

Macalister-Hall, who attends St Peter's School, clocked 9min 58secs for the short leg. Dawn Gibbs achieved 19.11 - the best ever time for a woman in the 40 category - and her daughter, Lara, did 19.50.

A total of 31 teams entered the handicapped race with the event being won by Scarborough, whose Amy Bridgeman's 9.24 short leg was a record for the Under-16 girls category. Her team colleague Alex Wheatman set an U16 course best for a three-mile leg with 19.41.

Nestl Rowntree were runners-up in the team event with 47mins 29secs - 39 seconds behind Scarborough. Andy Hilton had the satisfaction of clocking the day's fastest long leg with 16.18. Team-mate Tom Bean recorded 16.33 for the other three-mile leg and Alistair Smith came home in a rapid 8.38 for the short leg.

Completing the top three were Knavesmire Harriers, whose Neil Strange recorded the men's 40 category best three-mile time of 17.05.

Hilton also turned out for York Mixture and did the day's best short leg of 8.06 which helped them to 14th place overall.

The fastest female short leg came from Helen Garnham, whose 9.24 helped take Nestl Guests to seventh place with team-mate Nina Griffith setting the record for the over 40 long course record with 18.20.

Edward Bradley won the Primary run with six minutes 36 seconds - finishing eight seconds ahead of runner-up Francesca Keighley, who was the fastest girl runner.

Kay Wood was third, a further nine seconds behind Keighley.

Updated: 09:58 Saturday, January 07, 2006