Mud, sweat and delight for Howard

Photo: Darren Robinson

Adam Howard shows off his national cross-country silverware.

CROSS COUNTRY: MOORSIDE’S Adam Howard followed in the footsteps of Mo Farah to secure victory in the National Cross-Country Championships in Sunderland.

The Oldham and Royton Harriers member, a five-time winner of the Oldham Schools title at various year groups, beat his nearest rival by four seconds in the under-17s race.

Howard - studying to be a personal trainer at Hopwood Hall Fitness Academy - and the other athletes had tocope with snowy underfoot conditions.

But it didn’t stop him from adding the crown to the National under-15s prize he won previously.

The 17 year old crossed the line in a superb 20 minutes 32 seconds, and his name will now be etched alongside Farah, the double Olympic champion from London 2012.

Mum Louise said: “Adam was extremely pleased with himself. The conditions were horrible.”

Howard has had to battle against injury and illness in the last couple of years but seems to have come back stronger than ever.

He is now setting his sights on the Inter-Counties Championship at Crofton Park, Birmingham, on Saturday week.