DAN Cliffe will be bidding to win the senior men's title for the sixth consecutive year when the Cheshire Cross Country Championships return to Birchwood Forest Park on Saturday.
Hosts Spectrum Striders and neighbours Warrington Athletics Club, Warrington Running Club and Lymm Runners will all be heavily represented across the age groups in the eight races, but it is Cliffe who is the most likely headline maker.
> Pictures and report from the 2017 county championships at Birchwood Forest Park
The 27-year-old Latchford lad, a former student at Bridgewater High School and Priestley College, has been a dominant force in each of his past five wins, including a 27-second victory over a Delamere Forest course last year.
He also collected the title in 2011, giving him six successes in seven attempts at senior level so far.
Dan Cliffe ahead of the English Half Marathon in 2015
Cliffe, who started out with Warrington Athletics Club but now represents Liverpool Harriers, looks to be in great form having won the Farndon 10K in October, the Run Tatton 10K in November as well as finishing runner-up in the Cheshire 10K on his latest outing of 2018.
The three-times winner of Warrington's English Half Marathon also has training and racing experience at Birmingham University and in America at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Dan Cliffe with his Junior Great North Run trophy he won in Gateshead for Warrington Athletics Club in 2007
Warrington Athletics Club will be defending a few titles won last year, including Jordan Jones in the under 17s boys' race.
The under 11s boys and girls teams were also victorious 12 months ago.
Various venues are called on to host the annual event, but Birchwood is staging the race for the second time in three years (see our picture gallery from the 2017 event above).
The last time this event was held in Birchwood, a Warrington senior double was achieved - Cliffe winning the men's title and former Warrington AC runner Heather Timmins taking the women's prize.
Warrington AC's Lauren Ferris and Vale Royal’s former Victoria Park-based runner Sam Evans emerged victorious to claim the under 17s women's and under 15s boys' crowns.
This year, awards will be given to the first three individuals and club teams in each age group.
Veteran awards will also be handed out.
Saturday's schedule:
Race start time - age group - distance - laps:
11.30am - under 11s boys and girls - 2000m - 2 small
11:50am - under 13s boys and girls - 3300m - 2 medium
12:20pm - under 15s boys and girls - 4200m - 2 large
1pm - under 17s men and women - 5000m - 3 medium
1pm - under 20s women - 5000m - 3 medium
1.40pm - senior women - 8300m - 4 large
2.45pm - under 20s men - 8300m - 4 large
2.45pm - senior men - 10400m - 5 large
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