Running ragged through racecourse | Taranaki Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Taranaki

The Stratford Racecourse was pounding with the sound of feet, not hooves, on Saturday as the country's top runners flocked to town to compete in the national cross-country championships.

It was the first time the event has been held in Stratford and more than 300 competitors battled it out over a weather-beaten track, vying for placings and hoping to add more prestigious titles to their repertoires.

Hot favourites Phil Costley of Canterbury and Jessica Ruthe of Mount Maunganui managed to live up to expectations, taking out the senior men's and women's titles.

For Costley, it was his fifth successive victory and his sixth overall at the national event. He now shares the six-win national record with Ben Savident, set from 1927 to 1935.

Ruthe took on, and beat, two-time world mountain running champion, Melissa Moon, crossing the line in 28 minutes 58 seconds, reclaiming the title she won in 2004. She is now aiming to be selected in a national team to travel to Kenya next year for the World Cross-Country Championships.

Organiser of the championships, Denise Stewart-Jacks, was very pleased with the event.

"We had a great day for it. The weather was perfect for running. Even though the track was a bit heavy due to the rain over the previous week, there were good times recorded.

A. Wyatt, C. Delahunty and A. Funnell took out first, second and third places in the Masters Men 35-39 8000 metre event at the National Cross-Country Championships.