STEVE Naylor shrugged off illness to seal the Apex Sports Chiltern Cross Country League title in the final round at Wing.

The 33-year-old, from Combe, was crowned senior and overall men’s Division 1 champion after coming third.

Naylor (Bedford & County) had been suffering from a heavy cold in the build-up, but was determined to compete.

In the end, he clocked 34mins 15secs over an extremely muddy six-mile course to take the title by nine points from Luton’s Daniel Woodgate.

“To be honest, it hasn’t sunk in that I’ve actually won the Chiltern League,” said Naylor.

“I think I was so pre-occupied with fighting the illness and just getting round in one piece, that it took the shine away from the achievement.

“I’m not the first person to race under the weather, but I won’t be in a rush to do it again.

“I wasn’t going to throw away my two victories and one second place from the past few months that easily.”

Naylor was happy to let race winner Alex Tovey (Windsor) pull away and with Woodgate not competing in the final round, he had more breathing space than expected.

He added: “The mud at all the gate crossings was just astonishing.”

Meanwhile, Headington Road Runners completed a veterans team double, with their men and ladies finishing top of the Division 1 standings.

Headington’s men won all five races to finish 203 points ahead of Harrow, while their ladies produced a strong final round to ensure they beat Vale of Aylesbury.

Oxford City were relegated for the first time in more than 20 years.

City’s Lauren Hawtin had already sealed the junior ladies’ title.

Clubmate Stewart Thorp was crowned vet 60 men’s champion, with fellow City runner Roy Treadwell second.

There were third places for Headington pair Jude Craft and Andy Phelps in the ladies’ vet 35 and men’s vet 50 categories respectively.

Abingdon’s Christian Von Eitzen (Vale of Aylesbury) was third in the under 17 boys’ rankings.

SUBMITTED DIVISION 1 RESULTS
MEN
Headington RR: 19 M Robinson 36.51, 31 F Campbell 38.24 (V40), 47 T Doole 39.39, 52 M Richards 40.04 (3rd V50), 54 R Skilbeck 40.12, 56 D Gavaghan 40.23 (V40), 66 A Phelps 41.44 (V50), 103 J Griffiths 44.02 (V50), 123 L Hurman 46.02 (V50), 126 E Byard 46.22.
Oxford City: 64 E Mezzetti 41.30, 81 S Thorp (1st V60) 42.43, 93 R Grant (V50) 43.32, 95 R Treadwell (2nd V60) 43.41, 102 T Dixon (V50) 44.01, 117 A Gleeson (V40) 45.27, 133 D Wheeler (V60) 47.41, 139 P Marshall (V40) 49.03, 157 J Exley (V60) 52.58.
UNDER 17 BOYS
Oxford City: 9 M Marshall 24.03.
LADIES
Headington RR: 15 A Hopkins 29.03 (V35), 16 J Craft 29.05 (V35), 21 A Lyng 29.40, 22 L Barker 29.40, 33 S Farrow 31.28 (V45), 51 A Barry 35.37 (V45).
FINAL STANDINGS
MEN
Senior: 1 S Naylor (Bedford & County) 7pts. Vet 40 (top ten): 4 F Campbell (Hed) 191, 5 D Gavagan (Hed) 244, 8 A Gleeson (Oxf) 320, 10 S Winter (Oxf) 327. Vet 50 (top ten): 3 A Phelps (Hed) 301, 5 J Griffiths (Hed) 350, 8 R Grant (Oxf) 385, 9 L Hurman (Hed) 469. Vet 60 (top ten): 1 S Thorp (Oxf) 317, 2 R Treadwell (Oxf) 428. Under 17 (top ten): 3 C Von Eitzen (Aylesbury) 41, 6 M Marshall (Oxford) 47.
LADIES
Senior (top ten): 7 L Barker (Hed) 66, 9 A Lyng (Hed) 81.Vet 35 (top ten): 3 J Craft (Hed) 44, 4 A Hopkins (Hed) 79. Vet 45: (top ten): 5 S Farrow (Hed) 149. Junior: 1 L Hawtin (Oxf) 22.
TEAM
Overall: 8 Headington 7130, 13 Oxford City 5546.
Senior/vet/junior men: 3 Headington 6063, 12 Oxford City 4193.
Vet men: 1 Headington 2625, 3 Oxford City 2209.
Senior/vet ladies: 3 Headington 1061, 14 Oxford City 238.
Vet ladies: 1 Headington 808, 14 Oxford City 39.