Stanmer Park was the venue for the most important cross country races ever to be held in Sussex.

The British senior 4km Championship and All England Schools, involving around 2,000 youngsters from all over England, were both staged at the Brighton venue on Saturday.

Thousands of spectators watched the cream of British cross country runners and stars of the future.

Hayley Yelling (Windsor) who, were it not for the dominance of Paula Radcliffe would be regarded as the top British distance runner, faced strong opposition from European junior cross country champion Charlotte Dale (Kent Invicta Club).

Both have been selected for Great Britain's World Cross Country Championships team in Lausanne at the end of the month.

Yelling runs in the senior 8km race and Dale in the junior event.

They were never more than a few metres apart until the final 400m when the more experienced Windsor runner used her strength to pull a few metres clear for victory to make it a clean sweep of the major national titles this season, having already won the inter-county and English cross country crowns.

Two Sussex runners gave a good account of themselves with county champion Caroline Hoyte (Arena 80 club) being headed over the first half of the women's 4km race by Worthing's Rachael Ogden.

Hoyte was the stronger on the second of the two laps and finished an excellent ninth, the highest placing by a Sussex runner in any of the races.

She said: "I started a bit slower than usual. I'm just getting over a cold and did not really enjoy the cold winds in Stanmer.

"I felt better than expected as the race progressed and think, had I been brave enough to start a little faster, I might have finished higher. I felt fairly strong at the finish and I'm quite happy with the result.

"After placing second in the South of England Championship in January, I was hoping for a good run in the national and inter-counties but a chest infection ruled me out of those races but I feel quite comfortable with my running today.

"I might run in the Sussex League at Lancing on Saturday but I will not decide until the last minute."

Ogden said: "I did not realise I was ahead of Caroline on the first lap but she looked very strong when she came past me.

"I'm happy with my run but this will be my last cross country run this season as I am concentrating on track training.

"I will be running the 800m and 1,500m on the track and will probably concentrate more on the shorter distance."

In the men's event, several leading runners already selected for the World Championships gave the race a miss and it was Steve Vernon (Stockport) and Chris Thompson (Aldershot) who battled it out for the top place, hoping to get a place in the short course team for the World Championships.

Vernon just got the verdict on the line, although both runners recorded the same time.

Injuries ruled out Brighton and Hove's Steve Rees-Jones, the county champion, and Patrick Davoren (Phoenix), so Sussex interest centred on track star Ed Prickett and Horsham's Andrew Robinson.

Prickett, in his first senior championship, having run in the junior event at the European Championships before Christmas, was an excellent 15th and Robinson 27th.

Prickett said: "I'm pleased with my run. It my first senior championship and was I surprised how fast it was but felt I ran quite well."

Robinson said: "It was a good workout My training has been for much longer events recently and I did find the pace a little too fast for my current fitness but I'm quite happy with the run."