Sarah Coope (Eastbourne Rovers) was the only runner to upset the form in the first of this season's Sussex Cross Country Championships over a muddy course at Bexhill Down.

Coope, defending her over-35 veterans title, was expected to succumb to Leah Luff (Worthing), but no one told her.

Coope went clear from the start, using the strength she had gained from competing in triathlon.

With the previous weekend's exertions at Brinsbury College still in her legs, Luff was unable to match the early pace and soon settled on battling for the silver medal.

Coope stretched her lead to win by almost 200 yards.

She said: "It was tough, but I did not feel under pressure. Once I had got clear I was quite comfortable. I don't really mind the mud. In fact, some of my best races have been over tough muddy courses."

Brighton and Hove's international Nigel Gates, the British veterans champion, completed a hat-trick of men's over-40s titles.

Gates said: "I just wanted a good workout. I will be running in the National Veterans' Ten-Mile Road Race next weekend and did not want to take too much out of my legs. I am quite happy with muddy conditions, but it was pretty heavy going."

Crawley's Franklyn Young-Martos, a newcomer in the over-40 group, did the early pace making with Peter Lay (Worthing), but when Gates applied the pressure at the start of the fourth and final lap both were stunned by the ferocity of the Brighton runner's pace.

Rob Shannon (Crawley) was second and former champion Adrian Brown snatched the bronze medal from clubmate Lay. Young-Martos failed to finished.

Gates said: "I thought Rob ran a very sensible race, staying back in the first half and then having the power to come through with me."

Peter Witcomb (Brighton and Hove) won the over-50s by almost two minutes.

Witcomb's time of 35min.57sec would have given him fourth place in the over-40s.

Tom Sargant (Hailsham), hit by injury last season, won the intermediate race by more than a minute.

He defeated fellow under-20 runner Emile Tambeh, (Hastings) after stamping his authority early on.

Tambeh's extra power enabled him to pip clubmate Daniel Wicks for the silver medal in the finishing straight.

Unlike last year's event when Brighton and Hove took three of the team titles, the spoils were shared were shared among four clubs. Arena 80 retained the women's title, Worthing the men's over-40, Brighton and Hove the over-50 and Hastings the intermediate.

Arena 80's Caroline Hoyte was sixth in the Southern Women's League race at Bexhill. She was the lone Sussex runner.

THE Sussex County Cross Country Championships on January 6 have been switched from Crawley to Lancing.

Organisers were concerned about the state of the Thomas Bennett playing fields at Crawley. It is hoped that the Crawley course will recover in time to hold the Sussex Schools Championships in February and the final Sussex Cross Country League match the following month.