With Phoenix Athletic Club's team victory in the Sussex senior cross country championships they became the third club in the 75 year history of the race to win the title more than once.

The event has been dominated by Brighton and Hove and Horsham Blue Star Harriers, who have won the trophy 67 times between them.

There has been tremendous competition for the title over years, particularly as the winners hold the most valuable trophy owned by the Sussex County Association.

The 18 inch silver statue of the Winged Messenger Mercury has been valued at several thousands pounds and it is a shame that the winners can no longer take the trophy home with them.

It comes out of the bank vault on the Friday before the race and is returned early the following Monday morning.

Phoenix team manager Paul Collicut said: "It was a tremendous experience for the team. We only select a few races a year when we work hard to get our top team out.

"Mainly we are a road running team and the Southern 12 stage relay in April will be our next major effort.

"The Sussex senior title is the major event in Sussex and the trophy represents its importance in our calendar.

"Since I came to Sussex, Brighton and Hove have dominated the race so it is a great achievement to win the trophy. We won it back in 1996 but I think this year's team was even better than then, although we did have Mark Rowland in our 1996 line-up.

"It is the only Sussex championship when the top runners in the county make that extra effort to race and although Nigel Gates was missing from this year's event the rest of the top Sussex runners were there.

"The trophy was not available when we last won the title so it was a great thrill to see and to hold the Mercury."

The trophy was presented and by the Royal Corps of Signals when they were stationed at Maresfield.

The Royal Corps of Signals won the first race but for 40 years after that it alternated between Horsham Blue Star and Brighton.

At a time when silver trophies were considerably more common than they are today the trophy spent the war years under my father's bed as the then Brighton and County Harriers had won the trophy in 1939 and he was the club secretary at that time.

In 1966 Worthing and District Harriers won the title and then followed another 30 years of Horsham/Brighton domination before Phoenix got their hands on the trophy for the first time in 1996 which brought to an end a remarkable 13 year run of victories for Brighton.

Next Saturday many of the leading Sussex runners will be battling over the tough Parliament Hill course at Hampstead Heath in the South of England cross country championships.