THE ERITREAN Olympic Games flag bearer who is seeking asylum in Britain, ran the fastest time as he spearheaded Sunderland Harriers' team victory in the Start Fitness North-East Harrier League at Bedewell Park, Jarrow.

Weynay Ghebresilasie, 18, won the senior men's six-mile cross country handicap - his first race since competing in the 3,000m steeplechase in London this summer - by nearly a minute.

Ghebresilasie, who was in the Eritrean Army and feared for his life, decided not to return to the troubled African country during the London games and moved to Sunderland after spending time at asylum centres in Croydon and Huddersfield.

He has joined Sunderland Harriers and is being helped to settle in the Wearside city by members of the club.

He agreed to compete in the third Harrier League event and was placed in the medium pack, which received a two and a half minute start on the scratch runners in the fast pack, but also two and a half minutes behind athletes in the slow pack.

Ghebreselasie, who was 30th in the World Junior Cross Country Championships last year, threaded his way past over 100 slow-pack runners in the 400-strong field and was unable to catch only two of the leaders, finishing seven seconds behind the winner, Elswick Harrier Mark McLeod, son of former Olympic Games 10,000m silver-medallist Mike McLeod.

Sunderland Harriers secretary Michael Hill said: "He is an ever-present at our training base at Silksworth and has been warmly welcomed by the members."

Ghebresilasie, whose personal-best 3,000m steeplechase time of 8 mins 28.92 secs is faster than the best UK senior time this year, has been cleared to run as a foreign athlete and in likely to compete in the Northern Junior Cross Country Championships in Liverpool on January 26 wearing the royal blue colours of his new club.

The women's race was won by Lorna Young, who led her new club, Heaton Harriers, to runners-up position in the Division One team race behind Tynedale.

Results - Senior Men (6 miles): 1 M McLeod (Elswick Slow Pack +5 mins) 32 mins 33 secs; 2 S Hall (Gateshead, SP) 32.34; 3 W Ghebresilasie (Sunderland, Medium Pack + 2 ½ mins) 32.40; 4 M Nicholson (Morpeth, MP) 33.33; 5 A Clarke (Durham City, SP) 33.43. Fastest times: 1 W Ghebresilasie 30.10; 2 M Nicholson 31.03; 3 A Burn (Jarrow & Hebburn, Fast Pack scr) 31.14. Teams - Div 1: 1 Sunderland 75 pts; 2 Durham City 102; 3 Morpeth 105; 4 Gateshead 136. Div 2: 1 Tyne Bridge 50; 2 Crook 110; 3 Elswick 141.

Senior Women (4 miles): 1 L Young (Heaton, Slow Pack + 4 mins) 25.54; 2 S Morley (Tynedale, Vet Medium Pack +2 mins) 28.53; 3 R Terry (Elvet, Vet SP) 28.54; 4 C McManus (North Shields Poly, Vet MP) 29.02; 5 K Anderson (Tynedale, Vet MP) 29.06. Fastest times: 1 L Young 25.54; 2 E Leslie (J&H Vet FP scr) 26.44; 3 S Morley 26.44, Teams: 1 Tynedale 13; 2 Heaton 17; 3 North Shields Poly 36.