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Page last updated at 10:51 GMT, Tuesday, 18 November 2008

Merrien pleased with opening race

Lee Merrien
Merrien now looks ahead to trying to qualify for the European championships

Guernsey runner Lee Merrien says he is happy with his eighth-placed finish in the first round of the UK Cross Country Challenge at Gateshead.

Merrien was the sixth British runner over the line in the first of the five-race cross country series.

"It's a good sign that I'm fit and running reasonably well," Merrien told BBC Guernsey.

The next race in two weeks time is in Liverpool and double-up as qualifiers for the European championships.