Claire Hallissey declared her satisfaction at leading home the Great Britain women's team at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham.

In a top class field packed with Africans – they took seven of the top 10 places with a championship record for winner Mary Keitany, of Kenya – the 26-year-old Bristol & West AC runner finished 25th in 72mins 14secs, just outside the personal best of 72:03 she set when winning the trial race in Bristol last month.

"I feel I ran a good race and I was happy with that," said Hallissey.

"Obviously every time you go out you hope for a stormer, and a big PB, but I don't think the course was as quick as Bristol as there were a lot of tight corners and it was also very wet.

"It was a very fast, downhill start and I worked my way through the field which is always nice.

"It was a great experience and I really enjoyed it."

It was Hallissey's first appearance on the world stage having made her debut for Great Britain on the track in the summer and, while she would have loved to run under 72 minutes, she can take great pride in finishing top British runner and fifth European from the elite field of 59 runners.

Hallissey was followed by Michelle Ross-Cope in 34th (1:13.50), Gemma Miles in 44th (1:14.56), Alyson Dixon in 45th (1:15.19) and Rebecca Robinson 46th (1:16.21) as the Brits finished in seventh place.

● The cross country season burst into life at the weekend with a traditional wet, muddy course in Bridgend laid on to open the Gwent League on Sunday.

Bristol & West AC's Eleanor Wimshurst treated the conditions with disdain as she ran away from her rivals in the combined Under 20/17 women's race for a handsome victory.

Westbury Harriers were out in force and youngster Ellie Leather, now in her second year of racing, led the way with an excellent second in the novice girls' race.

Joe Dalgleish's fourth place in a very high quality Under-20 and Under-17 men's race shows that he is finally regaining form after setbacks.

Top local runner in the senior men's race was Bristol & West's Tim Wallis, in eighth, while international Robbie Bugden finished 11th on his comeback.

The team results hadn't been confirmed but Westbury Harriers' women packed four in the top 50 led by Debbie Marsden and Sophie Voller, who were 17th and 19th respectively.

● North Somerset AC youngster Jasmine Emery raced to a superb victory in the opening fixture of the Gloucestershire Cross Country League at the Cotswold Farm Park.

Emery won the Under-11 girls' race and with support from Alys Withers and Sophie Andersen ensured second place in the team event.

There were also wins for the Bristol & West AC pair of Annasley Park (Under 15 girls), with Westbury's Lauren Ellis second and Rhys Park (Under-17 men), while Westbury Harriers' Stephen Cripps was third in the Under-15 boys' age group.

Further success in North Somerset came in the Under-13 girls' race with Kate Grinyer third and Cameron Coetzee was fourth in the Under-15 boys' race.

In the senior races, Viv McConnell had a fine run to finish sixth and lead the Clevedon AC squad to top spot in the veterans' team competition, while top local finishers in the men's race was Bitton Road Runners' Mike Blackmore in 13th.

● Bristol & West AC teenager Annabel Gummow won the senior women's race at the opening Brooks Westward Cross Country league fixture in Plymouth.

● Bristol & West AC's Helen Fines set a new course record of 1hr 30mins 08secs to finish sixth overall and first woman in the field of 250 finishers that survived teeming rain in the Mendip Muddle 20 multi-terrain race.

● Representing Bristol University Steve Mitchell and Imogen Ainsworth ran the third fastest times of the day in the men's and women's races respectively at the Manchester University cross-country relays

● Westbury Harriers' Anthony Glover won the Horton Winter Bull race ahead of Bristol & West's Jonathan Goodland.