Flying Harriers head to Nottingham for cross-country finale
Conditions were firm and rapid times abounded as the event drew the curtain on the cross-country season and, by extension, winter.
Lancastrian lad Luke Foley's 33mins 28secs in the men's 10km race was good enough for 88th place in a field stacked with some of the country's fastest men.
Meanwhile, the youngsters ran for Greater Manchester. Harry Yates was in action in the Under-15 boys; race, stopping the clock at 15:46 for 273rd. Charlotte Wilkinson was 101st (27:47) in the U20 women's race, while Harrison Stokes placed 91st in the U17 boys' race with 21:04.
There was a titanic father-and-son battle on the northern fells of the Lake District at Carrock Fell Race on Sunday.
Young Mark Titmuss had been eyeing up a first senior race after his 16th birthday, where he could toe the line against his dad, James. Needless to say, his old man was not going to roll over without a fight and an epic duel played out for family bragging rights over the 5.6-mile, 1,640-feet route. It was nip and tuck all the way, with Mark managing to break away to 'win' by a mere seven seconds (48:37), taking 21st overall and first U23 in the process.
Nick Leigh and Adrian Bramham travelled to the picturesque village of Dent, in the Yorkshire Dales, to take on the historic Dentdale Run - a race nearly as old as the two veterans! They both ran well over the gruelling 14.2-mile hilly road route, with Leigh using it as a tune-up race for next month's Yorkshire Three Peaks. He finished in fourth place (first MV45) with a time of 1:29:14, while Bramham collected yet another MV60 trophy en route to a superb 11th overall (1:38:28), 20 minutes ahead of his nearest V60 challenger.
Several from RMI lined up in the sun on the start line of the 44th edition of the Haworth Hobble Ultra Marathon.
The route took competitors on 32 miles of windswept gritstone moorland with 4,400 feet of total climbing. Julian Goudge is no stranger to long days on the fells and he waltzed around in 5:22:38, netting himself 62nd overall and fifth MV50. Matt Wilson 'enjoyed' his first (and he vows last) ultra, finishing in 5:46:00, while Christopher Gorton completed it in 8:28:31.
Michelle Tunney and Ryan Snee turned out to support Smithy's Charity Trail Run, a five-mile route round the scenic trails of Egerton in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Alex Fowler scored a top-10 finish at a muddy Worden Parkrun. His 21:22 was all the more impressive given he was pushing his son, Charlie, in a buggy.
Rob Jackson is pursuing marginal gains as he finished one second quicker than the previous week at Peel (18:34). He finished his customary first in age category and age grading, while also sneaking into the top 10 overall.
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