CLAYTON le Moors Harriers' women continue to dominate the over 50 class in the English Fell Championship.

There has only been an award in this age group for three years and the club has picked it up each time with double winner Wendy Dodds being succeeded by World Master Champion Maureen Laney this year.

There was never any doubt about the destination of the Championship in 2004 as the club claimed a clean sweep with Laney, Dodds and Katy Thompson finishing 1-2-3.

Indeed, such was the form of Laney that she even managed to win the bronze medal in the over 40s, having won another bronze in the over 40s at the British Championships. The awards ceremony for both the English and British Championships took place last month at the Annual Fell Runners Association Dinner at Kendal.

The Harriers enjoyed another outstanding season on the fells with over 60 John Nuttall collecting silver in the British and bronze in the English Championships.

He was also a member of the over 50 veteran squad which won silver medals in the English Championships with team mates Jack Holt, Andrew Robinson, Pete Booth, Kieran Carr, Jeff Pickup, Richard Bellaries, Mick Green and Dave Farnworth.

There was more joy for the Thompson family when Katy's son Paul achieved his ambition of finishing in the top ten seniors at the English - his final position was ninth.

Emma Thompson has won the under 14 class of the British Open Fell Running Association's Championships.

Pendle Athletic Club runners took the top three places in the age group with Lauren Moorehead second and Lois Grinstead third, and all the winners were awarded their prizes at the recent Presentation Night at the Carleton Hotel in Morecambe.

Trophies were distributed to the first ten in each age group provided they had completed at least eight of the 13 races in the season long series.

In the under 12 girls section Rebecca Thompson finished third with her Pendle team-mates Shannon Moorehead sixth and Faith Biddle seventh. The club also featured prominently in the under 14 boys with Jack Thompson in fifth and Kyle Biddle seventh, but it was Rossendale Harrier Sam Tosh who was the local star with second place.

The BOFRA Championship is an alternative series to the FRA Championship and has its origins in professional racing. The races continue to use the traditional short sharp courses but nowadays they are very family orientated events.