Grand Prix prize claimed in style

The competition returned after the midsummer break for the last three races at Worsthorne, Trawden and Cliviger, and over the 10-race series both athletes completed the required nine events with near perfect records of eight wins and one second place.

Given the previous invincibility of Blackburn Harrier Cornthwaite it was maybe a surprise that he suffered his only defeat right at the death even though he had been fell racing in the Lake District the previous day.

In the final round on Sunday, Mark Brown took the Lancashire Sports Repairs Six Mile Road Race by 15 seconds in 32:06, with the Cornthwaite, 19, second in 32:21.

The win will set up Clayton Harrier Brown nicely for his trip to the Paralympics in Athens where he will be competing for Great Britain in the 5,000 metres for arm amputees.

Brown wasn't taking part in the Grand Prix though, and 2003 champion Andy Stubbs is the runner-up this time - 16 points behind Cornthwaite. Clayton's Stubbs has been amazingly consistent with 14 top three places in 18 outings over the past two summers yet a win has so far proved elusive.

Accrington Road Runner Brent Hoggan finished with a flourish to take third in series.

August has been the best month of his career with third in the Chernobyl Challenge at Preston being translated into Grand Prix form at the seven mile long Worsthorne Moor Fell Race where he was second.

Several veterans have dipped into the series with Brown and Rossendale Harrier Thornton Taylor both achieving outright victories, while Clayton's Mark Aspinall was the leading vet at Worsthorne and in the Trawden 7M as he finished with overall positions of third and second respectively.

Over 45 Brian Horrocks was the winning veteran in the series, taking fifth outright, while M40 Martin Terry, M50 Doug Munroe and M65 Derek Grimes ensured that Clayton Harriers swept the board in the vet classes.

Spenborough's Amy Green could afford to miss the final race and still lift the women's trophy, and in her absence, outgoing champion Candice Leah earned her consolation. Eight times Leah has been runner-up to Green this year and she seized her opportunity to take the LSR Cliviger Six by over two minutes from unattached runner Tracy Mitchell.

Consistent Dany Robson, with her best result of the season, took third and with it clinched the same position in the series. Accrington Road Runner Jennifer Adams is the leading veteran, a fine performance for an over 50, while Clayton win three classes with F40 Sue Allen, F55 Christine Leathley and F65 Kitty Garnett.

The Presentation evening is on Friday September 3 at Barrowford Civic Hall starting at 8pm.

Duo keep our track and field flag flying

ELEANOR Markendale and Curtis Pearce have won medals in the Under 15 category at the AAAs Track and Field Championships at Birmingham.

Pendle Athletic Club's Markendale has been at the top of her form recently and a week before had set a personal best in the long jump while competing in the pentathlon at the AAAs Combined Events Championships.

Now competing in the individual long jump event, once again she produced at the big event to add another centimetre to her distance with a PB 5.46m.

Main danger, Alex Russell, pulled out a long one too - a massive PB of 5.71m - but Eleanor was justifiably elated with her silver medal.

Curtis Pearce made national news at 12 years old when he won the Reebok Cross Country Challenge, and now two years on he has added his first major medal on the track. The Blackburn Harrier struck bronze in the 1500m setting a personal best of 4:12.15 in the final after winning his heat.

His big rival when he won the Reebok was Preston Harrier Nathan Bibby, and Bibby won the silver after Curtis missed a crucial break by the first two athletes.

He'll have a chance of revenge this winter after Warburtons the Bakers renewed his sponsorship, which will finance his travel to the Reebok races.

Blackburn Harriers Paul Bradshaw and Peter Matthews set personal bests as they reached their finals in the 800m. Under 17 Bradshaw was seventh in 1:59:05 with Matthews, competing in the under 15s, coming in eighth in 2:04.92. Pendle's Luke Simpson reached the semi finals of the under 17s 100m and 200m while club mate Amy Weaver was ninth in the under 17 shot.

All the athletes mentioned have been named in the Lancashire Team for the Northern Inter Counties Championship at Cudworth this weekend.

LANCASHIRE INTER COUNTIES TEAM: Blackburn Harriers: Peter Matthews (U15B 400m) Curtis Pearce (U15B 1500m) Paul Bradshaw (U17M 1500m) Richard Stones (U17M 3000m) Paul Whittle (U17M 100m hurdles) Matt Wood (Senior M 800m) Ben Fish (Senior M 3000m) Emma Graham (U17W 3000m) Burnley: Danny Eckersley (Senior M 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, triple jump) Abigail Ewart (U17W hammer) Alexis Walker (U17W javelin) Danielle Walker (U17W 1500m) Chorley Harriers: Alison Leonard (U15G 800m) Sara Parkinson (U17W long jump) Hyndburn: Caroline Smithson (U17W 100m) Pendle: Eleanor Markendale (U15G long jump) Amy Weaver (U17W shot) Luke Simpson (U17M 100m, 200m) Ben Lindsay (U17M 800m)

Ingram to lead way in Italy

KATIE Ingram will head England Junior Women's team at the World Trophy in Italy next month after she won the Trial Race at Grisedale Pike on Saturday.

The Horwich Harrier from Astley Village, Chorley will be the only survivor of the all north western team which captured the team silver medal in Alaska last year. Individual gold medallist Karrie Hawitt is currently suffering from a stress fracture while Rachael Thompson, a student at Westholme School in Blackburn, limped out of the trial in the early stages and was surprisingly overlooked despite finishing eighth in the World a year ago.

Blackburn Harrier Tom Cornthwaite was fourth in the Junior Boys Trial, and although there were four places in the team, he has not been selected.

The two leaders on Saturday went off course in misty conditions, but having built a two minutes lead before their mishap, they were chosen.

Rob Hope, from Wheelton near Chorley, was second in the senior trial and has earned selection for the England Men's Team. Billy Burns from Lostock missed the race, but was chosen for Italy after finishing third in the prestigious Sierre-Zinal race in Switzerland.

The event was originally going to be a trial for the World Masters Championship too, but the Fell Runners Association decided that there will be no England Team entry and athletes must make personal entries.

The FRA's stance has caused considerable bad feeling and many of the leading veterans ran in the senior trials to justify their status as legitimate England Internationals when they race in Italy. Clayton Harrier veterans who starred at Grisedale were Maureen Laney and Wendy Dodds (1st F50 and 2nd F50), Mark Aspinall (3rd M40), Colin Shuttleworth (3rd M45) and Dave Farnworth (3rd M50).