Athletics round-up

BRIAN Cole has gone from success to success since discovering ultra-distance running little more than 12 months ago.

The Royal Marine from Darwen is already a Great Britain Team regular and in May helped the National squad to the bronze medal in the European 100 kilometre Championships in Italy.

The course involved over 4,500 feet of climbing through the Apennine Mountains and the gruelling race necessitated meticulous preparation.

His latest feat - winning the United Kingdom Trail Racing Championship - was almost spontaneous by comparison as he entered on the day.

Cole has recently been moved from the Navy Recruitment Office in Stoke to a similar post in Luton.

He finds it hard to train at his new base, so asked his coach to find him some good class local races to supplement his 140-mile training regime.

His first outing was the Gloucestershire Ten Mile Road Racing Championship where he led for most of the way before slipping back to third after suffering stomach cramps.

Next he was off to Stevenage for the for the Fairlands Valley Challenge which doubles as the UK Trail Running Championship.

Cole chose the Marathon race, the longest of the three distances on offer, and throughout the race he was always in the leading pack.

His only difficulty was the unfamiliarity of the course, so he let one of the local athletes lead the way until the last two miles.

He made his dash for home when he recognised the landscape having run past the same lake on the way out, and he clocked 3:40 to break the course record by 15 minutes.

The Marines have placed Cole on a select list of five sportsmen with elite status.

There are representatives of boxing, bobsleigh and taekwondo, while fellow Lancastrian distance runner Mark Croasdale completes the squad.

They are given postings to allow them to train and compete and get additional financial help for kit and travel.

Cole has just received a grant to attend a high altitude training camp in Switzerland before the World Championships later this year.

Before that, this Sunday he will be competing in the UK 50 kilometre Championships on a road course at Boddington near Gloucester. He will be attempting to improve on last year's second place.

ONE of the countries oldest fell races returned to the calendar last week after an absence of many years.

The Musbury Tor Mile at Helmshore is thought to have started in the early years of the last century, but it was stopped after the farmer withdrew permission to use his land.

Rossendale Harriers have smoothed the way for its return and from these small beginnings with just 21 runners, they hope to revive it as an annual event.

Latterly the route was altered when a cobbled path was deemed to be unsafe, and it actually measures nearer two miles than one - a mile up and a mile back down.

The first modern day winner was Michael Corbishley, from the organising club, clocking 12:55 for a decisive victory over under 16 Paul Wadsworth.

In fourth place, Phil Bolton won the under 14 class, and the home club completed a clean sweep of the prizes when Nick Harris crossed the line first veteran and Davina Raidy and Laura Briggs were first senior and junior women.

HYNDBURN Athletic Club showed their true worth in the latest Mid Lancs Track and Field League fixture at Salt Ayre, Lancaster.

A clash of events had seen the team depleted for last month's third round at Blackburn as many of their stars were competing at the Lancashire Youth Games instead, but on Saturday they were back to their best.

They scored 11 victories, including the women's sprint relay, as the male and female teams each finished third in Division One.

The other free scoring club was Burnley, with points vital to their cause as they look for promotion back into the top tier.

Both their teams finished second in Division Two with thrower Karen Vaughan their banker as she won the senior discus, javelin and hammer.

Sprinter Danny Whittaker was another senior to shine with the 100m and 200m double.

Pendle's aim is to get both squads into the top flight for next season. The women are already there, and the men are fighting for promotion.

Sprinters Ross Inglis in the under 13s and under 17 Luke Simpson laid the foundation for their third spot in Division Two as each won the 100m and 200m.

Inglis added the 1500m to his tally, while Simpson's third success was in the long jump.

Park High School Athletic Club from Colne left the Warrington Open Medal Meeting with gold and silver medals. Carla Garnett struck gold in the 800m, while over the same distance under 15 Tiffany Boswell won the silver.

Hope second at Snowdon

ADOPTED Lancastrian Rob Hope was England's second counter at the International Snowdon Race on Saturday.

Team-mate Ian Holmes was the race winner, completing the ten mile climb and descent of Wales' highest mountain in 1:05:38, while Hope from Wheelton near Chorley was eighth in 1:08:28.

Hope's brother Danny, who works in Accrington, was England's fourth finisher, 20th overall in 1:11:03.

The Wales team included Blackburn Harrier Richard Thomas and he took 31st place in 1:13:35.

Proud Peter

CLAYTON'S Peter Butterworth took the notable scalp of Blackburn Harrier Evan Cook in the third of the Horwich Jubilee Races.

The pair finished 1-2 in the over 50 class with respective times of 23:36 and 23:46.

Keith Johnson in seventh was the highest placed local in 21:46 as Chorley Harriers fielded nearly 30 runners to pick up valuable points in the Central Lancashire Grand Prix.

Former Harrier Katie Ingram was second woman in 25:03 behind Horwich club mate Lisa Heyes, while the men's winner was Rick Hayman of Sale Harriers.

Local trio shine

EVAN Cook of Blackburn Harriers, Eddie Pugh of Chorley Harriers and Clayton Harrier Christine Leathley were all class winners at the Wagon and Horses 10K Road Race at Lancaster.

Cook was the leading local with ninth overall in 59:44 as well as the first over 50 while Pugh won the over 60s and Leathley the women's over 55s.

Blackburn Road Runner Mark Hobin and Paul Hindmarch of Clayton beat the 65 minute barrier, while Jennifer Adams of Accrington Road Runners was the highest placed of the East Lancashire women in tenth.

Laney on top in the Turnslack

ENGLAND International Maureen Laney was the winning woman in the Turnslack Fell Race at Littleborough last Saturday.

The Clayton over 50 veteran completed the eight miles in 77:25. Colin Shuttleworth from the same club was sixth outright and first veteran in 69:49 as he finished the leading local.

Matt Nuttall of Blackburn Harriers was ninth, Todmorden Harrier Chris Smale was tenth and third veteran, and Don Ashton won the over 60 classification for Darwen Dashers.

King Richard

CLAYTON'S Richard Bellaries was the winning over 50 veteran at the seven-mile long Widdop Fell Race at Hebden Bridge.

Leading local was former Clayton man Mark Horrocks, nowadays running unattached, who was fourth in 52:32.

Winner Karl Grey, of Calder Valley, was alone in breaking 50 minutes, while Rossendale's Thornton Taylor took fifth spot in 52:43.

Former Pendle athlete Kate Rogan won the women's race in exactly 66 minutes with veteran Jane Smith second for Todmorden.