GB duo's impressive African adventure

LOCAL athletes Derek Lee and Richard Robb have helped Great Britain to win two bronze medals at the World Learning Disability Cross Country Championships in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

The men ran on consecutive days with each beating the other once.

In the three kilometre race, Blackburn Harrier Robb launched a final sprint on the run in to overtake two fellow Britons, including Lee, to grab 25th with Lee coming home 27th.

In the six kilometre race it was Darwen Dasher Lee's turn to shine as he placed 25th just a single position ahead of Robb.

The Great Britain team is on the up - it was only a year ago that they won their first medals in the European Championships in Portugal with the East Lancastrians on board and team manager John Wootton paid tribute to the duo.

"As in recent years Derek and Richard again proved to be consistent and reliable members of the team," said Wootton.

"Their experience was invaluable to the younger members of the team."

Great Britain's European 1500m silver medallist Lisa Dobriskey and British 800m Champion Ricky Soos took time off from their training camp in South Africa where they are training for the Athens Olympics, to watch the GB LD Team in action.

Soos even video taped the race and has vowed to stay in touch with the team.

"It was a pleasure to come and watch the team in action," he said.

"The determination and character they showed was tremendous and their pride and enthusiasm is unmatched."

All nine countries attended a reception at Stellenbosch Town Hall before the Championships and afterwards the squad stayed on in South Africa for a second week for team building and a holiday.

There were trips to Table Mountain and a Safari Park and Robb celebrated his 36th birthday with a barbecue.

Lee described the trip as: "A really good experience. It was a very well organised competition and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

"The people were brilliant with us and I think it's the best trip I've been on."

Now aged 40, Lee is getting close to international retirement, but he hopes to make the team for the European Championships at Seville in Spain next spring and even the World Track and Field Championships in the summer, which could be in Melbourne, Australia.

The venue for the 2006 World Cross Country Championships has not been confirmed but could well be in Wakefield. It might be less glamorous but local support would be guaranteed and it would provide a fitting swan song.

Snape makes the move to Horwich

ENGLAND Junior Fell International Vicky Snape has left Chorley Athletic Club to join Horwich RMI Harriers.

She follows a path already trodden by Katie Ingram, who joined Horwich from Chorley Harriers a couple of years ago to train under top fell coach Norman Matthews.

The club can now boast three of the country's leading women prospects with Rachael Thompson, who attends Westholme School in Blackburn, also a member.

No doubt Snape will be hoping to emulate Ingram and Thompson, who were members of the silver medal winning team in the under 20 class of the World Mountain Running Championships in Alaska last year.

Pair ruing lack of a title

MAUREEN Laney and Wendy Dodds must being ruing the fact that there is no women's over 50 title in the British Fell Championship.

In the second race of the season the Clayton Harriers once again were first and second in the class, this time at Elidir Fawr in Wales. As over 40s, Laney was fourth with Dodds ninth.

The Clayton veteran men's team has serious competition from Bowland Fell Runners after Bowland finished second to Championship leaders Borrowdale.

Steve Sweeney was Bowland's first counter in fifth as Clayton's Mike Wallis took sixth.

The clubs are now joint second for the season.

The Clayton club held their own Club Fell Championship Race last week, and there was great drama as leader Paul Thompson tripped with a mile and a half to go.

Somehow he held off the challenges of Garry Wilkinson, Mark Brown and Simon Thompson to win the race and only discovered later that he had broken his collarbone!

Paul Thompson has been in fantastic form recently and only a week earlier had won the Entwistle Dash, a relay for two, with training partner Simon Smith from Darwen Dashers.

He is anxious not to lose his fitness and has only missed one day's training. Presently he is running with his arm in a sling.

The women's winner was Vanessa Peacock with Candice Leah taking second.

Meanwhile, Clayton road running veterans were in action at the British Masters Open Road Relay Championships.

They fielded five teams at Sutton Park with the over 55 women Christine Leathley, Karin Goss and Val Lawson achieving their highest position with fourth.

Arguably the best performance though came from the 40-49 men with sixth in a large field of 63. Quickest of their eight runners were Mark Brown, Mark Aspinall, Shaun Livesey and Tony Chew.

Elsewhere, over 65 Kitty Garnett won her class in a field of 3,000 at the Liverpool Ladies 10K Road Race.

Finucane hits junior standard

LAURA Finucane has achieved the qualifying standard for the World Junior Championships to be held in Italy.

The 17-year-old Pendle athlete clocked 2:05.79 for the 800 metres at the BMC Night Grand Prix in Solihull on Saturday.

Also in the field was Fence athlete Catherine Riley with 2:06.87 in the same race.

Blackburn Harrier Nick Samuels registered 1:53.09 for 800m, while Chris Hart ran 4:01.15 in the 1500m the day before his 18th birthday.

Lewis's race

ROSSENDALE Harriers' best ever athlete Dave Lewis was given the honour of having a race named after him, but he didn't quite manage to win it and had to settle for second behind Wajib Ali of Rochdale.

At least Lewis won the over 40 class and his team-mates were there to support him with Steve Clawson sixth, Steve Duxbury winning the over 50s and Paul Wadsworth was the first junior home.

All the proceeds of the 4.2 mile race at Whitworth will be donated to the Romanian Street Children Appeal.

Tom is on top

TOM Cornthwaite has taken an early lead in the Pendle and Burnley Grand Prix after completing his second victory.

The young Blackburn Harrier won the Burnley Lions 10K in 33:17 to add to his success at Pinhaw Moor.

With second placed man Andrew Hartley missing the opener, defending champion Andy Stubbs moves into second in series after his third place.

Spenborough's Amy Green won the women's race in 38:31 to lead the women's standings following her second spot in the opener.

Over 55 Christine Leathley of Clayton and over 70 Richard Packer of Red Rose set course records.

Johnson denied

PRESTON Harrier Eddie Simpson was the only man to come between Keith Johnson and victory in the second Chorley Park Series 5K on Friday night.

Chorley Harrier Johnson returned a time of 16:47, a 20 seconds deficit on Simpson.

Paul Guinan of Blackburn Harriers was fourth in 17:06, while there were class wins for Graham Collinge of Accrington Road Runners, Blackburn Harrier Evan Cook and Bill Atkinson of Northern Vets.

Linda Clarkson from Darwen Dashers was third woman in 20:15 behind winner Jane Raffell of Wigan Phoenix in 18:42.

King Richard

BLACKBURN-based Preston Harrier Richard Shuttleworth won the Chorley Park Junior Race.

The 12-year-old showed tactical astuteness allowing him to dictate the race during the last half mile, and pull away from 13-year-old John Horrocks of Chorley Harriers.

Alison Leonard is the hot favourite to win the girls' series with another first place. Second and third places changed hand regularly throughout before Preston's Amie Kevan pipped Blackburn Harrier Rachel Searson by a mere two seconds.

What's On

The Chorley Harriers Adidas Sweatshop 10M Road Race is on Sunday at 11am. The start is at Worden Park, Leyland. There is also a Family Fun Run in aid of Derian House.

The Prestwich Challenge is a tough off road event of approximately eight miles incorporating natural and man made obstacles designed to test the limits of your endurance. It starts from Sedgley Park RUFC, Park Lane, Whitefield at 11am on Sunday. There are no entries on the day, so call Chris on 0161-798-7122 or Rodger on 0161-763-1665 to make your case for late entry.

The Great Hameldon Hill Race is at noon on Sunday. It starts from the School, Turkey Street, Accrington and comprises of a six-mile course with 1100 feet of ascent. There are also junior races (minimum age 12) in the under 14, under 15 and under 16 classes. Juniors run two miles at 10.45am.

Sunday's Helvellyn Fell Race incorporates the third round of the English Junior Fell Championships. They start from 12.10pm and full details are available by e-mail from gill.stuart@talk21.com. The senior race is 11 miles with 4500 feet of climb starting at noon. It is for experienced fell runners only. Venue is Bram Crag Farm, St John's in the Vale, Keswick.

The second of the BOFRA Championship fell races is this Sunday at Cray, Upper Wharfedale on the B6160 between Kettlewell and Aysgarth. It starts at noon with categories for under 9, under 12, under 14, under 17, seniors, veterans and women.

The Ramsbottom Off Road Duathlon is on Bank Holiday Monday starting at 9.30am. The race starts with a 4.5km tower run with a 12km mountain bike ride and a 4.5km trail run to finish. The route involves minimal road use and plenty of mud around the edge of the West Pennine Moors, through Holcombe Brook, Ramsbottom and the surrounding area. Race HQ is the Hare and Hounds pub at Holcombe Brook on the A676. For possible late availability call 01706-821277.

Paddy's Pole Fell Race is on Tuesday evening at 7.15pm. It is 4.5 miles with 1100 feet of ascent and starts from Fell Foot near Chipping. Parking is very restricted, there are no toilets, and you must provide your own safety pins, but at least you get free pie and peas afterwards!

The second in the Chorley Harriers Leyland Trucks 4-Mile Night Series is on Wednesday. Registration is at the Baron's Rest Pub at Astley Village, Chorley in time for a 7.30pm start. The remaining races are on the first Wednesdays in July and August.