CLAYTON Harriers' veteran men's team earned their just desserts when they won the over 40 class at the Ian Hodgson Mountain Relay at Brotherswater in the Lake District on Sunday.

The squad, led by Ian Greenwood, had suffered a frustrating season after seeing their lead in the English Championship evaporate after two key members left the club mid-season. And it was fitting that the galvanising Greenwood should inspire them to victory.

Paired with Mike Wallis, just back from running for England in the World Masters, they completed the long first leg from Sykeside to Patterdale with a slender six second lead over English Champions Horwich.

Their rivals had selected the formidable Graham Schofield from Darwen for this stage and only four non-veteran couples came in ahead of their battle, while the third veteran team were already 10 minutes adrift.

On the short second stage of the gruelling 25-miler, Mark Aspinall and John Roche edged a further half minute clear as they reached Hartsop, but incredibly both teams posted exactly the same time on stage three as the runners climbed High Street before descending to the Kirkstone Pass.

The leg was a triumph for 57-year-old Pete McWade, who, partnered by Geoff Gough, had produced the joint fastest veteran time of the day.

The advantage was still only 36 seconds as Colin Urmston and Steve Whittaker started the lung-bursting ascent of Red Screes, but by the time they approached Sykeside four hours after the race had started, the race was in the bag as they had stretched the margin by another two minutes.

The veterans placed ninth overall in a field of 61 while their non-veteran team mates eventually overhauled them to finish as top East Lancashire outfit in seventh.

Consistency was the key to their success as they were among the top ten on all four stages, with Garry Wilkinson and Jason Harbour managing sixth on leg two.

New captain Maureen Laney blooded four inexperienced fell runners in her first women's squad, which was weakened by her own absence after she aggravated a foot injury while on international duty.

Dany Robson and Anna Kelly responded to their opportunity by being the fastest women on the second stage as the team finished fifth.

1 Borrowdale 3:31:37, 7 Clayton A 3:58:25, 9 (First Vets) Clayton Vets 4:01:05, 15 Bowland FR 4:10:37, 22 Rossendale 4:27:19, 48 (Ninth Vets) Clayton Vets 5:07:37, 52 (Fifth Women) Clayton Women 5:27:28, 53 Rossendale B 5:36:04, 59 (Seventh Mixed) Blackburn Road Runners 6:10:49