MAUREEN Laney was the heroine as she defied injury to be the England team's top counter in the World Masters Fell Championships at Zell-am-Harmersbach in the Black Forest of Germany.

Clayton club-mate Wendy Dodds also headed the England standings as six East Lancashire athletes ran for their country at the Masters which is the World Championship for veteran athletes.

It is only the third year that this tournament has been staged and the entry doubled in 12 months to over 900 with a rapidly rising standard to match.

In the first year, Sue Becconsall was one of only two England entries and she celebrated her ever present record with a storming run this time. The ex-Todmorden Harrier was the third English woman home completing a 10,160 metre course in 57 minutes 20 seconds.

In the age 40 to 44 class she was second for her country and 13th internationally and Becconsall will soon be graduating to the next age group where she will be even more competitive, and Laney is in the same situation.

Laney turns 50 in October, but in Germany she was running in the 45-49 category. Despite being hampered by a painful ligament problem under her foot, she headed the England effort with a courageous tenth place in 57:58.

Afterwards she had her foot strapped by Dodds, who is a doctor, but she was still unable to walk and had to be transported off he hill.

Four seconds behind her at the finish was 11th placed Karen Slater, formerly from Kelbrook.

Meanwhile, English Champion Dodds confirmed her National Ranking as she was nearly two minutes ahead of the second English competitor in the 50-55s. Wendy clocked 1:06:29 for 15th in class.

The men competed over the same uphill only course, which began with 2.5 kilometres on tarmac before a steep incline with 700 metres rise in just 8km through a forest trail.

Clayton's Mike Wallis finished 21st in the 45-49s in 48:18 with England debutante Colin Shuttleworth, the Blackburn-based Preston Harrier, 37th in 50:50. The pair were third and fourth counters for the team. Ian Greenwood from Clayton had just missed England selection, but still made the trip to run as an individual and he clocked 48:35 for 37th in the 40-44 category.