BEV Whitfield (nee McWade) was second woman in the Ben Nevis Fell Race - beaten only by new British Champion Andrea Priestley.

Bev completed the ten mile course from virtually sea level to Scotland's highest peak and back in 1:58:53. Ian Greenwood and Kieran Carr won the trophy for best veteran team of two for the second consecutive year, but Kieran was beaten to the Over 50 title by just seconds after six M50 wins in the last seven years.

In all, 29 Clayton Harriers made the trip with Harry Thompson becoming the third club recipient of the Connachie Plaque for completing 21 races. Garry Wilkinson 15th and Dave Walker 18th were best placed but were beaten by Todmorden Harrier Jon Wright - ninth in 1:41:07.

County bronze

MAUREEN Laney was in the Lancashire Team which won the bronze medal in the Inter Counties 10K Road Race Championship at Bradford.

The veteran Clayton Harrier was sixth counter for the team in 40:25. The men finished sixth with Clayton's Mark Brown and Andrew Hartley fourth and fifth counters with respective times of 32:42 and 33:25.

Lee Passco dropped out with an ankle injury. In the Open Race, Clayton's Roger Brewster was fifth and third M45 in 34:08, while Evan Cook of Blackburn Harriers won the M50 title with sixth overall in 35:29.

Thomas hits peak

DARWEN Dasher Richard Thomas won the Hades Hill Fell Race by two minutes from Junior Wajib Ali representing Felldancer with a second Dasher Russell Owen taking the Veteran prize in third.

Dashers also tasted success in the Yorkshireman Off Road Marathon where Nev Rickard and Andy Smith finished second team.

Elsewhere Clayton Harrier Graham Cunliffe was third in the Langdale Marathon while team mate John Hartley was fourth at the Wolverhampton Marathon. At the latter event there was also a Half Marathon which was won by Clayton's Mark Brown.

Accy charge

VETERAN Jimmy Smithson headed the Accrington effort when the Road Runners sent 19 athletes to the Robin Hood Marathon and Half Marathon at Nottingham. Three tackled the full distance with Jimmy returning 3:16 just ahead of Brent Hoggan 3:18 and Paul Jackson 3:48. Peter Myerscough was first home of the Half Marathoners in 1:35 from M65 Brian Scully 1:44. Women's honours went to Nina Payne 1:47 from Alison Hargreaves 1:48 and Carole Morris 1:50.

Peter's clear off the field

OVER 45 Veteran Peter Butterworth has won the Lancaster Half Marathon with his time of 1:17:28 giving the Clayton man a winning margin of nearly two minutes.

Blackburn Road Runner Rob Wynne took seventh in 1:20:25 for the M40 title while Don Ashton of Darwen Dashers and Brian Scully of Accrington Road Runners took the M60 and M65 awards.