MORE than 40 East Lancashire athletes toed the line on Sunday for one of the most popular road races in the North West.

Eighteen Darwen Dashers and 11 Blackburn Road Runners were among the field of nearly 1,700 for the Four Villages Half Marathon organised by Helsby Running Club.

The course starts and finishes at Helsby near Chester and along the way passes through the villages of Dunham on the Hill, Mouldsworth and Manley.

The Dashers responded to their scenic surroundings by setting five personal bests, with Simon Smith improving by six minutes to log 1hrs 22mins 20secs and 81st overall.

Veteran Tony Hurn was the second Dasher home in 1hr 25mins 52secs while for the ladies, Linda Clarkson reversed her recent defeat by Zoe Haslam at the David Staff Race crossing the line in 1hrs 32mins 27secs.

For the club this was their third Championship race of the season and a chance for the men to steal a march on leader Eric Wilson who was absent.

Next Thursday January 31 there will be a Presentation Evening at the Lychgate when last year's winners Shane and Sheila Gudgeon will pick up their Trophies.

Also up for grabs will be The Dasher of the Year Trophy, and the Maureen Roberts Trophy for the most prolific racer.

The Summer Series Trophies will be collected by Gary Taylor and Linda Clarkson.

Meanwhile at Helsby, the leading local was Blackburn Road Runner Rob Wynne, the man who represents Bowland Fell Runners on the rough stuff.

He was alone in cracking 1hrs 20mins as he took 54th in 1hrs 19mins 49secs. Former Darwen Dasher Neil Holding was close though, 62nd in 1hrs 20mins 13secs while Louise Cooper was our fastest lady with 1hrs 29mins 40secs for Rossendale Harriers.

RESULTS

Accrington Road Runners: 549 (M50) Paul Jackson 1:39:06, 1275 (F40) Karen Jackson 2:01:59 Blackburn Harriers: 200 (M45) Michael Blacklidge 1:28:37 Blackburn Road Runners: 54 (M) Rob Wynne 1:19:49, 154 (M) Bernie Johnson 1:26:35, 383 (M40) Mark Roberts 1:34:49, 589 (M55) John Mitchell 1:39:59, 788 (M50) Mick Chimecjzuk 1:45:38, 1038 (M45) Mike Corrigan 1:53:00, 1091 (F45) Brenda Fullard 1:54:34, 1158 (F55) Norma Smith 1:56:28, 1181 (F45) Maureen Wilcock 1:57:14, 1255 (M60) Adrian Batson 2:00:53, 1404 (M60) Dougie Joss 2:19:49

Chorley Harriers: 493 (M) Paul Swindells 1:37:43 Clayton Harriers: 1256 (F55) Val Lawson 2:00:59

Darwen Dashers: 81 (M) Simon Smith 1:22:20, 139 (M45) Tony Hurn 1:25:52, 270 (M40) Kevin McGrath 1:31:07, 280 (M) Brian Shaw 1:31:34, 296 (M60) Don Ashton 1:32:02, 304 (M45), 297 (M40) Mark Cardwell 1:32:03, 304 (M45) William Fogg 1:32:16, 314 (F) Linda Clarkson 1:32:27, 462 (M) Shane Gudgeon 1:37:07, 511 (M55) Brian Tull 1:38:12, 535 (F) Zoe Haslam 1:38:49, 675 (F35) Jacqueline Shaw 1:42:18, 815 (F45) Sheila Gudgeon 1:46:26, 888 (M) Kevin Smith 1:48:23, 891 (M55) Bill Parkinson 1:48:27, 1318 (F60) Pat Ashton 2:06:06, 1338 (M50) Tony Martin 2:08:36, 1416 (F35) Julie McGrath 2:21:25 Red Rose RR: 231 (M45) David Hooton 1:29:33, 441 (M55) David Aspin 1:36:28, 681 (M40) Colin Cookson 1:42:32, 833 (M55) Peter Gibson 1:46:56, 1134 (F40) Pauline Warburton 1:55:27, 1444 (F55) Teresa Cookson 2:29:50

Rossendale Harriers: 235 (F) Louise Cooper 1:29:40

West Pennine Runners: 62 (M40) Neil Holding 1:20:13