MERVYN Keys won the battle of the East Lancashire clubs after less than a minute separated the first three runners to complete the annual fell race.

The Rossendale runner finished ahead of Shaun Livesey of Clayton Harriers and Darwen Dasher Richard Thomas.

Keys, who was also the first M40, completed the course in exactly 36 minutes -- 20 seconds faster than Livesey. Thomas, who is a member of the Welsh Fell running team, was third in 36.43. It was a good day for the local clubs with Clayton Harriers Ian Greenwood and Paul Targett both finishing in the top 10. Greenwood took fourth place with a time of 37.39 with Targett in eighth position with a time of 38.45.

Vanessa Peacock of Clayton Harriers was first lady and first F45, finishing in 34th position in 42.35.

And Michael Corbishley of Rossendale was first male junior in 43.02.

RESULTS -- 1 Mervyn Keys Rossendale 36.00, 2 Shaun Livesey ClaytonHar 36.20, 3 Richard Thomas DarwenDash 36.43, 4 Ian Greenwood ClaytonHar 37.39, 5 Ton Hesketh Horwich 37.56, 6 Neil Ashcroft Ambleside 38.16, 7 Lee Dowthwaite Bowland FR 38.41, 8 Paul Targett ClaytonHar 38.45, 9 Andrew Carruthers Crawley AC 39.02, 10 Rob Wynne Bowland FR 39.24, 11 Roger Parris Swinton RC 39.42, 12 Ken Taylor Rossendale 39.52, 13 Gary Sumner Rossendale 40.00, 14 David Archer Bury AC 40.13, 15 Thornton Taylor Rossendale 40.17, 16 Alan Life ClaytonHar 40.30, 17 Andy Staveley Burnden RR 40.31, 18 Ray Green Saddlewrth 40.38, 19 Michael Molloy Rossendale 40.57, 20 Malcolm Collins Swinton RC 40.58, 21 Mark Nutter ClaytonHar 41.00, 22 Martin Brady ClaytonHar 41.19, 23 Pete Booth ClaytonHar 41.25, 24 Dave Holt Unattached 41.28, 25 Stuart Sumner Rossendale 41.29, 26 Ian Barnes Ross 41.30, 27 Neil Shepherd, Warrington 41.31, 28 Anthony Meyer Dark Peak 41.45, 29 Tim Court NewburghNm 41.56, 30 Wayne Percival A'side 42.02, 31 Bruce Bridgestock Saddlewrth 42.08, 32 Richard Stott Rossendale 42.24, 33 Cris Miles Saddlewrth 42.31, 34 Vanessa Peacock ClaytonHar 42.35, 35 Dave Bateson AchilleRat 42.37, 36 Andrew Clough WiganPhoen 43.00, 37 Michael Corbishley R'dale 43.02, 38 Jeff Norman Altrincham 43.04, 39 Andrew Lee R'dale 43.10, 40 Dennis Kearrs Bolton H 43.27, 41Paul Boardman Horwich 43.39, 42 Steven Doxey Swinton RC 43.49, 43 Andy Quickfall NewburghNm 44.01, 44 Lucy Whittaker, Saddlewrth 44.03, 45 Allan Yeomans PFO 44.06, 46 Andrew Dugdale ClaytonHar 44.10, 47 Geoff Fielding R'dale 44.13, 48 Martyn Pollitt Burnden RR 44.19, 49 Ian Wright Leeds City 44.41, 50 Keith Parkinson Todmorden 44.49