THE annual Rossendale Way In A Day 46-mile challenge was full of incident and drama.

One totally exhausted walker had to be helped off after completing almost 40 miles, while a seven-year-old boy was stopped from going beyond the 31-mile mark because his mum was walking too slowly.

And organisers, Rossendale Search and Rescue team were called out to a real but unrelated incident.

A fell runner reported seeing a mountain biker fall from his machine on the remote Rowley Moor track between Turn village and Whitworth.

Search and Rescue team volunteers were helped by the Lancashire police helicopter in a search of the area.

Press officer Andy Simpson said the injured biker, who was from the Bolton area, managed to get himself off the moor.

He later received treatment for head and shoulder injuries.

Sixty people aged from seven to sixty started off on the 46-mile circular walk of Rossendale setting off from Loveclough between 5.30-6am. The exhausted walker recovered after receiving treatment from the Search and Rescue team members.

Heat was a problem and many of the walkers also suffered from blisters.

But the 20 or so who had to quit had completed more than 30 miles.

First to finish in the early afternoon was an experienced long distance runner. Others were still struggling several hours later.

Around 40 completed the full course and another 14 completed a 24-mile section of the walk.

The event raises funds for the search and rescue team, through an entry fee and by sponsorship. Some people also raised money for the Christie Hospital, Manchester.

Andy said: "One man had recovered from cancer so well that he took up the 46-mile challenge.

"Another was raising money for the ward where his son is a patient.''

The Rossendale team manned nine check points along the course, which was mostly on high moorland, and provided food and drink.

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