The long awaited opener in the Northern Damp Proofing Mid Lancs Cross Country League was greeted with enthusiasm by 688 competitors at Towneley Park in Burnley last Saturday.

Home town boy Daniel Westgate was quickly into his stride posting a win in the under 13 boys' race, storming round the three kilometres in just under 12 minutes.

Although it was his first win of the winter, the Burnley Athletic Club runner is in good form and was second in the Red Rose meeting at Hyndburn after an early fall.

Beckie Taylor was the first local with third for Blackburn Harriers, but Melissa Berry in fourth for Park High School and a strong run from Burnley's Chloe Ingham bodes well for an exciting season.

Team results are not yet available but Blackburn are confident of victory after Megan Searson, Naomi Thompson and Sophie Tomlinson backed Taylor with top ten finishes.

The club was also prominent in the boy's race where Ben McKenna, Josh Robinson, Chris Matthews and Kieran Monaghan scored well.

The Harriers' run of form continued into the under 15s where Rachel Searson and James McKenna took second places and Adam Hurley and Tom Melody were handily placed in the under 17s.

Meanwhile, Pendle took two third places in the women's under 17 and men's under 20 races with England fell internationals Anna Anderson and Ben Lindsay.

Lindsay was left in the wake of Chris Hart who produced surely the performance of the day. The Blackburn steeplechaser was well over two minutes clear of the opposition in just seven kilometres.

Neil Tattersall was Pendle's first counter despite being without spikes after making a late decision to run.

Blackburn were headed by Matt Nuttall from the returning Mark Emmett.

Clayton's Mark Aspinall was the winning veteran, a confidence booster before his England Masters debut next week, and his club dominated the over 60 class with Barry Mitchell, Graham Murray and Dave Scott producing a clean sweep.

The senior women's race was a high class affair as internationals Pauline Powell and Vicky Gill came face to face.

Blackburn Harrier Pauline was in the end a comfortable winner, emphasising her wonderful recent form.

World Fell Masters silver medallist Vanessa Peacock won the over 45 class for Clayton-le-Moors Harriers.