A sunny, yet surprisingly chill Witton Park, staged the Lancashire County Cross Country Championships on Saturday, the programme opening with the U11 races around the flat main field of the park.

After winner Bradley Yates from Blackpool, the next six finishers in the boys' race were all locals with Pendle's Robert Hurlstone second and Callum Davidson of Rossendale third.

Blackburn Harriers hosted the event, and did their usual slick job to make sure everything ran to a tight schedule. They even managed to conjure up team success in the boy's race assisted by Jack Hindle in fourth, while Hyndburn, headed by William Moynihan, were runners-up.

There was more for the hosts to cheer in the girls' race with Sally Searson and Elizabeth Greenwood first and second, although in the team standings they were pipped by Blackpool. Pendle's Amy Moran came in third.

The competition was cranked up a gear from the U13s as the notorious saucer came into play. This part of the circuit is on farmland above the park and is only used for races, but it tests the athletes with a tiring climb followed by a muddy descent.

The older age groups were also competing for places in the Lancashire team for the Inter-Counties with the first five gaining automatic selection and the next three hoping to clinch the three selectors' picks. Emily Fletcher (Blackburn) and Jade Lord (Pendle) will make it for the girls' U13s after finishing third and fifth respectively, but Ashley Allen (Blackburn) and Reece Clark (Ribble Valley) will have to wait with sixth and seventh for the boys.

Pendle AC won their only team gold in the U15 girls' race as Emma Spencer, second, and Holly Crabtree, fifth, qualified for the Lancashire team. Their third counter Melissa Berry will have to wait after finishing eighth, as will Charlotte Atkinson and Lucie Patry from Blackburn.

Blackburn won individual and team honours in the boys' race as Anthony Hauserman defeated a trio of Preston Harriers. With William Worrall eighth, they shaded the Preston team on countback after both clubs tied on points.

Joe Johnston was the first of three Rossendale Harriers to qualify for his county with a fifth place in the U15s, as Joseph Kelly and Emma Flanagan matched his efforts in the U17 races.

Dale won team gold in the U17 boys' class with Kelly being backed by Lancashire hopefuls Jordan Beard and Ashley Kay in sixth and eighth.

Karl Billington won the silver medal for Blackburn Harriers in the U17s, as Michaela Brolly celebrated a rare junior success for Clayton-le-Moors Harriers with sixth in the women's U17 division.

Seven of the first eight in the women's U20 race were from East Lancashire, with fell champion Anna Anderson (Pendle) crossing the line ahead of track star Alison Leonard and in form road racer Rachel Wood (both Blackburn).

Sara Parkinson was Chorley Harriers' best of the day in fifth, closely pursued by Sara Burns (Pendle), Sarah Yeomans (Rossendale) and Katie Morris (Blackburn).

Blackburn won team gold to make it eight team medals in 10 junior races. Pendle's Jack Thompson can look forward to winning a county vest after his fifth in the U20s, as Shane Russell and Phil Bolton in sixth and seventh were the mainstays of Rossendale's gold medal winning squad.

The senior Lancashire teams will be nine-strong, although like the juniors there are only five automatic choices, but Linda Clarkson of Darwen Dashers was the only local woman to qualify with her fourth spot.

With medals being awarded in the veteran age groups, Clarkson took gold in the F40 class and Jennifer Adams from Accrington Road Runners and Clayton's Kitty Garnett took over 55 and over 70 honours.

Nicola King from Blackburn Harriers and Chris Leathley of Clayton were second in the F35s and F55s. Courtney Birch from Liverpool and Keith Gerrard from the Isle of Man were the well-deserved senior champions, but a strong running Rob Hope took individual silver in the colours of Yorkshire club Pudsey and Bramley.

The current British Fell Champion is eligible for Lancashire as he lives at Wheelton Village. Blackburn Harriers Ben Fish and Tom Cornthwaite in fourth and fifth can anticipate another county outing as they helped Blackburn to team silver, and James Kevin, the Horwich Harrier from Chorley, may also make the team after a fine eighth place. Gold medals were presented to Ian Greenwood and Mike Wallis (both Clayton), Ken Moss (Northern Vets) and Edward Murray (Chorley AC) after winning the M45, M50, M55 and M65 age groups, and there were second places for M55 Evan Cook (Blackburn) and M60 Dave Scott (Clayton).