LOCAL racers have a lot to thank Terry Dickenson for – after all he has been organising events for 30 years.

The Tulketh 10K in Preston, the Roddlesworth Roller and Daffodil Doddle at Abbey Village, the Heapey Thirsty Three, the Cromwellian Half Marathon and the Astley Park Summer Series in Chorley as well as the Great Hill Fell Race have all been instigated by him and brought to fruition by a band of loyal helpers.

Although some have passed into history, his races have become so much a part of the East Lancashire calendar that it is easy to take them – and him – for granted.

Last Sunday brought his tremendous service into focus when the ‘Sweatshop’ Through the Villages Race became the first of his annual events to reach the 25th edition.

Terry’s proud boast is that he has never organised a flat race, and the ‘Villages’ epitomises this philosophy as it starts and finishes in his home village of Wheelton, dipping and rolling its way through Brinscall, Abbey Village and Withnell.

A windy day cranked up the degree of difficulty but it nevertheless attracted over 300, including Dickenson himself who was attempting to raise his own record to 24 finishes.

Unfortunately, that was thwarted by his recently diagnosed asthma a third of the way into the eight miles and 781 yards.

Anthony Valentine made the early running, and as the race progressed it was clear that nobody was going to be capable of making a challenge.

The Bolton United Harrier finished in 45:55, more than a minute clear of Matt Livingstone from Preston, and running at a sub 5:30 per mile pace.

It is a sobering thought that the race record set by Rick Archer in 1990 is a full three minutes faster at 42:47 on a circuit which has remained completely unchanged.

Andy Buttery gave Livingstone a serious run for his money on his Villages debut, and only gave ground in the last mile before crossing the line third in 47:19.

The Rossendale Harrier has been running for 20 years, but at the age of 38 has suddenly emerged from the pack.

With three previous career victories to his credit, amazingly he has added another 17 this season beginning with success at the Chorley Harriers’ Sweatshop 10-mile at the end of May.

While his improvement had been gradual over the previous two years, he puts the big difference in 2008 down to the 60 races he has completed so far, and it seems only a matter of time before he achieves his ambition of representing Lancashire.

Paul Muller holds the Villages record of seven wins, and the Horwich RMI Harrier was in the top 10 once again even though he is in his 50s.

His club was the winning veteran team ahead of Accrington Road Runners who fielded their own ex-winner in John Wieczorek, alongside Simon Bailey and Graham Morris.

Blackburn Harriers were third with Roger Schultz, Gary Pearse and Richard Taylor, and their non-veterans were second to Preston with John Sutton, Brian Fogarty, and Mark Almond.

Another Blackburn man, Stuart Furness was first Over-60.

Most of the Accrington Road Runners were fresh from a weekend off when they were called to marshal their own road race, and they turned out in numbers this week.

Sarah Ridehalgh was second woman in 54:19, beaten only by a storming run from Louisa Wood from Warrington who led from gun to tape in 52:35.

Sarah was backed by Debbie Gowans and newcomer Julie Brady in 10th and 11th, but the club missed the team prize by two points as Wigan Phoenix triumphed.

Jacqueline Redmayne of Chorley Harriers was among only nine women to break the hour mark, with her seventh place being good for first in the over 35 class, as Red Rose Road Runner Carolyn Douglass was the leading Over 60.

Best from the hosts, Chorley Athletic Club, was Paul Bass who circulated in 59:08.