The organisers of the Mid Lancs Cross Country League were cock-a-hoop after the opening meeting of the winter season attracted more than 760 athletes, the biggest turnout for eight years.

It was all the more surprising in view of the poor weather forecast, although the rain did hold off for the duration of the meeting at Burnley’s Towneley Park, just leaving competitors with the usual mud.

The high attendances were underscored by league debuts for Horwich RMI Harriers, Leigh Harriers, Astley and Tyldesley Road Runners, and from our own area Accrington Road Runners.

The debutants made the greatest impact in the senior women’s race where the Chorley-based Horwich Harrier Katie Ingram took the tape 20 seconds clear of Blackburn Harriers’ former England cross country international Pauline Powell.

Ingram, a member of Great Britain’s European Mountain Running Championship team in the summer, enhanced her growing reputation on this surface after two victories in the Red Rose League.

Powell too could draw the positives from her run with a minute and a half between her and third-placed Caroline Betmead, and having recently passed 35 she was the winning veteran ahead of the Blackpool woman.

Sarah Ridehalgh gave the 25 strong Accrington contingent their best individual result of the day with sixth and their team would have been second to Horwich with Katie Trickett 20th and Debbie Gowans 24th, except that Trickett was not allowed to score having only just made the switch from Pendle AC.

Clayton’s women Maureen Laney, Anna Kelly and Sue Burns were third team with an all veteran squad, and the same trio made up the first over 35 team and the first over 45 team.

Clayton’s men matched their women with two of their veteran teams triumphing: the over 40 quartet of Andy Stubbs, Mark Aspinall, Alan Life and Paul Archer, and the over 60s with Dave Scott, Ron Chappell and Richard Lawson.

Chorley AC made second in this class with Accrington third.

The individual race saw Blackpool’s exceptional Anthony Ford head a massive field of 268, with the in-form Andy Buttery of Rossendale the leading local in tenth, a single place ahead of Pendle and Burnley Grand Prix Champion Marc Hartley.

Just as in the Red Rose League, attendances are rocketing in the U11 races each of which attracted fields in excess of 50.

Also in common was the win in the girls’ race for Elizabeth Greenwood of Blackburn Harriers, while future star spotters should look out for Jack Weiss of Blackburn, Matthew Auld from Ribble Valley and Hyndburn’s Reece Farnhill after their top six finishes for the boys.

Alan McKeown gave Blackburn Harriers their second win of the day helping his team to second team in the U15 boys’ race and Emma Flanagan and Katie Ireland raised the profile of the Rossendale women with 5th U17 and 4th U20 respectively. The senior teams are divided into divisions in the Mid Lancs with promotion and relegation issues adding extra interest.

Chorley Harriers were the winning women’s second division team after Lynne Clough placed 10th and Jacqueline Redmayne 12th while Niki Rushton was their final counter.