SUNDAY'S Accrington 5K Road Race provided organiser Chris Barnes with something of a scoop, attracting Great Britain star Rebecca Robinson to her first race since competing in the marathon at the European Championships.

The versatile Kendal athlete helped GB to team bronze at Barcelona but is equally at home on the fells having won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games Mountain Championships last year.

As a doctor, it is hard to imagine that she needed the £40 on offer for a course record, but the money certainly brought out the best in the women as four dipped under the 18:56 set by Clayton’s Katie Trickett at the inaugural event in March.

Only one man, Marc Hartley, managed to defeat Robinson as she chopped more than two minutes of the previous mark with 16:43, well clear of Liverpool Harrier Maria Barrett’s 17:45.

Accrington’s Sarah Ridehalgh pushed Barrett hard on the fast course through Altham to take third in 17:53 while junior fell champion Beckie Taylor clocked 18:43 for fourth and junior honours.

Half of the entry fees were up for grabs for a men’s record, but with Altrincham’s Matt Barnes managing 14:43 in March, the bar was set too high even for Hartley.

The Staffordshire Moorlands runner, from Burnley, was more than a minute down in 15:52 even though he was well out of reach of the others, headed by the 17:11 recorded by the top veteran Chris Wilson of Wigan Phoenix.

Graham Morris of Accrington Road Runners was fifth and first over 45 in 17:33, but didn’t win the local prize as he lives in Blackburn.

Ironically it went to a Blackburn Harrier living in Accrington, Lee Passco, who was sixth in 17:40.

The award for the leading local woman was won by Sarah Ridehalgh, and there was even a prize for the first married couple, won by Sarah and Ant Ridehalgh.

Eliot Bailey in seventh was the winning junior for Accrington Road Runners, with John Roche of Clayton first over 50 and Rossendale’s Dave Kelly first over 55.

Accrington’s Kaye Callaghan and Dot Shorrock of West Pennine Runners were the F35 and F55 winners.

The March race doubled as the first of seven events in the Accrington and District Series being organised by Lee Passco.

Barnes and Passco have realised that there has been a shortage or races on offer in the Accrington area and their efforts to rectify the situation deserve the support of local runners.

There is just one race left in Lee’s series, the RunningSpec Seven Mile Multi-Terrain at Clayton-le-Moors on Sunday October 3, sponsored by the Specialist Running and Fitness Shop he will be opening shortly in Accrington.

Lee is also organising a race for the Help for Heroes Charity at Oswaldtwistle in November.