There were gold medals for Victoria Wilkinson and Tom Cornthwaite at the British and Irish Mountain Running Senior Home International.

Wilkinson won the women’s race by a wide margin while Cornthwaite was a counter in the winning England men’s team as he finished ninth.

The races took place over an uphill course on the Aonach Mor Mountain in the Nevis Range near Fort William in Scotland.

The first 2.5 kilometres followed forest tracks on a gentle gradient before meeting and heading up the main mountain downhill bike track, a venue used for the World Mountain Biking Championships.

The final climb was up a grassy hillside and by the finish they had climbed 780 metres in a race of just 6.4 kilometres.

Wilkinson has enjoyed a memor-able season on the fells going back to the spring when she won the Inter Counties Championship in Wales and was second in the prestigious Three Peaks Race before winning the European Championship Trial.

If anything her form has got even better latterly with successful outings in the World Long Distance and World Championships before her dominant display in Scotland.

The 32-year old Bingley Harrier, who works in Clitheroe, was singled out for praise by team manager Mark Croasdale after finishing nearly two minutes ahead of Scotland’s Tracey Brindley.

With Scotland packing four into the top six, England had to settle for team silver with Olivia Walwyn fourth, Anna Lupton seventh and Emma Clayton ninth.

The England men evened the score by taking the first four places with Orlando Edwards leading home James McMullan, John Brown and Gareth Raven. With five to count, Blackburn Harrier Cornthwaite rounded out the team in 10th ensuring an emphatic 30-point margin over the Scots.

A second Blackburn Harrier, Josh Tighe wasn’t in the official England team, but had been invited as part of the Development Squad, and had a good run in 11th, only four seconds behind his club-mate.

He was also third and the first Englishman in the U23s which will put him in good heart ahead of his trip to Slovenia with England U23s.

Gary Priestley, the Horwich RMI Harrier from Chorley is still building his fitness since injury and was 17th and the final England finisher.

Although not part of the England U23 squad, he will travel to Slovenia with them to run in the final Grand Prix event of the season at Smarna Gora on October 2.