BEN Fish and Beckie Taylor did not make it easy for themselves, but the Blackburn Harriers still came out comfortable winners by more than a minute at the Blackburn Winter Warmer 10K Road Race.

Fish, currently training for the Virgin London Marathon in April, warmed up for the event by running to Witton Park from his home in Darwen, while Taylor was racing round the park only 24 hours earlier to take victory in the Lancashire Schools’ Championship.

It was not as if there was a lack of competition either, with organisers Blackburn Road Runners – backed by their new sponsors Accrington and Rossendale College – attracting a bumper field in excess of 350, all keen to try their hands (or feet) on the dreaded climb up Buncer Lane.

Within a minute of the start Fish and Taylor were the leaders, and the near two-mile slog before the road levels out very quickly strung out the rest.

With blustery conditions, a race record was unrealistic but Fish came remarkably close – crossing the line a second inside 32 minutes compared to his own 2010 record of 31:23.

Taylor, with 40:22, still has a way to go to match Olivier Walwyn’s 34:53.

But at only 17 she is improving every year and this was her first victory in the race after taking third a year ago.

Since then she has won the Roddlesworth Roller Multi-Terrain Race, the Darwen Gala Fell Race, the Accrington 10K Road Race and the David Staff Fell Race to establish herself as one of the leading racers on the local circuit.

Border Harrier Jon Fletcher was second in 33:10, beating last year’s second and third men Jon Ferguson and Paul Guinan and relegating them to third and fourth.

Rossendale’s Ferguson clocked 34:42 with Guinan taking the over 40 veteran award in 35:18 for Blackburn.

With Brian Fogarty 10th in 36:51 and junior Karl Billington 17th just pipping Gary Pearse as their fourth counter, Blackburn took the team prize well ahead of Preston.

Taylor was the first local woman to win in three years and runners from further afield once again put in a strong show, with Maria Lowe of Astley and Tyldesley taking second and Bev Wright of Blackpool winning the veteran’s title in third.

Darwen Dashers held on to their team title, though, with Janine Fallon in sixth place, winning the over 35 class in 44:53, closely followed by Jackie Shaw, Joanne Nelson and Carol Butterworth-Cowell in 10th, 11th and 17th.

Blackburn Harriers were second with daughter and mother Beckie and Jackie Taylor their first counters.

Chorley Harrier Jan Atkins returned an outstanding sub 55 minutes to win the over 65 women’s class.