HORWICH produced their best ever finish in the Wales event of the British Fellrunning Championship in Wales.

Continuing from the club's impressive performance in the Northern Road Relays, a 13-strong team finished fourth in the 10.5-mile mountain race which has 2,800 feet of ascent.

Joe Mercer led the team home on Sunday in 16th out of 362 finishers at Ras Y Moelwyn in the heart of North Wales at Blenau Festiniog.

And with four more in the first 34 and Ian Conroy in 54th, chased in a minute later by Jonathan Bruton, the signs are good for the season.

Lindsey Brindle also had a solid start to her British Championship – which comprises one event hosted by each of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland – finishing fourth lady.

Results: 16 Joe Mercer 1:19:56, 22 Killian Mooney (U23) 1;21:50, 27 James Kevan 1:23:06, 28 Danny Hope 1:23;18, 34 Michael Cayton 1:24:14, 54 Ian Conroy 1:27:58, 59 Jonathan Bruton 1:29:08, 75 Lindsey Brindle (F) 1:30:50, 113 Alastair Murray (V40) 1:35:30, 132 Andy Lloyd (V40) 1:38:02, 146 Brendan Bolland (V40) 1:39:57, 160 Steve Jackson (V60) 1:41:19, 234 Brian Walton (V60) 1:51:02.

In the Manchester Marathon, there were excellent runs from Nick Leigh and Richard Howarth at the sharp end of the field and David Unsworth, David Green, Gemma Stokes and Carl Leech further down the field of nearly 8,000 runners.

15 Nick Leigh 2:32:49, 18 Richard Howarth (V40) 2:34:48, 1,705 David Unsworth (V50) 3:27:17, 3,345 David Green 3:45:48, 3,735 Gemma Stokes (F35) 3:52:45, 6,822 Carl Leech 4:46:30.

Tom Carson took victory in the Valiants Half Marathon near Preston on Sunday. However, the measure of Tom's victory was such that it is difficult to describe it as a race. Tom won by a mammoth six and a half minutes from the rest of the 110-runner field so that most of the time Tom was running a solo time trial to win in a time of 1:12:57.

In the Lake District, Albert Sunter completed Saturday's Teenager With Attitude Fell Race in 31st place in a time of 3:52:18. This tough category A long fell race of 15.4 miles with 7,600 feet of ascent climbs Causey Pike, Outerside, Grassmoor, Whiteless Pike, Newlands Hause and High Snock Rigg before joining the Anniversary Waltz route also attracted Andy Ford, fresh from his adventure in the 80-mile TransGranCanaria, 57th in 4;20:36 and Dan Gilbert, 60th in 4:22:02.

In the comparatively gentler Anniversary Waltz race, a mere 11.5 miles with 3,600 feet of ascent climbing Robinson, Hindscarth, Dale Head, High Spy and Catbells, Michelle Sunter finished in 157th in 2:52:19 and Mark Sammon finished 175th in 3:01:07.