PHIL Eccleston finished a fine fifth overall in the 17km Lakeland Trail Hawkshead race, the second club championship fixture.

He ran 1hr 10mins 7secs, leading in a team of 29 Burnden runners which featured a good showing from the veterans with Steve Nolan (1:14:33) second V50, Kirsty Normanton (1:27:20) winning the V40 category and Gwen Kinloch (1:29:12) second V50.

Other results: Keith Thomas (1:15:36), Lee White (1:21:06), Robert Short (1:21:31), John Turner (1:21:44), Marcus Taylor (1:22:50), Ian Pudge (1:26:52), Paula Pilling (1:30:49), Lesley Fisher (1:31:03), Holly Craggs (1:33:00), Matt Barker (1:34:07), Anne Ferguson (1:35:25), Craig Philpot (1:36:18), Katy Thomson (1:38:49), Tim Taylor (1:39:27), David Newman (1:39:32), Shirley Staveley (1:42:31), Don Nichol (1:42:40), Alec Cottrill (1:51:28), John Hall (1:52:21).

In the 17km Challenge event Paul Christie (1:37:45) took the V60 prize. Other results: Tony Wall 1:31:20, Carolyn Barker 1:48:40, Sheila Christie 1:59:14, Louise Wall 2:16:58.

The Asics Greater Manchester Marathon – which describes itself as 'the flattest, fastest and friendliest marathon' – saw personal bests for Ed Ashton (3:11:51), Lorraine Halwood (3:51:55), Allison Grace (4:05:04) and Fiona Ashton (4:36:13) and marathon debuts for Pete Hopley (3:19:24) and Colm O'Brien (3:58:38), while Jane Forrest ran 3:45:37, Steven Yates 3:49:37 and Neil Critchley 4:15:45.

Paul Christie kicked off the Northern Vets track season at Cleckheaton by winning the V60 400m (1:02) and 800m (2:40).