TOM Lancashire confirmed his return to top-flight athletics at Liverpool on Saturday when he secured his place in the British team for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Bulgaria.

The Bolton Olympian who has suffered injury and illness problems over the past three years, finished fifth in the British trials event at Sefton Park – the first of four meetings in the British Athletics Cross Challenge – to book his place on the plane to Samokov.

Lancashire ran the 10k course in 29mins 38secs – the same time as fourth-placed Luke Caldwell of Dorking and just 12 seconds behind race winner Callum Hawkins of Kilbarchan, Scotland.

Lancashire, who has switched coaches from Norman Poole to Steve Vernon, is in the best shape at this stage of the season for four years.

“I was chuffed because only the first four seniors qualified for the Europeans and I was fourth senior,” he said.

“It’s my first senior British cross country vest. I ran as a junior and under-23s but never as a senior.”

The 29-year-old, who was a regular on the Diamond League global track and field scene before his injury and illness problems, began the season with an outstanding run in a 10k at Leeds two weeks ago.

Lancashire's fellow Bolton Harrier M50 vet Nick Howarth had a good run at Liverpool but was unable to keep in touch with his younger teammate, finishing 372nd of 520 finishers in 42:11.

Elsewhere, Martin Reid finished an impressive sixth (34:16) in Saturday’s Wesham 10k. Andrew Cafferky’s time of 37:22 for 18th place was also notable, since he has not done much dedicated training in the last few months, as was M40 vet Daryl Bentley’s 41:30.

In the Salford Women’s 5.25-mile run at Swinton on Sunday, Cecilia Woods was Bolton’s first counter when she clocked 42:02 finishing 26th overall and third F55.

Christine Walsh (53:33), Lesley Patel (55:59) and Leanne Norris (56:03) also completed the course.

Ken Fowler made a winning return to full competition in the recent Benidorm 10k.

The M60 athlete, who has been hampered by Achilles, calf and knee problems this year and was unable to defend his Central Lancashire Grand Prix vet title, clocked 43:50 in the Spanish sun, fending off the challenge of Hans Hidegkuti of LG-Schefflenzat club in the Netherlands to take the V60 prize.

Fowler finish 88th overall in a field of 727 fuelling high hopes for 2015.