THE triathlon season finished in September but some Bolton Tri Club members have been keeping fit by taking part in the Red Rose Cross Country League.

This year the league consisted of four races starting in Leigh in October where it was flat and dry, then Chorley which included muddy sections and a couple of stream crossings, then Bolton Leverhulme Park with more mud and steep climbs and the last race in Rawtenstall in December with freezing temperatures, bogs, hills and mudslides.

The men’s races are approximately 10k and attract about 240 in every race and the women and under 17s courses are 5k and attract about 135.

Before them there are age group races for under-11s, u13s and u15s. There were 41 club members registered, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but some love it.

The club’s best performances came from Liz McLellan and Georgia Heath. McLellan finished 12th in the women’s league and was seventh in the women’s vets league.

Heath came sixth overall in the u11s girls which is a big achievement considering every race had over 100 girls in it all from athletics clubs.

Bolton Tri Club only had enough competitors to form a team in two categories.

In the u11s girls besides Heath there were three regulars who did three or more races each.

Their individual league positions were Jesika Eslick 70th, Zoe King 80th and Amelia Rose 90th.

In the men’s league those who did 3 or more and their individual positions were Paul Trainor 49th, Nick Barr 63rd, Bernard Nolan 77th, Stuart Carter 103rd, Ian Hodkinson 116th, Graham King 137th and Craig Platt 150th.

Other Bolton Triathlon Club athletes who did three or more races were Sam Murphy 29th in u11s boys.

Abigail King 48th in u13s girls, Tom Murphy 25th in u15s boys, Rob Murphy 11th in u17s boys and Nina Carter 15th in u17 girls.

They also had some members who did very well but were running for their athletics clubs.

Running for Bury AC were Marcus Dey who was first in u15s boys and Sam Brooks who was eighth in the u17s boys.

Adam Akik who was 14th in u13s boys, Harrison Wild was 40th and Mason Wild who was 57th in u11s boys ran for Bolton Harriers.