THE region's best cross country runners converged on Leverhulme Park at the weekend for the popular Central Lancashire 5k – the traditional curtain raiser of the CL Grand Prix season.

Host Bolton United Harriers and Athletic Club had plenty of interest in the men's race, which was won by former member and current Horwich RMI Harrier Tom Carson following a battle royal with Bolton's up-and-coming Jonny Kay.

Both men were in a breakaway group of five at 1km, which was reduced to three, led by Carson, at the halfway mark.

The eventual winner opened up a 25-metre gap by 4km, but Kay steadily reduced that in the closing stages.

Carson ended up crossing the line in 16 minutes, with Kay just four seconds behind to claim the Under-20s prize.

Leigh’s junior Callum McCormick took a well-deserved bronze.

Lytham St Annes’ Joanna Goorney obliterated the women’s race, cantering home in 19mins 54secs – nearly a minute ahead of Spenborough’s Lesley Leggett (20:41) and Bingley’s Anne Buckley (20:52).

Some folk were breathing hard after the drag of Spooky Hill at 2km, perhaps having gone off too quickly, but Bolton's Karl Darcy did his now customary negative split to finish seventh position in 16:43.

Exciting junior prospect Declan Toomey (10th) was third counter for the race team, who collected 19 points for second place behind Leigh (17).

Bolton's new CLGP team captain Mark Swannell lost a narrow battle with M40 compatriot Shay Walker by 4secs, whilst the "D Shaw" tussle was taken by Danny (23rd) from Dave (25th).

The CLGP A team (first 10 counters) was bookended by Chris Povey, Andrew Doyle and debutant Scott Crompton, helping them to a reversal of the race standings – a victory with 152 points to Leigh’s 184.

The CLGP B team, which comprises competing clubs’ next eight runners, was led home by Ben Scott, though the standout performance came from junior Liam Doherty. Their 328 points marked a convincing win over Burnden Roadrunners (748).

Bolton’s female race team podiumed, with Cathy Flitcroft (13th) leading the top two juniors Georgia Greenhalgh and Olivia Kearney for bronze.

Lea Taylor, pushed hard by Donna Cooper and junior debutants Mercedes Mercer and Megan Robinson, was final counter for the women’s CLGP team points.

They hit their 2015 target of a podium spot, and with 16 members racing, including CLGP first-timers Zoe Gibson and Deborah Flitcroft, a real team spirit is building at the Blue Vests.

Adrienne Fisher’s improvement through 2014 was on show, whilst Christine Walsh put on the Blue Vets for a long-overdue competitive appearance.

Bolton’s vets team smashed the opposition – 48 points to Horwich’s challenge (132), as it welcomed back Phil Boardman after an injury-hit year and 75-year-old David Tomlinson.

Amazingly for a hosted race, 55 of the 316 finishers were home runners.

Organiser Nick Howarth praised the efforts of the all the volunteers that enabled the club to carry off another slick and safe event.

BUH&AC times: Jonothan Kay 16:04, Karl Darcy 16:43, Declan Toomey 17:13, Shay Walker 17:44, Mark Swannell 17:47, Daniel Shaw 18:18, David Shaw 18:26, Chris Povey 18:39, Andrew Doyle 18:45, Scott Crompton 19:14, Ben Scott 19:20, Simon Dally 19:31, Liam Doherty 19:39, Tony Warham 19:57, Chris Pickford 20:04, Daryl Bentley 20:09, Dean Johnson 20:19, Nick Howarth 20:20, Paul Turner 20:28, James Rideout 20:47, Frazer Doyle 20:45, Chris Topping 20:49, Marcus Chester 20:50, Howard Taylor 21:04, Stuart Parsonson 21:01, Eric Rannicar 21:06, Stewart Brierley 21:15, Ken Fowler 21:17, Pete Walker 21:23, Andy Barrow 22:01, Cathy Flitcroft 22:07, Georgia Greenhalgh 22:10, Olivia Kearney 22:23, Paul Rankin 22:56, Andrew Gallagher 22:50, Shaun Lomax 23:43, Lea Taylor 23:40, Donna Cooper 24:01, Mercedes Mercer 24:01, Megan Robinson 24:52, David Tomlinson 24:55, Adrienne Fisher 25:03, Nick Corrigan 24:59, Zoe Gibson 25:15, Phil Boardman 25:25, Julie Lomax 25:29, David Morrison 25:22, Deborah Flitcroft 26:17, Cath Jones 26:43, Sara Green 26:54, Alex Donnelly 26:58, Gail Harrison 28:09, Ged Tucker 28:12, Christine Walsh 32:07.