BURNDEN runners emerged battered, bleeding and bruised from the Darwen Gala Fell Race – but all 41 starters successfully managed to complete the arduous 4.7-mile course.

The worst injury was a broken wrist sustained in a nasty fall by Tony Wall but he battled on and came home in 48th place with a time of 41mins 16secs.

The demanding terrain included a climb up to Peel Tower as part of 980ft of ascent. Glen Kenyon and Phil Eccleston kept their footing to lead the club contingent home, Kenyon finishing 15th in 36:19, five seconds ahead of Eccleston in 17th.

The club’s F50 women’s section again swept the board taking the first three category places. Lesley Fisher was 1st in 42:22 followed by Gwen Kinloch (44:56) and Anne Ferguson (45:34).

Kirsty Normanton was the club’s leading female runner yet again, finishing third F40 in 41:27.

Other results: Rob Short (40:25), Paul Duke (40:32), Ed Ashton (40:47), Paul Christie (41:02), Matt Barker (43:24), Ian Pudge (44:50), Neil Critchley (45:22), Holly Craggs (45:26), Lawrence McDonald (45:48), Craig Philpot (45:55), Don Nichol (46:00), Lyndsay Darbyshire (47:07), Kris Worsley (48:19), David Newman (48:47), Liam Christie (49:38), Katy Thompson (49:48), Carolyn Barker (50:53), Andy Warburton (51:44), Mark Turner (55:40), Dave Pearson (56:02), Julie Newton (56:15), Alec Cottrill (57:05), Tony Foster (57:06), Sheila Christie (57:45), Allison Grace (58:23), Peter Whiteside (1:02:26), Sally Cottrill (1:03:41), Nicola Hardy (1:03:43), Louise Wall (1:06:30), Louise Geoghegan (1:06:32), George Ogden (1:08:32), Rita Ledwards (1:10:22), Gillian McGowan (1:20:54), Mandy Ogden (1:20:55).

Three Burnden members travelled to North Wales to race a steam train in Tywyn. Runners try to beat a steam train along the stiff 14-mile multi-terrain route along the length of the Talyllyn Railway out to Abergynolwyn and back.

Isaline Pollitt was fifth F45 to cross the finish line, sneaking under two hours with a time of 1:57:19. Beverley Walker and Maria Parkinson finished the tough, undulating course together in 2:45:42.

Paul Duke led home the Burnden representatives at the Haigh Hall 4-Mile midweek race, finishing in 25:36. Simon Marland was next, taking first place in the V55 category with a time of 28:14. Craig Philpot crossed the line in 29:18.

Anne Ferguson was first F55 in 29:41. Katy Thompson (29:55) and Jackie Oakes (30:07) followed her, taking second and third in the F40 category. Their combined placings earned them the second place ladies team prize. Sue Blackman posted a personal best in 41:35 – exactly a minute quicker than her last run over the same course in June.

Lorraine Halwood headed off to the North East for the Hardmoors Trail Marathon at Saltburn. It was billed as 29-ish miles but Lorraine’s logged distance shows nearly 31.5 miles over clifftops and tough trails which makes her time of 6:27:55 all the more impressive.

George Butler’s triathlon season reached Bassenthwaite in the Lake District. A strong 1500m swim in 30:04 was followed by a cracking time of 1:20:05 for the 40K bike ride and he rounded off with a 47:38 10K to register – thanks to two slick transitions – a great time of 2:39:57.

Ann Butler tackled the short distance. She completed the 750m lake swim in 26:02, cycled the 25K course in 1:13:35 and then delivered 40:43 for the 6K run to post a finish time of 2:24:37.

The club had two teams taking part in the Ulverston Lakeland Ladies relay triathlon – an event aimed primarily at people experiencing the multi-discipline event for the first time.

Diane Morrison, who completed her first individual triathlon earlier in the year, took the 250m swim leg, passing on to Ann Butler for the 16K cycle before Louise Geoghegan finished off with the 4K run to take top honours. Tri newbies Gillian McGowan (swim), Rita Ledwards (bike) and Anne Larkin (run) were the runners-up.