HORWICH runners maintained a great run of first places this year with Nick Leigh triumphing in the Tockholes fell race and Simon Pymm winning the Rangers Alderman’s fell race.

Richard Howarth was also first at the Cuerden Valley trail race.

All three runners were themselves adding to their own previous first places achieved this season.

On the fell scene, Gary Chadderton’s result in the Stoodley Pike race secured him the top prize in this year’s Area Grand Prix M50 category as well as putting him in a good position for a top-three finish in the overall standings.

Doug Fleming consolidated his position in second place in the M55 category and is heading for a top-10 finish in the overall standings.

Not a stranger to first places himself, Gareth Booth this time had to settle for second at the Astley Park trail race but this gave him the current lead after three of four races in the Chorley-based series.

In a family double, Erica Booth also heads the ladies' series standings.

The men took the team prize at Astley Park with Lukas Siska and Luke Massey following Booth across the line in third and fourth.

Paul Muller did his usual effort of several races in a week with third place at Cuerden Valley, followed by another third in the parkrun at Lytham Hall, before finishing eighth at Blackpool’s popular summer 10k race.

Julie Williamson turned her attention from ultra marathons to take on the Astley Park race and also the big Manchester 10k from the Etihad campus.

In parkrun, Matthew Flatters took first place for the second week running at the Queens Park junior parkrun, with Lucas Collings achieving a personal best in fifth.

At Stretford parkrun, Luke Brindle, running as a junior 11-14-year-old, finished sixth of 342 runners, also achieving a personal best that almost gave him first place in the age-graded result.

Still on the junior front, Lewis Wilkes was second in the Astley Park junior race, with Thomas Massey in fourth. Flatters and Brindle also finished in the top 10.

Freya Whittle and Milly Lever were sixth and seventh girls, respectively, home in the same race.

In the junior series at Astley Park, Wilkes is second, one point behind Kian Davis of Chorley.

Horwich results: Rochdale 10k road race – 37th Sean McMyler 40:47, 50th Maria Lowe 42:45; Stoodley Pike fell race (Todmorden) – 20th Gary Chadderton 23:18, 62nd Doug Fleming 26:21, 107th David Barnes 28:58, 121st Lawrence Pinnell 30:00; Astley Park trail race (Chorley) – 2nd Gareth Booth 24:25, 3rd Lukas Siska 24:34, 4th Luke Massey 24:42, 7th Paul Massey 25:12, 8th David Jackson 25:23, 31st Erica Booth 31:26, 66th Julie Williamson 37:45; Tockholes fell race – 1st Nick Leigh 35:19, 3rd Joe Mercer 37:50, 62nd Ed Swift 1:16:31, Rangers Alderman’s Ascent fell race (Saddleworth) – 1st Simon Pymm 48:12, 26th Andy Ford 1:02:44; Cuerden Valley 10k trail race (Preston) – 1st Richard Howarth 36:27, 3rd Paul Muller 38:38; We Love Manchester 10k road race – 562nd Julie Williamson 52:05; Blackpool Summer 10k road race – 8th Paul Muller 37:35; Wigan 10k trail race – 16th Rudolf Maciejkowicz 44:08.