AFTER Horwich’s strong showing – 14th in the Northern road relay championships two weeks ago – hopes were high for the national championships in Birmingham.

The team finished 26th of 54 clubs and were the eighth northern club in a competition won by Swansea and dominated by clubs further south.

Chris Farrell and Michael Cayton had the best leg times of the Horwich runners and Lukas Siska succeeded in gaining four places on the final leg.

It was also the first leg of the British fell championships series at Slieve Donard, the highest peak in Northern Ireland. England international Danny Hope enjoyed a great run with glimpses of regaining his finest form in finishing eighth.

Steve Jackson, bronze medallist in the British MV60 category last year, made a great start this year with second place in his age category.

At the other end of the scale, Toby Middleton continues to impress and as an under-15 competed with the seniors in the Bunny Run fell race, finishing 57th of 269 runners.

The club has also recently welcomed Julian Goudge into its ranks. He took to the fells for the first time in a Horwich vest at Dungeon Ghyll followed by a leg in the national road relay.

The juniors were centre stage at the club’s presentation evening where GB international Stuart Stokes was on hand to present the prizes.

Several went to Lewis Wilkes who this year has achieved the rare feat of gaining a county vest at three disciplines and was rewarded with the junior middle distance captaincy for 2017.

There was also a new trophy for best young parkrun competitor and this went to Matthew Smith who runs nearly every week at Bolton with great consistency, even though his main event is the sprint.

At Radcliffe, 20 years after first winning the same race, Rob Jackson was eighth overall and first M50.

Maria McMyler was first woman home, a great return to form in a race that attracted more than 220 runners.

At Curley’s, Tony Hesketh and Gillian Smith were first home in their V65 categories and Keith Lewthwaite took the M60 first place.

In Mad Bull’s second event of the week, the Rivington 10-mile Trail Race, Gillian Smith repeated her FV65 win while Tony Hesketh settled for second MV65, as did Linda Webb in the FV55 category.

Horwich RMI results: New Dungeon Ghyll fell race (Great Langdale) – 14th Julian Goudge 44:19;

Bunny Run fell race (Haworth) – 57th Toby Middleton 19:46;

Curley’s 5k trail (Horwich) – 2nd Nick Leigh 19:08, 11th Lindsey Brindle 20:24, 12th Nick Kelly 20:38, 13th Michael Chadderton 20:59, 30th Tony Hesketh 23:40, 34th Mark Kmiec 24:00, 52nd Keith Lewthwaite 26:13, 70th Bernadette Unsworth 29:14, 76th Andrew Storey 30:25, 90th Kristina Mountain 31:37, 93rd Angela Greene 32:10, 104th Gillian Smith 35:05;

Donard Challenge fell race (Northern Ireland) – 8th Danny Hope 59:29, 133rd Steve Jackson 1:19:43;

National Road Relay Champs (Sutton Park, Birmingham) – 19th Michael Cayton 27:11, 30th Jonathan Bruton 17:32, 20th Chris Farrell 27:08, 28th Julian Goudge 17:47, 30th Richard Howarth 29:49, 32nd Luke Massey 17:55, 34th Gareth Booth 30:11, 31st Sam Wardle 17:32, 32nd Ian Conroy 29:38, 32nd Alastair Murray 17:30, 30th James Kevan 28:26, 26th Lukas Siska 16:44;

Radcliffe 10k Multi terrain race – 8th Rob Jackson 39:36, 24th Sean McMyler 43:09, 41st Maria McMyler 45:52;

Rivington 10 mile trail race – 58th Tony Hesketh 1:28:45, 91st Mark Kmiec 1:34:34, 119th Linda Webb 1:39:11, 202nd Julie Williamson 1:56:33, 219th Kristina Mountain 2:02:26, 220th Angela Greene 2:02:28, 222nd Gillian Smith 02:05:45.