FROM global to local, the Harriers performed well on several stages this week, not least at the Horwich Festival of Racing where Paul Muller, not content with a top-20 British Masters 5k championships finish, took on the Open 5k race on a hot day, finishing fourth in a smart time of 18mins 43secs.

Muller’s running career has spanned more than 1,600 races since 1981 and this year his big target is the UK Masters Cross Country Championships in Derry in November.

Meanwhile Erica Booth and Chris Farrell each have their sights set on world championships.

Farrell, having already qualified for Britain at the European mountain running championships, now waits to see if he will run in the worlds after a good fourth place at Sedbergh in the British Athletics trial race.

Further afield, Booth finished third in her age group in the European Triathlon Championships in Austria, having clocked the fastest cycle leg in the race.

The heat was on for the Harriers in a large field of more than 450 runners for the latest round of both the English and British championships.

Phil Marsden, in 25th place, was just ahead of Nick Leigh, while Lindsey Brindle was comfortably in the top-10 female finishers in the race. 

Toby Middleton, usually on the fells for the junior Harriers, tried out the one-wheeled bike in the British National Unicycle Road race at the Horwich festival, finishing third in the under-12s’ category and building up core body strength.

Most of his junior club-mates were in Blackpool for the latest round of the Youth Development League.

Isabella Merritt continued her great season with another fast time in the 1200m and all four girls in the race ran Grade One AAA standard times.

There were also first places for Matthew Flatters in the u15s 1500m, Niall Maloney in the 80m hurdles and high jump, Sam Keenan in the javelin and the u15s’ boys sprint relay team, Maloney, Keenan, Lucas Milliken and Nathan Hargreaves.

In the u13s’ long jump Ethan Isaacs was the winner, Freya Whittle came first in the 800m and in the 75m sprint Lydia Johnson finished third with a Grade Four AAA time.

There was more success for junior athletes at the seaside. Three runners travelled to north Wales for the Abersoch 1k beach race on hot sand.

Milly Lever was first female and second overall, Emma Bradley was fifth overall and second female and Katie Lever was the third open-age female.

Horwich RMI results: Knowl Hill fell race (Rochdale) – 5th Joe Mercer 46:27, 22nd Neil Holding 52:25, 24th Gary Chadderton 52:57, 90th Doug Fleming 1:02:57.

Holcombe Two Towers fell race – 11th Dan Gilbert 38:09, 22nd Steven Foley 42:16. 

ETU Triathlon European Championships (Kitzbuhel, Austria) – 35-39 AG – 3rd Erica Booth 2:27:29.

British Athletics World Mountain running trial (Sedbergh) – 4th Chris Farrell 53:34.

British & English Fell Championships (Tebay) – 25th Phil Marsden 1:19:01, 33rd Nick Leigh 1:20:29, 108th David Milliken 1:28:00, 143rd Lindsey Brindle 1:31:37, 179th Mark Walsh 1:34:55, 259th, Michael Green 1:42:48, 266th Steve Jackson 1:43:11, 318th Brian Watson 1:48:17, 435th David Barnes 2:18:27.

Freckleton half marathon road race – 83rd Kevin Newall 1:42:37.

Flash in the Park trail race (Pennington Flash) – 171st Kristina Mountain 1:05:07, 203rd Lesley Davidson 1:09:49, 204th Lynn Smith 1:09:49.

Horwich Festival Joseph Holt 5k road race – 4th Paul Muller 18:43, 16th Gordon Stone 23:49, 17th Linda Webb 24:06, 19th Keith Lewthwaite 24:39, 20th Gemma Stokes 24:45, 21st Mary White

25:15.