SEVERAL senior Harriers ended 2017 with strong performances as they look ahead to a prosperous new year.

Ian Conroy was in Ireland for the festive season and won the Fat Turkey 10k in Dublin with some ease.

Elsewhere, Gareth Booth was third in the Lancaster Festive 4k and Richard Howarth was seventh at Worden Park in Leyland for the Boxing Day 10k.

Michael Cayton had the fastest time for a Harrier with a very smart 10th place in the big 1,200-plus field of the Ribble Valley 10k race, where his time of just over 30 minutes was less than a minute behind Olympian Jonny Brownlee in second place, who was himself only 17 seconds behind the winner.

Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee won the Auld Lang Syne fell race at Haworth where Julian Goudge was Horwich’s top performer in 13th place.

A large squad of juniors took part in the Lancaster 4k race where they had a rare chance to compete with the seniors.

Matthew Flatters, Lucas Milliken, Lewis Wilkes, Matthew Mair and Luke Brindle were all within two minutes of Booth’s time in taking top-25 places in a field of 405 runners.

Ella Pendlebury and Isabella Merritt were third and fourth female finishers respectively in the same race and if there had been a team competition then the high finishes of Georgina Heath and Alyssia Jackson would have given Horwich the women’s prize.

The top four Horwich male finishes would have easily given them the team prize too.

Geoff Leech signed off 2017 in fine form too, taking second V50 place at the Cracker race on Christmas Eve before turning out on Boxing Day at Leyland to finish the year with a consistent set of improved times.

There was a personal best for a Harrier over the festive period as Aidan McKenna travelled with his family to the Sewerby parkrun on the Yorkshire coast where he was first under-10 finisher.

At Queens Park junior parkrun there was a New Year’s Eve one-two-three for Harriers as Isaac Battye led home Lucy Dixon and Aleks Clayden.

On Christmas Eve, Lucas Collings had been third too.

At Cuerden Valley parkrun just before Christmas, James Kevan also showed he is in fine form ahead of the season of mountain running for Ireland with a scorcher over the hilly course ahead of Richard Howarth in second place.

Howarth returned a week later to resume his winning ways.

At Haigh Woodland last Saturday, Thomas Massey was first male finisher but was beaten home by Dionne Allen, of Leigh Harriers.

Lukas Siska, usually seen at Haigh, went to Stretford and returned with a very fast second place.

Horwich RMI Harriers results: Cracker 10k road race (Lancaster) – 14th Geoff Leech 43:47.

Leyland Boxing Day 10k road race – 7th Richard Howarth 35:24, 27th Chris Essex-Crosby 40:08, 79th Geoff Leech 45:08, 104th Ian Hamer 46:28.

Fat Turkey 10k road race (Dublin) – 1st Ian Conroy 34:20.

Lancaster Festive 4k road race – 3rd Gareth Booth 13:18, 9th Matthew Flatters 13:42, 12th Lucas Milliken 14:02, 18th Lewis Wilkes 14:44, 20th Matthew Mair 14:53, 22nd Luke Brindle 15:00, 29th Ella Pendlebury 15:19, 32nd Isabella Merritt 15:34, 37th Georgina Heath 15:59, 64th Alyssia Jackson 17:40.

Ribble Valley 10k road race (Clitheroe) – 10th Michael Cayton 30:48, 164th Neil Holding 39:04, 644th Steve Thomasson 51:18.

Auld Lang Syne fell race (Haworth) – 13th Julian Goudge 48:03, 37th Dave Milliken 51:17, 53rd Mark Walsh 52:57, 191st Mick Green 65:28, 306th Jason Middleton 79:17, 360th Mark Birbeck 96:05.