HORWICH Harriers’ senior men did enough to retain top division status in the final round of the Manchester Area Cross Country League at Wythenshawe Park.

Mike Cayton led the team home with a fine third place behind the Stockport duo of Jack Nixon and Jack Morris.

James Kevan commenced his competitive 2018 with a smart eighth place and Phil Marsden forsook the fells to put in a solid run for 12th.

Andy Lloyd, who was third V45, and the Chadderton father-and-son duo of Gary and Michael backed up well too, with Michael actually finishing as the highest-placed Horwich runner in the series results.

Rob Jackson’s cross country adventure was in the Northern Masters championship where he was second V50, despite losing a shoe in the first 100 metres of mud, finishing just 11 seconds behind the first V50.

On the same day the annual Anglezarke Amble took place and Horwich’s Lynn Smith commented that, despite the weather, it was a very enjoyable event.

Andy Ford made it his second Amble joint first place, this time with Max Wainwright from Helsby RC, in a time of 3hrs 51mins – about 30 minutes slower than in good conditions, but not bad over 25 miles and 3,600 feet of ascent in the grim weather.

Julie Williamson made her debut in fell racing, choosing the testing Windy Hill race.

Husband-and-wife team Simon and Rowen Pymm were in the same race, the former finishing a strong 10th.

Some parkruns lost out to the icy weather, but the chill did not prevent Fern O’Brien celebrating a great run at Heaton parkrun.

She finished first under-10 girl in an impressive time of 27:13 and dad Paul O’Brien was proud of his daughter’s achievement over a hilly course.

Aleks Clayden was first u14 at Worsley Woods on Saturday and then first home at Salford junior parkrun on Sunday by a margin of more than 25 seconds.

Meanwhile, at the even more hilly Cuerden Valley, the occasional competition between Gareth Booth and Richard Howarth for top spot was this week resolved in Booth’s favour by a margin of 20 seconds.

Horwich RMI Harriers results: Valentine’s 10k road race (Lancaster) – 11th Neil Holding 37:54.

Windy Hill fell race (Littleborough) – 10th Simon Pymm 1:08:01, 81st Rowen Pymm 1:26:40, 169th Julie Williamson 1:53:51.

Manchester Area Cross Country League (Wythenshawe Park) – 3rd Mike Cayton 36:40, 8th James Kevan 38:11, 12th Phil Marsden 39:18, 45th Andy Lloyd 42:19, 58th Michael Chadderton 43:14, 190th Gary Chadderton 49:15, 240th David Barnes 52:21, 264th Doug Fleming 53:20, 298th Lawrence Pinnell 56:02, 348th Ian Hepburn 1:02:40.

Barbondale fell race (near Kirkby Lonsdale) – 112th David Barnes 38:49.

Stockport Trail Half Marathon – 21st Nick Leigh 1:28:49.

Northern Masters 10k cross country (Ashton-under-Lyne) – 5th Rob Jackson 39:33.