BURNDEN’S veteran runners scooped both team prizes in the over-50 categories at the final race of the South East Lancs Cross Country series at Astley Park.

Steve Nolan, Andy Staveley and Keith Thomas finished comfortably ahead of the rest. Nolan was second V55 in 42mins 4secs, with Staveley fourth in the same category in 42:39 and Thomas third V60 in 43:21.

Pete Hopley recorded a time of 45:34 followed by Chris Greenall in 49:14.

Anne Ferguson, Gwen Kinloch and Liz Hopley combined to win the ladies' team prize. Ferguson completed the ladies course in 31:54 to earn second L55 spot, with Kinloch third L55 in 32:09 and Hopley recording a time of 44:31.

Across the whole series of races, Thomas finished second V60 with his two seconds and a third place keeping him well clear of the third-placed runner.

Ferguson’s consistency earned her second place over the series in the L55 category with three second places giving her six points. Kinloch was third L55 over the four races with eight points.

Rob Short led home a huge contingent of the club’s runners at the Central Lancs Grand Prix Leverhulme Park 5K.

Short finished in 18:26, 19th overall as Burnden fielded 70 runners, nearly a quarter of the 309 finishers and the largest representation of any club at the event.

Colin Rigby and Paul Duke were the next members to finish, crossing the line in the same time of 18:45 less than 20 seconds behind Rob but nine and 11 places adrift of him, respectively, which shows the high quality of competition among the early finishers.

Marcus Taylor (19:01), Lee White (19:18) and Marcus Chester (19:44) were also inside 20 minutes and made it six Burnden finishers inside the top 50. Taylor was 38th overall, White 45th and Chester 49th.

Keith Thomas was second M60 in 20:47 with Tony Wall third in the same category with a time of 21:38.

In the women’s race, Sarah Watton finished ninth overall and second female senior in 21:35.

Burnden again dominated the F55 category, Kinloch winning it in 21:52, with Ferguson second in 23:18 and Kate Ellis third in 23:54.

Other notable age group performances came from Jackie Oakes who was second F45 in 22:38, Shirley Staveley third F50 in 23:19 and Mumtaz Patel third F45 a few seconds behind in 23:21.

Other results:

Mark Jackson (21:01), Mark Butler (21:39), Andy Duffy (21:54), Andy Staveley (21:55), Marcus Hamer (22:08), Ged Turner (22:15), Christophe Menand (22:24), Gareth Doherty (22:33), Stewart Jones (22:39), Simon Marland (22:51), Vicki Hamer (22:51), Chris Greenall (22:48), Michael Caine (23:06), David Broadhurst (23:21), Colm O’Brien (23:52), Paul Drew (24:12), Clare McKenna (24:11), Kris Worsley (24:22), Richard Blake (24:12), Adrian Ashburn (24:23), Gayle Gerrard (24:30), Tony Woodiwiss (24:23), Andy Warburton (24:47), Steven Bate (24:54), David Aulton (24:55), Craig Philpot (25:12), Phil Holden (25:10), Linda O’Byrne (25:19), Kathryn Page (25:49), Elaine Roper (25:52), Sheila Christie (26:01), Jenna Leeks (26:10), Carolyn Barker (26:26), Emma Louise Walker (26:26), Kerry Stevenson (27:29), Howard Sparke (27:40), Sally Cottrill (27:55), Louise Wall (28:01), Tracey Lowe (27:52), Don Taylor (28:00), Julie Riddle (28:23), Sarah Woodiwiss (28:20), Jackie Cairns (28:43), Joanne Darby (28:56), David Morrison (29:07), Diane Morrison (29:39), Debra Hennessey (29:55), Sharon Drew (29:51), Sandra Caine (30:39), Louise Fox (30:39), Sue Blackman (31:30), Louise Bentley (31:44), John Hall (32:21), Lisa Bailey (32:56), Louise Geoghegan (33:03).

Tim Taylor was Burnden’s sole representative at the Great North Western Half Marathon in Blackpool and completed the event in 1:51:11.