FOUR Horwich RMI Harriers filled the leading places behind winner Rob Hope in the Two Lads fell race.

The Pudsey and Bramley ace knows the Horwich moors well having been brought up running on them.

RMI's Phil Marsden led for much of the climb up to the highest point in Horwich and did well to stay close as Hope descended fast and sure for a near-record time.

Horwich’s Kimberley Chadderton was the first woman home, narrowly beating Paula Pilling of Burnden Road Runners.

There were also age-category wins for Sam Wardle (junior male), Mark Walsh (men's over-50), Stephen Pearson (M60) and Tony Hesketh (M70).

Hesketh also entered the Horwich Mini Tour, part of the Festival of Racing which opened the night before Two Lads with a 5k trail race around Rivington.

He also had his second fell race of the week in the Tour’s Pigeon Tower race which was brutal underfoot on the dry rocky paths.

And to complete a busy week, Hesketh ran the Horwich 5k road race.

In each tour race he was first V70 and duly claimed the series V70 prize.

David Barnes won the V60 series prize at the mini tour.

In the three tour races Ian Collings was the highest-finishing Harrier, crossing the line in eighth position in the road race in a new personal best time for 5k.

In between, Tony and Brenda Hesketh led the junior fell squad in the latest round of the English FRA junior championships at Clougha Pike with the squad aiming to consolidate its top-10 place in the championships.

Toby Middleton had a great third place in the under-15s and Fern O’Brien, taking a break from the festival events, was the highest-finishing Horwich girl in fourth in the u9s girls’ race.

Robert Seddon, Freya Whittle, Imogen Andreassen and Charlotte Wilkinson also had top-10 finishes.

The latest round of the NW Youth Development League was hosted by Horwich at Witton Arena and there were AAA grade four performances from Alex Clifford in the u15s boys' 100m, Alisa Chukwu in winning the u15s girls' shot, Aaron Isaacs in the boys' u13s shot and Pip Nuttall in the u13s girls' long jump. Sophie Walton won both the 200m and the 300m at u15s.

The festival of racing also featured a swim and run duathlon for juniors and Lucy Dixon and Eva Baldwin took first and second places, respectively.

In parkrun, Matthew Wilson was one second behind the first runner at Haigh Woodland, and Horwich juniors Isabella Merritt and Alyssia Jackson were second and third females, respectively, at the same event.

Thomas Massey was a clear first home at the Queens Park junior parkrun.

Results: Liverpool Castle 5k trail race – 15th Glynne Lever 20mins 55secs; 18th David Barnes 21:12; 23rd Tony Hesketh 22:01.

Two Lads fell race (Horwich) – 2nd Phil Marsden 31:21; 3rd Sam Wardle 32:56; 4th Danny Hope 33:56; 5th Michael Chadderton 34:42; 7th Mark Walsh 46:08; 26th Gary Chadderton 40:17; 34th Christopher Heys 41:29; 37th Kimberley Chadderton 41:39; 41st Doug Fleming 42:08; 64th Tony Hesketh 46:11; 78th Lawrence Pinnell 49:30; 80th Stephen Pearson 50:08; 83rd Michelle Mortimer 50:59; 84th Peter Ramsdale 51:10; 92nd Michael Crook 52:44; 97th Tony Varley 53:22.

Brown Wardle fell race – 3rd Simon Pymm 29:22; 30th Rowen Pymm 40:30.

City of Manchester 5k road race – 4th James Jordan 16:58.

Pigeon Tower fell race – 20th Tony Hesketh 52:53; 24th David Barnes 54:45.

Horwich Mini Tour 5k road race – 8th Ian Collings 18:51; 15th Stuart Bolton 20:30; 18th David Barnes 21:02; 26th Tony Hesketh 22:52; 27th Gemma Stokes 22:57.

Clougha Pike fell race – 63rd Mark Seddon 57:53.

Freckleton half marathon – 249th Julie Williamson 1:59:28.

Crazy Cow 10k road race – 448th Justine Topping 1:08:19; 449th Kristina Mountain 01:08:20.

Kettlewell fell race – 30th Graham Schofield 15:22.

16 Horwich RMI Harriers