HORWICH'S Charlotte Wilkinson and Toby Middleton put in outstanding performances as the English Junior Fell Championship season commenced at Todd Crag last weekend.

Charlotte achieved a top-10 place for girls in the under-13s' race and amassed 40 points, despite losing a shoe halfway around the course.

Toby made a fine return to the fells in the u15s' race with a top-10 finish for 42 points.

Horwich had a strong all round performance that gave them 14th place out of the 35 clubs taking part.

The haul of 120 points leaves the Harriers just 25 points behind leaders Ambleside, who were running on their home ground.

The venue presents a tough climb and descent on rocky terrain and it was testing territory for several of the young Harriers but they all enjoyed the experience and the team spirit.

Harriers’ vets were out and about too, and standout performances came from Neil Holding who was seventh at the Liverpool 10-mile road race and won the M55 category.

Gareth Booth also had a seventh-place finish, at Coniston in the 14-mile road race, taking the M45 prize in a field of more than 1,000 runners enjoying the wonderful scenery around Coniston Water.

David Barnes returned to the Shropshire Winter Hills Series and secured third place in the M60 category after last weekend’s leg at Carding Mill Valley.

Then, the following day, he went to Helm Hill for the latest round of the Kendal Winter League and it looks as if he has also secured a third place in the league for M60s with one round to go.

Andy Ford was also on the fells in Scotland where he was 11th out of 75 at Deuchary Hill Canter.

Parkrun also saw a mix of youth and age in successful runs.

Isabella Merritt was third female finisher at Maidenhead and Aleks Clayden was second u14 at Worsley Woods.

At Queens Park junior parkrun there was a personal best for Marty Arnot-Smith on his 82nd run.

Lewis Wilkes, at u17, was first overall at Haigh Woodland, while Richard Haworth clocked up another first place at Cuerden Valley where Tony Hesketh was first V65.

Peter Heneghan ran for the first time at Worsley Woods and was second V75.

Horwich RMI Harriers results: Coniston 14-mile road race – 7th Gareth Booth 1:23:07, 370th Olwyn Smith 2:52:40;

Carding Mill Canter fell race (Church Stretton) – 60th David Barnes 1:02:29;

Darwen Heritage half marathon – 68th Ian Hamer 1:38:17, 213th Michael Salmon 1:57:08;

Liverpool 10-mile road race – 7th Neil Holding 1:01:11;

Helm Hill fell race (Kendal) – 58th David Barnes 49:26;

Todd Crag fell race (Ambleside) – u9s – 10th Fern O’Brien 8:20, 26th Gracie Sherbourne 9:13; u13s – 21st Ethan Isaacs 11:20, 51st Aidan McKenna 12:47, 54th Charlotte Wilkinson 12:51, 55th Jack Barrago 12:55, 59th Theo Middleton 13:12, 63rd Emma Bradley 13:23, 65th Aleksander Clayden 13:38, 76th Imogen Wrigley 14:38; u15s – 8th Toby Middleton 15:48, 27th Isaac Battye 17:32, 42nd Milly Lever 18:52; u17s – 12th Lucas Milliken 18:22, 13th Robert Seddon 18:26.