HORWICH'S Nick Leigh achieved a fine 29th place in the Three Peaks fell race as he gets back into his stride after injury.

In the long-established race, 700 finished but almost 10 per cent of the starters did not.

Leigh was third in the MV40 age category, while Julian Goudge and Mark Walsh also had strong races, suggesting they are well prepared for the summer season.

It was the England Athletics 5k road championships last Friday, at Kingsley in Cheshire, where Lukas Siska was close to a personal best in finishing 75th in a high-quality field.

For the seniors, David Unsworth signalled a return to improved form with seventh place in the Bay Gateway 10k, taking the V55 prize, and Bernie Unsworth was first woman home at V50.

In the 5k Roses race at the same venue, in the battle between the universities of York and Lancaster, James Jordan secured a decent 10th place.

Rob Jackson was race winner at the Resolution 10k on the hilly two-lap course at Heaton Park.

The juniors competed in two club events this week. First up was the club’s annual Flemming Cup, a handicap race in which the runners predict their finish time.

Aiden McKenna won with Aleks Clayden and Martha Kay, second and third respectively.

The fastest actual time came from Robert Seddon who, the following evening, competed in the open-all-ages 3,000m at the Trafford Grand Prix, his first on the track after winning county caps most recently for cross country.

On Friday, it was the intra-club Quad Kids competition for any primary school aged athlete.

This is a national format to develop young athletes who compete in four events – run, sprint, jump and throw.

Club coach Gemma Stokes was pleased with the event run for the first time by Horwich and it showed there is huge potential in the junior ranks.

Isabella Merritt showed more progression as an under-15 at the Mid Lancs track and field event at Preston where she achieved a new personal best in finishing third in the 800m and also had a third place at 100m.

It was a busy week at parkrun with Gareth Booth achieving a rare first place ahead of Richard Howarth at Cuerden Valley, getting a PB in the process.

But his grading of 81 per cent was beaten by Dave Milliken, who was also first at Worsley Woods with a grading of 83 per cent with son Luke not far behind in ninth.

At Stretford, u15 Toby Middleton was seventh of 678 runners, achieving a PB, while best times were also gained by Jennie Maher and Niamh Speakman at Bolton and at Haigh Woodland by Isaac Battye, David Barnes, Alyssia Jackson and David Crawford.

At the Queens Park junior parkrun, it was a Horwich one-two with u15 Matthew Flatters well ahead of u10 Marty Arnot-Smith, who got a PB – as did Fern O’Brien further down the field.

Horwich RMI Harriers results: England 5k road championships – 75th Lukas Siska 15:52, 319th Carl Balshaw 20:29, 420th Lurdes Corlett 24:02;

Three Peaks fell race (Ribblesdale) – 29th Nick Leigh 3:20:13, 45th Julian Goudge 3:26:28, 169th Mark Walsh 3:56:31;

Essar Chester half marathon – 2,964th Erika Smallridge 2:02:13;

Bay Gateway 10k (Lancaster) – 7th David Unsworth 44:15, 32nd Bernadette Unsworth 54:21;

Roses 5k (Lancaster) – 10th James Jordan 17:23;

Resolution 10k (Heaton Park) – 1st Rob Jackson 39:10.