BURNDEN Road Runners cross-country athletes were out in the mud at Leigh for the Greater Manchester Championships and again returned fine times.

Gwen Kinloch led the quartet of ladies, finishing in a speedy 35mins 6secs.

Lyndsay Darbyshire followed just behind in 35:23, Anne Ferguson finished in 36:40 and Shirley Staveley clocked 37:04.

For the men, captain Paul Duke was first to conquer the course in a swift 43:12 with Keith Thomas coming home in 49:13.

Gareth Lowe clocked 51:27 and Andy Warburton finished in 58:32.

Results have been finalised for the Red Rose Cross-Country League and Burnden have three champions up for awards this year.

Led by cross-country captain Duke, the team ran at Leigh, Bolton, Todmorden and Rossendale.

The final standings saw Kinloch awarded first V60 in position 27, Duke with second V45 in position 22 and William Thomas third V60 in position 46.

Pete Hopley and Tony Wall also qualified, finishing in positions 37 and 60 respectively.

Louise Righini chose the Virtual Frosty Fun Run race for her 38th 10K, organised by the Beat charity, and opted to run with other Burnden members at the newly-added Sunday session – Sunday Smilers, which is led by coach Andy Dunleavy.

Righini’s 10K stretched a bit further than 6.2 with 8.86 miles clocked as the Smilers followed the local Middlebrook Trail along the river and through Regent Golf Course before reaching the outskirts of Middlebrook Retail Park and returning via the same route.

She finished in an impressive 1:25:32.

Elsewhere, David Smith achieved a sub-60 as he conquered the Longridge Christmas Pudding 7 this week.

The fun and friendly race tests runners with its tough and undulating road course over the beautiful fells.

Crossing the line in an impressive 57:24, Smith was rewarded with not just his sub-60 7 but also a Christmas pudding.

Parkruns were represented on Saturday by Burndeners at a variety of locations.

Gayle Gerrard was 10th female at Heaton Park with a brilliant time of 24:12.

Jenni Partington was also 10th female, but at Peel where she finished in a super 25:12.

Worsley Woods saw Steven Bate cross in a great time of 23:34, while Haigh Woodland welcomed Liz Hopley and Burnden Bee, Sarah Brown, who finished in 31:51 and 36:54 respectively.

Simon Marland headed to Lancaster where he completed their parkrun in 27:42.

Eight members chose Bolton’s Leverhulme Park where coach Dunleavy was a triple threat - achieving first Burndener home, eighth male and ninth overall position in a super 21:23.

Sarah Watton led the ladies as first female Burndener and third overall female with a speedy 24:55.

Other results for Burndeners at Bolton were Mark Jackson (26:30), Gareth Doherty (28:14), Linda O’Byrne (28:50), Robert Bell (29:49), Rachel Prior (32:22) and Anthony Fulop (33:44).