TWO young Horwich Harriers enjoyed series wins after the final fixture in the South East Lancs League at Heaton Park.

Charlotte Wilkinson added another honour to her running career with the under-15 series win and Grace Mort, in her first full season, won the u13 series.

The next day both took part in the first round of the English Junior Fell Running Championships at Ilkley Moor.

Charlotte, competing with the older u19 runners, was fourth female and Grace was third u15 girl.

Louis Yates has had some good results recently and confirmed that form with a spirited run for third place in the under-nines race, while Gracie Sherbourne was third girl in the u13 race.

Elsewhere, Joe Mercer, Horwich’s top finisher at the national cross country championships last week, showed he is no slouch on the road this week in the Trafford 10k in a high-class field.

Mercer was so close to breaking the 30-minute barrier in setting a new personal best of 30mins 26secs for 28th place.

This year is seeing the emergence of new members on to the race scene - juniors and seniors, -including Sam Fairhurst, who recently took third place at the Standish Hall trail race and this week had a great fourth over the longest distance he has raced to date, the half-marathon at Haweswater.

Ahead of him was Richard Howarth, who in contrast is a marathon specialist and had an impressive second-place finish in 1:15:07.

Erica Booth, an international triathlete, was also on form with a time that gave her second F40 place.

The senior fell Harriers were, meanwhile, taking on the Stan Bradshaw Pendle Round at Barley in the second fixture of the Run the Moors Grand Prix.

Ironically, it was two sons of Horwich, former club members Michael Cayton and Rob Hope, who took first and second place.

Marcus Taylor was Horwich’s top runner, closely followed by Matt Fawthrop in his longest fell race in Horwich colours.

Doug Fleming, having been confirmed the previous day as South East Lancs M60 runner-up, had a strong run on Pendle Hill and has moved up to first place in his bid to retain the M60 grand prix title.

Jodie Adamson, also in her first full season of fell running, had a good run over her longest fell distance yet and having also been first F35 at the Standish Hall trail race recently.

Other Harriers further afield on the fells were Danny Hope, taking second M40 place in the very scenic out-and-back race on Black Combe in the Lakes, and Isaline Kneale, who ran much further, 24 miles to be specific, in the Saddleworth Ten Reservoirs race that also involves over 4,000 feet of ascent. The reward for her was first F55 place.