Burndener Andy Staveley took to the Swiss mountains and completed two uphill races against a strong field.

Not only did he finish an event alongside a strong international field, he won his age group in one of the events and was awarded with 150 Swiss Francs and a bottle of local wine.

He said: “At the first, at the Aletsch Glacier, I was mainly concerned about completing the course as it is 13 miles in length, with 3,700 feet of ascent, and I hadn’t run more than 8.5 miles for three years.

“As uphill running is kinder on the old bones, I managed to complete the race, did okay and was delighted to finish seventh in my age-group.

“Two weeks later I did the Montreux – Les Rochers de Naye race.

“This is 18K with 6,000 feet of climbing, starting lakeside at Lake Geneva and finishing at the summit of Rochers de Naye at 6,700 feet.”

The beautiful Yorkshire Dales beckoned Josh Palmer this week as he was put through his paces with the Summer Series Ultra X Half Marathon.

The race takes place on the hills and dales of the southernmost of the Dales - Calderdale - and covers part of the South Pennines, an area full of stunning river valleys, moorland and hills.

Finishing in 3hrs 12mins 48secs, with more than 400 metres of elevation, Palmer earned his ‘Elevation Eagle’ wings this week.

Fresh from his Ironman adventure in Finland, Tim Taylor was a little closer to home this week as he made his way to Wimbledon for the last in their trail series.

Though the hot and humid eight-mile race was, in his own words, ‘not the most sensible recovery after the 70.3’, Taylor astonished himself by finishing first in his age category with an impressive 1:10:00.

The course is a mix of adventure, fun and challenge within Wimbledon Common and features of the race include ‘tackling the boggy Rifle Butts, running alongside bubbling Beverly Brook and climbing the tricky Toast Rack’.

There were more Burndeners out and about as a group trekked over to the Wilmslow Summer 10K on a baking-hot Sunday.

Starting in the town centre, the one-lap course around scenic country roads is great for personal-best setters and Jason Attwood was no exception. Finishing in a phenomenal 46:45, Atwood knocked more than 11 minutes from his last 10K best.

Michael Hampson was as fast as a greyhound with 34:38 - hitting his sub-35 goal and making the top 50.

Adrian Ashburn crossed in a super time of 45:47, Philip Glassbrook in a swift 1:00:06 and Jennifer Entwistle finished in a very respectable 1:07:16.

A lucky group of 13 set sail to Chorley to compete in Accrington Road Runners’ monthly series of five-mile races.

Set in the picturesque grounds of Astley Hall, the races take place on the first Wednesday of every month from May to August and have proven to be very popular, drawing runners from all over the North West.

First home for Burnden was coach Andy Dunleavy in 25:25 for a V60 category win. Gwen Kinloch also won her V60 category with 27:43 and Lyndsay Darbyshire completed the lucky trio with a V50 category win for 28:51.

Also riding high with category placings were Anne Ferguson and Paul Christie - claiming third V60 in both female and male categories, Ferguson being third V60 in 29:25 and Christie third V60 in 28:34.

Other results: Gareth Lowe 26:59, Jason Attwood 28:25, Steven Bate 30:20, Andy Warburton 30:57, Mark Butler 31:55, Sarah Brown 40:49, Shirley Robinson 41:59, Cheryl Dunleavy 44:32.

Fell fanatic, Mark Jackson, was out on the hills again as he conquered the Don Ashton Memorial Tockholes Fell Race, finishing in 48:28 and 48th place.

Jackson was in the top half of the table for the six-mile distance which starts and finishes at Weasel Lane and is organised by Darwen Dashers.

It was a mixed bag of parkruns this week and furthest travelled was Paul Johnson who finished the Maraaue parkrun in 30:04.

There was a watery theme this week as the sun baked, even at 9am, and aquatic parkruns were particularly popular.

Morecambe Prom saw Jackson finish in a good time of 20:10 on a fast and flat course.

The Dunleavys were at Watergrove Park in Rochdale where Andy was fourth overall with 23:09 and Cheryl came home in 41:30.

Sandra and Mike Caine were up in the Lakes and dipped their toes in at Fell Foot parkrun, Newby Bridge. Mike finished in 23:50 and Sandra in 31:27.

Carolyn Edwards competed at Lyme Park with 33:29, while Colm O’Brien was visiting River Valley where he finished in 23:36.

Local parkruns were well attended with several members achieving good times.

Tony Fulop visited the Oasis brothers’ home town of Burnage for their parkrun where he finished in a supersonic 32:38.

Other results: Heaton Park - Adrian Ashburn 21:43, Chris Greenall 24:20, Gayle Gerrard – 24:26; St Helens - Simon Marland 23:15, Sue Blackman 33:56; Haigh Woodland - Gareth Lowe 22:14, Steven Bate 24:13, Michelle Livesey 36:39; Peel - Teresa Riley 26:39, Nia Bell 27:55.

Bolton results: Stephen Horsman 22:54, Katherine Baines 23:51, Tom Stratton 23:52, Lawrence McDonald 25:14, Linda O’Byrne 25:42, Gareth Doherty 25:43, Richard Blake 28:11, Kathryn Berry 29:18, Howard Sparke 30:02, Philip Glassbrook 30:14, Robert Bell 31:42, Gillian Morris 32:12, Emma Louise Walker 32:12, Sarah Brown 33:27, Jennifer Entwistle 34:14, Lauren Hulme 34:36, Joyce Tyldesley 36:58, Joanne Darby 38:29, Debra Hennessey 38:29, Jackie Cairns 38:30, Steven Snape 39:48.

Burnden’s sMile social run was back on July 4 training night as part of June’s Virtual Challenge - One Mile with a Smile.

To bring all members together, Cheryl and Andy Dunleavy organised a mile relay and a timed mile at Moss Bank Park – not the easiest circuit but smiles were seen for miles.