EDWARD Gleadowe and Hollie Orr took the honours when Black Combe Runners hosted their annual summer race.

The Black Combe Round covered 7.6 miles and a 2,500ft of ascent, starting and finishing at Kirkbank fell gate, visiting the summit then heading towards Bootle, before descending and going over Townend Knotts, followed by rejoining the original path for the last part.

Gleadowe led the way with a clocking of 1hr 8mins 28secs, followed by first female finisher Orr, in 1:12:51. Matthew Rooke took third with a time of 1:17:13.

John Millen arrived back in 1:18:10 and second lady was Anna Lupton, clocking 1:18:18. Other times were Gavin Lloyd (1:22:05), Steve Wathall (1:23:00), Matthew Thompson (1:24:20), Jonathan Bailey (1:27:11), Susan Ross (1:43:31), John Shevelan (1:45:20), Ian Verber (1:53:57), Rob McKeever (2:02:02) and Karl Fursey (2:16:39).

Josh Hartley set off nearly an hour after the main start due to flying back from Bristol to Walney Airfield on work and then driving to Silecroft, finishing the course in 1:10.43 – which would have been good enough for second – and almost catching Fursey.

Orr claimed victory in the women's competition at the 20 Barriers Race from Carnforth High School as well, with her time of 38:10 being good enough to earn a spot in the overall top 10.

Gleadowe finished third overall in 35:20, with points being awarded in BCR's road championship.

Other Black Combe members taking part were Ian Verber and Sophie Roberts, who finished in 54:05 and 1:00:53 respectively.

Gleadowe edged out Hartley in the latest English National Championship fell race on the Isle of Man, finishing just 11 seconds ahead of his club-mate in 1:24.57 around the nine-mile, 3,700ft acent course up and down Snaefell. The race was won by Keswick AC's Carl Bell in 1:15.12.

Matthew Rooke stayed below 100 minutes with a time of 1:38:27, while Lupton came home in 1:41:18, with Orr a shade under four minutes later. Alice Forster also had a good run, coming in at 1:46.56, and Jess Lawrence just missed the two-hour barrier by 50 seconds.

Simon Austin took part in two Lakeland Trails races recently, the first of them being the Ambleside Ultra Trail Marathon covering 55km with a 7,000ft ascent and descent en route. He went round in 11:03.37.

Austin then entered the annual marathon challenge from Coniston landing point, which takes in a complete circuit of the lake. He got round 5:11.51, while the half-marathon challenge saw Lawrence finish fifth in the female competition in 1:57.28.

Elsewhere, Phil Clayton took on the Scafell Pike Skyrunning event over marathon distance, and finished it in 6:18.16.

Black Combe's next club championship counter is the 17-mile, 6,500-plus-foot ascent Borrowdale horseshoe fell race, which starts from Rosthwaite on Saturday, at 11am.