JAMES Harris narrowly missed out on a podium place when he took on the challenge of the Sedbergh Hills race.

The Black Combe Runner’s member was right up there with the leading pack for much of the race, which took in a testing 14-mile, 6,000-foot ascent course.

However, he slipped back to fourth in the closing stages to finish in 2hrs 23mins 5sec behind a trio of men from Helm Hill.

Steve Wathall joined Harris in tackling the course too, finishing in a time of 4:03.17. That was followed for Wathall by taking part in the Farleton Knott fell race in which he recorded a time of 54.38 in the V60 category.

Harvey Lord scored a top-10 finish at the Lowther Trail half-marathon, near Penrith, with the BCR man coming home in 1:36.27 – just under eight minutes down on overall winner Robert Bee.

Lord’s clubmate John Evason also had a good run, coming in at 1:43.22.

A total of 18 Black Combe members took on the 11-mile Turner Landscape fell race from Seathwaite, which was both an English championship and a BCR club championship counter.

First back in a good time of 1:34.59 was Harris, followed by Lord at 1:38.02. Josh Hartley was just over one minute behind him in 1:39.13, with Edward Gleadowe in touching distance thanks to him clocking 1:41.14.

Hollie Orr (1:45.07) and Anna Lupton (1:47.38) were the leading BCR female competitors, while the club’s other finishers were Matthew Rooke (1:57.21), Alice Forster (1:57.22), William Ross (2:05.51), Robert Coupe (2:06.07), Simon Austin (2:14.35), Steve Wathall (2:17.33), Steve Ward (2:18.44), Chris Roberts (2:26.32) and Jonathan Bailey (2:39.46).

The 5km, 1,115ft ascent Steel fell race from Thirlmere saw Harris and John Millen taking part, with the pair clocking 24.11 and 28.01 respectively.

Bailey enjoyed a good run at the Lancaster Riverside half-marathon, scoring a sub-two-hour time by finishing in 1:53.23. The same day saw Gavin Lloyd finish 12th overall in the Torver Lakeland Country Fair 10km fell race, crossing the line in 1:01.06.

BCR’s Susan Ross was the only female runner taking part and clocked 1:29.57. Ambleside AC’s Jack Wright breezed to the overall win in a time of 48.40.