ROBERT Coupe picked up maximum points in the Black Combe Runners club championship as he led their six-person squad home at this year's Coniston 14.

Coupe completed the course in 1hr 43min 19sec, with new member Alex Fairer just over three minutes behind him in 1:46.26.

Millom Parkrun regular Jonathan Bailey completed a sub-two-hour clocking as well in 1:48.53, along with James Goffe coming home in 1:55.58.

Karl Fursey (2:16.31) completed the course some 37 minutes quicker than last year's injury-plagued race, and Ian Verber clocked (2:22.16).

The race, which takes in a circuit of Coniston Water and attracted around 1,300 runners from around the country, was won by Lewis Rodgers (Loftus & Whitby AC). Eleanor Fowler (Nuneaton Harriers) won the ladies' race.

Elsewhere for BCR, John Parminter cracked the top 20 at the 6.6-mile, 1,760ft ascent Middlefell fell race from Nether Wasdale.

He completed the course in a time of 1:12.18, with Ambleside AC's Samuel Russell taking the win with a rapid clocking of 55.32.

Beth Ripper was the only other BCR member taking part, coming home in 1:19.37.

Phil Clayton was the first Black Combe member home at the Causey Pike fell race, which saw 100 runners tackling the difficult 4.5-mile, 2,500ft ascent course.

Clayton completed the course in 51.37, followed home just 92 seconds later by Mike Jewell.

The Dalton 10km on Friday, May 3 is Black Combe's next major club championships counter race. It gets under way at 7.15pm from the town's cricket club and entry is available in advance or on the night.

The weekly Parkrun events at Barrow and Ulverston both count towards the club road championship as well, but only the best time from each venue counts towards their total.