HARVEY Lord was the top performer from Black Combe Runners in the first of the Lakes’ super-long catergory A fell races at Seathwaite.

Lord collected a good haul of points in the club championship after leading the Balck Combe contingent home in 3:17.35, with Tim Ripper clocking 3:25.12 and John Millen finishing in 3:50.31.

Matthew Rooke (3:59.10) made it home for BCR in under four hours as well, with Peter Tayler (4:17.43) and Martin Currie (4:41.54) the other finishers for the club.

Bingley Harriers’ Rob Jebb was the overall winner on the 18-mile, 6,000-foot ascent course , coming home in 2:53.19 and just over three-and-a-half minutes ahead of Ambleside AC runner John Helme (2:57), who was second.

The shorter nine-mile, 3,000-foot ascent course saw Lynn Murray finish as second lady overall, recording 2:08.25, with fellow BCR member Hazel Tayler coming home in at 2:46.06.

The ladies victor was Catherine Niblock, of Helm Hill Runners, in 1:55.58, with her team-mate Kathleen Aubrey third overall and first FV50, just under 20 minutes later (2:13.43).

Gareth Brown edged out BCR team-mate Nick Sebley by nine seconds with a time of 1:57.16, while the other BCR finishers were John Parminter (2:00.50), William Ross (2:05.38) and Chris Roberts (2:13.21).

Lord also led the way for BCR at the Weets English Championship counter fell race in Hyndburn, leading home their six-strong men’s contingent in a time of 44:43, and finishing 62nd overall.

John Millen (46:50), Matthew Rooke (50:14), Peter Tayler (51:48), Nick Sebley (52:00) and Chris Roberts (60:54) rounded out the team.

The ladies race saw BCR captain Rebecca Rooke take 12th overall in a time of 51:23, with England international Victoria Wilkinson taking the win in 43:54.

Other BCR finishers were Murray (62:32), Lou Lyness (69:44), Hazel Tayler (77:55) and Sophie Roberts (93:27).

However, Lord was edged out for the overall win at the Wray Caton Moor Fell Race, staged near Lancaster, finishing 38 seconds behind Bowland Fell Runners’ Mark Chippendale with a time of 46:16.

The Gosforth 10-mile race saw Glaxo Hoad Hill Harriers’ Elsie Roberts triumph in the ladies’ race in 67:40, while BCR’s John Shevelan was 22nd overall in 76:25.

Andrew Gittins clocked 91:56 in the Hutton Roof Crags Fell Race for 144th overall, and got around in 47:55 in the Ingleton Scenery fell/trail race, where he was the only BCR competitor taking part.

Gittins was joined by Karl Fursey for the Hawkshead 10km race, which the former completed n 54:38 and latter finished in 59:27.

Barrow and Furness Striders’ Phil Waite took the win at Hawkshead in a time of 33:01.

Phil Clayton completed in the Austwick Amble Fell Race in 69:55, with Shevelan finishing 86 seconds behind him.

Meanwhile, Fursey took part in the Tidal Triple series of marathon races around the Barrow area and clocked a time of 4:50.37 for his run around the Dock Museum course, having led for the first 18 minutes. Wayne Drinkwater (3:53.23) was the overall winner and Hannah Caulfield, of Chorley AC, won the ladies’ race in 4:25.55.