THE road-racing year ended with a bang at Clitheroe, as the Ribble Valley 10K attracted the strongest field seen in East Lancashire during 2004.

There was also phenomenal support from the rank and file club athletes with Blackburn Harriers selling well over 800 numbers for the event. In the end, 671 toed the line - easily a record.

There were new course records for the men and the women as both titles headed west over the M6. A rare sub-30 minute performance was needed for Adam Sutton to win the overall title, the Preston Harrier clocked 29:35 to win from Andi Jones of Salford in 30:03, with the winner for the last two years, Antony Ford of Blackpool, third in 30:36.

First local was Blackburn Harriers' Ben Fish with fourth in 30:50 while Chorley Harriers' second claimer Richard Burney took eighth in 31:25 and former Blackburn Harrier Tom Ellicott was tenth for Belgrave in 31:38.

A glance down the list of finishers emphasises the high quality of the field. The runaway winner of the Pendle and Burnley Grand Prix, Tom Cornthwaite, was only 11th for Blackburn Harriers, Blackburn Road Runners 10K winner Rick Hayman was 13th and Accrington Road Runners 10K runner-up Steve Murdock took 16th, and veteran honours.

If anything, the women's race was an even more high class affair with more than 40 competitors cracking the 45 minute barrier. Commonwealth Games medallist Helen Clitheroe, fresh from her success in the European Cross Country Championship, was a decisive winner as she took 19th outright in 32:30. Chorley Harriers' Vicky Gill, still sporting her Florida tan, took second in exactly 34 minutes, with Pauline Powell finishing a competitive third for the host club in 34:48. Catherine Riley, the 800 metres international who began her career with Park High School AC, was sixth in 36:31.

On a perfect day for fast times, the Blackburn Road Runners' Club Record fell to Helen McKeating as she finished 13th in 40:43, while Clayton duo Alison Smith and Tracy Mitchell, and Jackie Taylor of Blackburn Harriers earned top 20 finishes.

Taylor was second over 40 as her team mates Emma Graham and Katie Morris placed second and third under 18s. Clayton Harriers Christine Leathley and Kitty Garnett were class winners in the over 55s and over 65s as Eileen Newman of Blackburn Road Runners made second in the over 50s.

Preston Harriers won the men and women's team prizes despite the best efforts of Blackburn Harriers, second in each contest. Ben Fish, Tom Cornthwaite and Chris Hart for the men and Pauline Powell, Jackie Taylor and Emma Graham were the Blackburn counters.

Unusually, at this race there is a veteran team award too, with Clayton-le-Moors Harriers successfully defending with Phil Hall, Peter Butterworth and David Lord. There were individual successes for two of the team as Hall was third over 40 and Butterworth won the over 50 classification in 35:10. Ted Orrell took the over 65s in 40:30, while Lawrence Chew was second over 70. Second and third in the over 50s were Mick Nester of Blackburn RR and Eric Wilson from Darwen Dashers while Clitheroe resident Peter Dibb was third over 70 for the Longwood club.

Preston completed their prize haul as Richard Newton won the under 18s with 15th outright in 32:15. Richard Stones of Blackburn Harriers was second with Paul Wadsworth of Rossendale third. Matt Wood of Blackburn just missed out on second place on the grounds of old age after celebrating his 18th birthday recently.

Fancy that! Naze is a picture

THE Whinberry Naze Dash fell race was held in glorious winter conditions on Boxing Day.

The four-mile race starts near Waterfoot and follows paths and tracks over 440 metre high Cowpe Lowe. With the majority of the 120 runners competing in fancy dress, this is an event that most treat as a nice way to stretch the legs after the Christmas Day excesses rather than an all-out race.

Picture the colourful scene: fairies, pirates, santas, nuns, soldiers, cats and cavaliers, all vying for position on the start line. Even a human belisha beacon turned up.

Rossendale Harriers Phil Bolton, Anthony Gotts, Sarah Yeomans, Carl Andrew and Paul Wadsworth dressed as medics carried an unfortunate and realistically bloody victim (Aaron Barker) on a hospital bed. And yes, they did carry it all the way round!

As race organisers, Dale made the greatest of efforts in the fancy dress department and a second team of Nigel Gotts, Chris White, Ian Pudge and Aaron Kelly commemorated the 60th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings with their re-creation of a landing craft.

Meanwhile the Pirates of Todmorden Harriers sailed round in fine style, although their attempt to board Santa's sleigh on the summit and steal all the smarties was rebuffed by an elvish broadside.

Just for the record, Simon Bailey of Mercia won the race in a time of 22:21. Bob T Builder, alias Danny Hope from Pudsey & Bramley, came in second in 22:58, and Todmorden Harriers' George Ehrhardt was third in 23:47 despite the handicap of a rubber turkey on his shoulder. Apparently, he couldn't find a parrot.

Tattersall in groove

NEIL Tattersall and Katie Ingram were comfortable winners of Red Rose Road Runners' Annual Boxing Day Road Race after a last minute change to the route, due to icy conditions, reduced the race from ten to eight kilometres.

For Pendle's Tattersall, it was his second win this month as he completed in 24:09, an advantage of a minute over Rick Hayman of Sale. Chorley Harrier Keith Johnston took third in 25:34.

Fell Champion Ingram was a massive four minutes clear of Horwich club mate Sarah Gorman while Claire Goulden of Chorley Harriers was fourth. Pendle athlete Marc Hartley was the winning junior as Peter Butterworth of Clayton won the first of two over 50 titles on consecutive days.

Laura joy in Under 20s

LAURA Livesey of Chorley Athletic Club was the winning under 20 at the latest round of the South East Lancashire Cross Country League at Leigh.

Alison Leonard of Chorley Harriers was another to prosper in hideously muddy conditions with third in the under 15 girls event, where Leigh Lennon of Hyndburn, competing as a guest, made seventh spot.