ELEVEN local athletes won gold medals on Saturday in Lancashire Cross Country Championships at Towneley Park.

East Lancashire clubs also took four team gold medals as the area scooped 36 medals. Many more of the runners finished in the top six to earn selection for the Lancashire Team which will contest the Inter Counties.

Hosts Burnley Athletic Club were quickly into their stride as the itinerary opened with the under 13 races. Red Rose League winner Danielle Walker took individual silver and with elder sister Alexis fifth, Emma Graham sixth and Emma Murray 12th, the girls took team gold. Chris Hart won the under 15 boys race celebrating early as he coasted home 20 seconds clear. Backed by sixth placed Marc Hartley they took team silver.

Chorley Harriers were the surprise package with eight medals, three of them gold. Victoria Gill has been with the club for only about a year, and doesn't compete much on the local circuit as she is training to be a doctor at St Andrew's in Scotland.

Victoria was the senior ladies winner, and won her second gold in the ladies team with Sarah Scarrott and Claire Goulden who was second F35. Katie Ingram was among the favourites for a gold medal in the under 17s and the English U16 Fell Champion returned a decisive victory beating the under 20 winner for good measure. Completing the medal haul were under 15 Victoria Snape and M55 John McDonald who won silvers, and M50 Dave Lee and the under 17 mens squad with bronzes.

There were three individual golds for Pendle AC with the Rusius family again to the fore. Under 13 Ben won his first title while under 20 winner Victoria was last year's under 17 champion. The third victory went to under 15 Laura Finucane the Lancashire 800m Champion. Laura's efforts helped the team to a silver medal, and the under 13 girls struck bronze.

One of the under 13 squad Kate Walker missed the competition and will be out of action for three months after breaking her elbow in a trampoline accident. Ethiopian Getu Assefa was third under 20, but was ineligible for a medal.

Blackburn Harrier Ben Fish defeated Assefa to earn a silver medal behind Blackpool's rising star Anthony Ford, and with Michael Hammer fifth and Liam Barton sixth the team were awarded the gold medal. Daniel McLean's bronze in the under 13s is an early reward for a young man who only started running with the Harriers in the summer. Last year's under 20 champion Sarah Willimott was fourth this year and said afterwards: "I was the happiest person today at the Championships, my final position was immaterial." She had a virus in her joints which ruined her summer, then following a back injury, she lost feeling in her legs during the recent Ribble Valley 10K. Now she is looking forward to the Northern Championships.