KATIE Ingram ran the last 100 yards of the Sheephouse Lane Fell Race at Rivington with a beaming smile on her face, knowing that she had clinched the English under 16 fell championship.

"I had been very nervous before, I knew it was a tough race, and I thought my main rival Helen Glover would be a big threat," she admitted.

Her coach at Chorley Harriers Rick Bennett feels that Katie's great strength is her climbing and he gave her instructions to push hard on the hills. On the second of the three laps she managed to break clear of Glover, and after her big effort she was delighted to extend her lead to a minute and a half in the final stages.

Katie has achieved the maximum score in this year's championship with four wins in four starts, and the fourteen year old still has another year of competition in the age group. Last year she was the under fourteen champion and this year she was anticipating a battle with Laura Hughes the defending champion -- the two girls both go to the same school, St Michael's in Chorley. "I am sorry that Laura hasn't been fit this year, I was looking forward to competing against her."

She is intending to run the final championship race at Sedbergh on August 13th, and already is looking forward to the cross country season when she hopes to qualify for the English Schools Championships. She will miss the English Schools Track Championships this weekend because she has been selected to run for the England fell team in the Black Forest Teenager Games in Germany. Her main event is on Saturday, it is an uphill race of 2 or 3 miles on tarmac or paths. She will also be involved in relay races on Sunday.

In the senior race at Rivington, Chorley Harrier Alan Alty was 1st M40 and Pete Jepson of Rossendale was 1st M55.

Juniors: Girls: Under 12: 3 Danielle Walker (B) 10:41, 6 Lauren Bridge (P) 13:03, 8 Helen Godwin (R) 15:51 Under 14: 9 L Livesey (CAC) 19:43 Under 16: 1 Katie Ingram (CH) 30:21 Under 18: 3 Lisa Richardson (CAC) 48:22 Boys: Under 12: 5 Damien Rawcliffe (H) 10:12, 7 Ramiro Meeks (R) 10:31, 8 Andrew Thompson (CH) 10:33 Under 14: 5 Mark Bridge (P) 18:03 Under 16: 6 Nathan Lawton (CAC) 28:31, 9 Adam Godwin (R) 31:47 Under 18: 6 Anthony Lloyd (CAC) 53:29