A TOP Lancashire runner led the charge on Saturday to encourage more people to take part in a regular Burnley fun run.

Up to 100 runners take part each weekend in the Park Run, over five kilometres, through Towneley Park.

But on Saturday middle-distance ace Helen Clitheroe, a European Indoor 3,000 metres gold medallist, who also took part in the Beijing Olympics and earned bronze at 1,500 metres at Manchester’s Commonwealth Games, was on hand.

The Preston runner was in Burnley as part of her role as ambassador for Run England, a national athletics project.