TWO young Chorley Athletic and Triathlon Club athletes took on the best from the north west at the Regional Sportshall final held at SportCity in Manchester.

Ben Hughes, competing in the U13s competition, achieved a personal best in the four-lap race and brought his relay team home in second.

Ben was the second highest scoring boy from Lancashire, helping his team to finish third in the overall standings.

Holly Brookes finished fifth in the U15s girls shot after throwing a personal best.

She also claimed a PB in the standing long jump and helped her team finish fifth in the overall standings.

Seven Chorley stars, meanwhile, competed in the first track and field meeting of the year in Blackpool.

First-time competitors Rueben Kay and Emma Cull were in action in the under 9s. Rueben achieved second place in the boys long jump and Emma third place in the girls long jump.

Lauren Prince, Alice Singleton and Isabelle Farron had a promising start to the season with good runs in the U11s girls 80m and 600m while Caitlin McCarrick, the club’s sole representative in the U13s girls event, competed well in her first track and field meeting.

Holly threw 20.04m in the U17s girls discus.

Joe Duckworth, meanwhile, continued his preparations for the Ironman World Championships by taking part in the two-day Gin Pit Marathons at Astley and Tyldsley.

The event consists of a marathon on the Saturday followed by another on the Sunday.

On day one Joe finished third overall in a time of three hours, eight minutes and 14 seconds, just 10 minutes down on the leader.

However on day two he won the race by six minutes in a time of 3hours, 3mins 27secs.

That meant Joe finished second overall in six hours, 11mins 41secs.