Pendle Athletic Club’s outstanding crop of U13 boys came up trumps again on Saturday when they won the North West Road Relay Championships at Sefton Park in Liverpool.

Tiarnan Crorken gave them an almost perfect start bringing them into the first change only a second behind leaders Vale Royal, clocking 11:49 over the 2.65 kilometres – a time that none of the athletes on the second and third legs could get near.

As Liverpool Harriers made their bid, Luke Thompson held station in second for the boys from Seedhill before Matthew Barnes overtook the Merseysiders to turn an eight second deficit into a six second advantage on the glory leg.

With the competition also incorporating the Lancashire County Championships it was double gold for the team while the ‘B’ team of Matthew Thompson, Morgan Ratcliffe and Thomas Marchant took Lancashire bronze with sixth outright.

Squads from Blackburn Harriers, Ribble Valley AC, Rossendale Harriers and Chorley Athletic Club all picked up medals with the Blackburn U17 women striking gold thanks to Jacinta Davison, Holly Ballantyne and Emily Fletcher helping them to eighth outright.

The Harriers’ outstanding performer was Elizabeth Greenwood who set up the U13s for County silver by running the first stage in the fastest time of the day – by more than 20 seconds.

There were five medals in all for the club with second for the senior men after a fine first stage from Karl Billington, and third places for the U15 boys and the senior women.

The road relays bridge the track and field and cross country seasons and this weekend will see the Northern Championships in Warrington with the National following at Sutton Park, Birmingham three weeks later.

Rossendale Harriers set themselves up nicely for the greater challenges ahead by taking three medals.

The U15 boys’ team of Sam Settle, Matthew Harris and Callum Davidson missed the North West Championship bronze medal by only eight seconds as they placed fourth, but still took Lancashire silver.

The U17 women were also second, while bronze was the colour for the senior men.

Amelia Wood gave Ribble Valley Athletic Club a great start in the U15 girls’ race and they went on to take county silver and Chorley Athletic Club was similarly indebted to Ryan Sciacca as they were awarded silver in the U17 men’s contest.