LANCASHIRE’S men scored team gold at last weekend’s Inter Counties Cross-Country Championships – with a core of Rossendale Harriers and Blackburn Harriers athletes helping the Red Rose to success.

Rossendale trio Grant Cunliffe, Andy Buttery and Christopher Fell, and Blackburn threesome Tom Cornthwaite, Gary Priestley and Matt Nuttall were all part of the Lancashire team that scooped the nine-man prize at Birmingham’s Cofton Park on Saturday.

Manx duo Keith Gerrard and Kevin Loundes, and Salford’s Phil Leybourne made up the rest of the winning county group, with Gerrard enjoying a double success after winning the individual senior men’s race.

Lancashire’s second best success in Birmingham came from their U15 girls, who just missed out on a podium place, finishing fourth overall.

Among those weighing in were Rossendale’s Rebecca Flanagan, Ribble Valley AC’s Amelia Wood and Blackburn Harrier Rebecca Flanagan.

Blackburn’s Elizabeth Greenwood enjoyed Lancashire’s best individual success, coming a respectable eighth in the U13 girls event.

n Blackburn Harrier long-distance star Ben Fish finished sixth at last Sunday’s Bath Half Marathon.

The 29-year-old clocked 1:05:28, just three minutes behind the winner, Kenya’s Edwin Kiptoo, who completed the 13.1 mile course in 1:02:01, breaking the current course record by eight seconds.

Fish is now set to run in the Hastings Half Marathon on March 25.