READ teenager Elizabeth Greenwood continued her remarkable progress on the long-distance stage by stealing the show at the opening fixture of the Mid Lancs Track and Field Series in Blackpool on Satuday.

The 13-year-old Blackburn Harrier a current English fell champion, ran her very first 3,000m in competition at chilly Stanley Park Arena and did so in a stunning 10 minutes, 14.2 seconds.

Although the season is in its infancy, Greenwood’s time was the second quickest by any U15 girl in the UK this year.

It also put her 29th in the ‘Power of 10’ all-time rankings list.

Not just that, she smashed Blackburn Harriers’ 3,000m club record in the U15 category, eclipsing the 10:43.9 set by Lucie Patry five years ago.

To put her performance into added context, she was quicker than all but two of the senior men at Blackpool, with 13 men taking part in their 3,000m race.

Pendle’s juniors also made a big impression at Stanley Park, with Leah Hillman and Joe Lonsdale both triple winners. Track and field debutant Lonsdale won in the 100m, 200m and long jump, while Hillman took the honours in the shot putt, discus and javelin disciplines.

Alan Plumb, Neng Wildman, Tiarnan Crorken, Matthew Barnes, Timothy Barnes, Gregan Baker, Natrika Wildman and Helena Leathley were also winners for a successful Pendle team that picked up the maximum points in 20 events.

The second of six Mid Lancs fixtures takes place on Saturday, June 2 at Blackburn’s Witton Park with the third fixture hosted by Hyndburn on Saturday, June 23.