CLAYTON Harriers were finally placed second in the 45 mile long Rossendale Way Relay on Sunday after an objection against winners Bingley was dismissed.

The controversial incident was on the final of the six stages from Stubbins when Clayton's Ian Greenwood and Jason Harbour set the fastest time of the day as they chased down Bingley's narrow advantage.

The Yorkshiremen strayed off course when they failed to take a left at the aptly named Turn Village, but the error was a fortunate one as it replaced a boggy patch of fell with tarmac.

They stayed in front to take victory by 47 seconds after overfive 5 hours of close racing.

Clayton Fell Captain Garry Wilkinson said "The boys are disappointed because they felt they could have caught up, but there is no bad feeling, Bingley is a top club and we pushed them all the way."

In another twist the 'B' team runners on the first stage proved to be stronger than the 'A' team selections.

Tony Chew and Mark Horrocks set the second fastest time of the day while the 'A' team were 56 seconds down -- which was more than their final deficit over Bingley.

Not everything ran smoothly for their rivals though, Bingley's second leg runners weren't ready at the changeover and they lost a minute, with Clayton capitalising as Andy Black and Andy Hartley set the fastest time on the third stage to set up the exciting finish.

A consistent Rossendale performance in which all their pairings were in the top six saw them come home a comfortable 4th. Jason Howard and Andy Payne were 2nd on the 3rd stage skirting Bacup and finishing at Love Clough. They handed to Ray Rawlinson and Dave Schofield who were 3rd quickest through Rising Bridge and onto a revised changeover on the Grane Road.

Andy Wrench and George Ehrhardt were only two seconds off fastest for the hilly second leg as Todmorden finished 6th, while Darwen Dashers fell specialists Richard Thomas and Russell Owen also made light work of stage two which climbs Brown Wardle Hill, Middle Hill and Hades Hill.

The club was on the way to its best ever finish, 10th.

Clayton won the award for the 1st 'B' team as they took 7th overall, and the veterans were runners-up with Rossendale 3rd. Accrington Road Runners put their top runners in a mixed team and were rewarded when they took second place only two minutes behind Saddleworth.

Dave McDonough and Adrian Nicholls got them off to a flying start, while Leigh Hargreaves and Joanne Bramley on leg four excelled for the ladies.

As in the men's race, Clayton Ladies finished second to Bingley, but they were in front after four stages with three fastest times to their credit. Maureen Laney and Vanessa Peacock put them ahead on the long first stage from Marl Pits to the disused Broadley Station and the pairings of Jean Pearson and Judith Lee on leg three, and Anna Lee and Mel Wilkinson on leg four added to their early advantage.

Open: 1 Bingley 5:11:00, 2 Clayton 'A' 5:11:47 (Phil Hall/Andy Stubbs, Willy Sullivan/Paul Thompson, Andy Black/Andy Hartley, Andy Orr/John Wieczorek, Simon Thompson/Dave Walker, Ian Greenwood/Jason Harbour), 4 Rossendale 'A' 5:24:52 (Gary Sumner/Steve Clawson, Phil Taylor/Mervyn Keys, Jason Howard/Andy Payne, Ray Rawlinson/Dave Schofield, Ken Taylor/Thornton Taylor, Steve Duxbury/Martin Lee), 6 Todmorden 'A' 5:34:53, 7 (1st 'B' Team) Clayton 'B' 5:34:59, 8 (1st Vets) Horwich Vets 5:44:11, 9 Bowland Fell Runners 5:48:23, 10 Darwen Dashers 'A' 5:51:36, 11 (2nd Vets) Clayton Vets 'A' 5:57:37, 14 Rossendale 'B' 6:07:56, 18 (3rd Vets) Rossendale Vets 6:18:53, 20 (4th Vets) Clayton 'B' Vets 6:23:03, 21 (5th Vets) Clayton Z 'A' 6:29:32, 35 Accrington RR 6:52:47, 36 Rossendale 'C' 6:55:46, 37 Todmorden 'B' 6:55:50, 39 Red Rose RR 6:58:29, 48 (10th Vets) Clayton 'X' 7:27:38, 49 West Pennine Runners 7:44:41, 51 Clayton 'Y' 7:48:55, 53 Rossendale Combining 8:05:46, 55 Blackburn Road Runners 8:22:59

Mixed: 1 (23rd) Saddleworth 6:37:16, 2 (27th) Accrington Road Runners 6:39:44 (Dave McDonough/Adrian Nicholls, Dave Fielding/Adrian Fearnley, Gill Craske/Julia Hartley, Leigh Hargreaves/Joanne Bramley, Debbie Gowans/Bobbie Jo Young, Dave Gaskill/Geoff Biscomb), 4 (32nd) Todmorden 6:50:20, 6 (50th) Rossendale 7:47:01, 7 (52nd) Darwen Dashers 8:00:53, 8 (56th) Accrington RR 8:32:32

Ladies: 1 (31st) Bingley 6:49:51, 2 (38th) Clayton 6:57:38 (Maureen La ney/Vanessa Peacock, Carol Life/Alison Smith, Jean Pearson/Judith Lee, Anna Lee/Mel Wilkinson, Wendy Dodds/Kath Wallis, Katie Thompson/Lyndsay Hudson), 5 (44th) Rossendale 7:21:32 Victoria's fairytale season keeps on running VICTORIA Gill's fairytale first season in athletics continued when she was Lancashire's first counter in the Inter Counties Cross Country Championship at Wollerton Park, Nottingham.

The 20-year-old Chorley Harrier finished 9th senior lady in the 8K race adding to her 3rd place at the Northern Championships and her Lancashire title.

Despite finishing ahead of seasoned internationals like Pauline Powell of Blackburn Harriers, she just missed selection for the GB World Championship Team.

Apart from a single season with Chorley AC when she was 11, she had no club until this summer. She ran in Chorley Harrier's 10M Road Race in May logging 61 minutes as an unattached runner and was immediately invited to train with the club.

Since then she has also joined Fife AC near University at St Andrew's where she is a medical student.

This summer she intends to try the track, and if successful may take time out from her studies to try for a Commonwealth Games place next year.

Former Hyndburn AC athlete Amanda Parkinson won selection for the GB World Championship Team in Dublin after finishing 4th in the shorter 4K event at Nottingham. The success is overdue for Amanda who earlier in the season travelled to Margate for the European Trials only to be struck down with food poisoning on the morning of the race. She was named as reserve and made the long trip to Sweden without getting a run. Preston's Olympic 1500m runner Helen Pattinson is also in the team for Dublin after winning the trial.

Boys: Under 13: 13/1st Lancs Ben Rusius (P) 11:41, 39/2nd Daniel McLean (BH) 12:02, 230/7th Callum Fitzpatrick (H) 13:19. Under 15: 41/1st Lancs Chris Hart (B) 16:18, 141/5th James Rusius (P) 17:11, 202/8th Marc Hartley (B) 17:41. Under 17: 158/3rd Lancs Chris Rusius (P) 24:42, 206/5th Lee Leishman (P) 25:34. Under 20: 25/2nd Lancs Ben Fish (BH) 27:39, 45/4th Michael Hammer (BH) 28:22, 73/6th Liam Barton (BH) 29:15, 84/7th Jon O'Dea (BH) 29:34. Girls: Under 13: 62/1st Lancs Danielle Walker (B) 13:06, 109/2nd Alexis Walker (B) 13:32, 200/5th Emma Graham (B) 14:08, 217/6th Jade Hartley (P) 14:22, 227/7th Louise Highton (H) 14:28. Under 15: 20/1st Lancs Laura Finucane (P) 16:24, 41/3rd Laura Livesey (CAC) 16:43, 68/4th Victoria Snape (CH) 17:04, 119/6th Anne Smith (PHS) 17:33, 167/7th Rachel Holt (BH) 18:00. Under 17: 92/3rd Lancs Katie Ingram (CH) 22:36. Under 20: 1 Louise Daman (Dorset) 22:45, 44/1st Lancs Victoria Rusius (P) 27:04

Seniors 8K: Men: 1 Glynn Tromans (Coventry) 38:11, 135/1st North Wales Counties Richard Thomas (DD) 43:20, 143/7th Lancs Mark Aspinall (C) 43:31, 193/2nd N Wales Russell Owen (DD) 44:33 Team: 3rd Lancs Women; 1 Liz Yelling (Beds) 28:28, 9/1st Lancs Victoria Gill (CH) 29:43, 16/2nd Pauline Powell (BH) 30:24, 46/3rd Nicola Dean (BH) 31:47, 176/7th Sarah Willimott (BH) 34:45. Seniors 4K: Men: 1 Spencer Barden (Belgrave) 12:25, 22 Lee McCash (Sale) 13:04 Women: 1 Helen Pattinson (Preston) 14:11, 4 Amanda Parkinson (Sale) 14:40 What's On CROSS Country runners return to league action on Saturday with the first Mid Lancs fixture for two months at Blackpool's Stanley Park. The races start with the under 11 girls at 12:30pm, and progress in age group order. The final race, for senior men, is at 2:30pm.

The Parbold Hill Race is a 6.5m multi-terrain event. Start is at 2pm on Saturday from Richard Durnings Endowed School, Chorley Road, Parbold, near Wigan. The Wadsworth Trog Fell Race is 20 miles long and starts from the Old Town Cricket Club, Hebden Bridge at 10am on Saturday. Entries will not be accepted on the day, so call Rod Sutcliffe on 01422-882082 if interested.

The Winter Hill Fell Race on Sunday is 11 miles long including 2750' of climbing. Start is from Rivington Barn, Horwich at 10am. The entry date has passed so please check with organiser Tony Varley on 01204-669570 for availability.

There will be a prize for all finishers of the Arnold and Nora Bagnall 4.3m Road Race. It starts at 11:15am on Sunday from the Spring Inn Pub, Broad Lane, Rochdale, off the A671 Oldham Road. The Clemo Rover Liversedge Half Marathon is on Sunday at noon. Liversedge is in West Yorkshire, and the race starts from Roberttown Community Centre. Race Calendar February

Sat 17th Mid Lancs League -- Blackpool Cross Country

Sat 17th Wadsworth Trog 20M/4000' -- Hebden Bridge Fell

Sat 17th Parbold Hill Race Multi Terrain

Sun 18th Liversage 1/2 MarRoad

Sun 18th Arnold &Nora Bagnall 4.3M -- RochdaleRoad

Sun 18th Winter Hill 11M/2750' -- Rivington Barn Fell

Sat 24th Nationals -- Durham Cross Country

Sun 25th Radcliffe 12M Trail

Sun 25th Lostock 6M Road

Sun 25th Colour Coded Event -- Tockholes Orienteering What's On

March Sat 3rd Noon Stone-- Todmorden 9M/2300' (S Penn GP2) Fell

Sat 3rd Bleasdale Circle 5M/1250' Fell

Sun 4th Hyndburn 10KMulti Terrain

Sun 4th Lancs Fire Service 10M - St Annes Road

Sun 4th Muddy Bottoms 9M/17M -- Bamber Bridge off Road, walk or run

Sat 10th English Schools Championship - Chelmsford Cross Country

Sun 11th Gt North West 1/2 Marathon -- Leyland Road

Sun 11th Roddlesworth Roller -- Abbey Village 5M Multi Terrain

Sun 11th Pam Haworth 4.3M -- Rochdale Multi Terrain

Wed 14th Peter Purdy Memorial 1M -- Littleborough Road

Sat 17th Wuthering Hike 31M/4400' -- Oxenhope Fell

Sun 18th Burnley 10KRoad ON THE RUN:Clayton Harriers Simon Thompson and Dave Walker Picture: STEVE BATESON FIRST HOME: Victoria Gill Picture by PETE HARTLEY