The final act of the winter athletics season took place at Preston Grasshoppers RUFC when the Mid Lancs Cross Country League held its Presentation Evening.

The six race series ran from October to March with fixtures at Leyland, Burnley, Liverpool, Lancaster, Chorley and Blackburn.

As usual, East Lancashire runners picked up their share of the trophies and medals on offer.

Beckie Taylor, Emma Flanagan and Katie Morris were gold medal winners with Beckie winning four under 13 girls' races to achieve the perfect score.

With help from Naomi Thompson 4th, Charlotte Atkinson 5th and Megan Searson 11th, she won a second gold medal as Blackburn Harriers were the top team.

The Pendle team took bronze with Emma Spencer third individual. The under 15 girls' was a closely contested affair clinched by Rossendale's Emma Flanagan after winning the last two rounds, helping Dale to team silver in the process. Lucie Patry struck bronze for Blackburn.

Blackburn Harriers won their second team award of the night in the under 17 women's class as Rachel Searson grabbed the bronze medal behind the outstanding Hannah Bateson from Lancaster. Melanie Taylor, Toni Aldridge, Holly Robinson and Rachel Wood were the other counters. East Lancashire finished 1-2 in the under 20s with Katie Morris of Blackburn and Rossendale's Sarah Yeomans taking the gold and silver medals.

Only one athlete won twice in this class though, Anna Anderson of Pendle who didn't complete the series. Sue Burns was the star of the Clayton women's team placing third in the over 45s and adding two team bronze medals to her tally in the over 35 and over 45 divisions.

Rossendale's Joe Kelly was the only individual medal winner from our area in the boys' classes winning the bronze in the under 17s.

Clayton-le-Moors Harriers' men's team events won seniors Division 1, the over 40 veterans won their Division 1, and the over 60 were also first. Surprisingly the over 50s could only manage third in spite of Peter Butterworth finishing second in class to Steve Duxbury.