BLACKBURN Harriers came to the rescue of the Red Rose Cross Country League when at short notice, Bury AC was unable to host the first meeting of the season.

They made sure the fixture passed off without a hitch for the 550 entrants – then the Harriers prospered winning three races and six team awards, while three veterans were first in class.

Their success started early with the U11 boys being first team ahead of Blackpool on countback with Oliver Murray and Kristian McInery in third and fourth.

Elizabeth Greenwood was an impressive winner for the girls, only two seconds slower than the first boy, yet Rossendale took team honours with Charlotte Waddington, Shauna Williamson and Beatrice Toman. Alexa McTiffin in fourth was Hynd-burn’s top finisher of the day.

Rossendale girls won again in the U13s despite Blackburn’s Sally Searson finishing second as Rebecca Flanagan, Megan Solomon and Isabella Lewis all packed into the top ten. Bolstered by Robert Wong and Robert Blow in fourth band fifth, the hosts won the U13 boys’ race, but Fergus Tallom of Chorley AC beat the pair of them to take third, while his club won the U15 boys’ race with brothers Ryan and Adam Sciacca and Joe Ellison. The in-form Megan Davies was second U15 girl for Rossendale while it was a virtual clean sweep for Blackburn in the U17-men's contest as Chris Matthews and Anthony Hauserman gave them a 1-2 with Robert Warner fourth.

n the senior, Katie Trickett and Tracy Mitchell were first and second women as Clayton-le-Moors Harriers secured first in the team standings and Blackburn grabbed second by a point with their all-veteran line-up of Julie Haworth, Jane Hodkinson and Jackie Taylor.

Emma Flanagan won the U20 class and helped Rossendale take third and Chorley Harriers made fourth with Sarah Biddulph fourth and Jackie Redmayne sixth. Redmayne was the second over 35 behind Clayton’s Mitchell, but it was the Blackburn trio who were easy winners in the veteran team standings.

Blackburn Harriers had all six of their counters in the first 20 to win both the senior and veteran team awards.

Karl Billington took a second outright to win the U20 class from Rossendale’s Phil Bolton while Matt Nuttall was Blackburn’s second counter in fourth winning the over 40s. The Clayton club was second team senior team with fourth placed Paul Thompson heading their effort and the veterans were also second as their first counter Mark Aspinall won the over 45s. Darwen’s Graham Schofield, the Horwich Harrier, was first over 50, Steve Duxbury took the over 55s for Rossendale Harriers, and Clayton’s Ted Orrell led the over 70s.