Rob Hope is not a man to take the easy option.

In October, he delayed his return from the World Trophy in New Zealand so that he could explore the country, but got back so late that he almost missed the English Fell Championship decider.

He arrived in Manchester Airport at 7.20am and by 11am he was racing in the Langdales and winning to share the English title.

On Sunday, the Wheelton-based athlete completed an amazing hat trick of victories at the Winter Hill Fell Race, an eleven mile tester rated as a Category A' event because of the 2750 feet of climbing involved.

His record time of 1:33:38 set in 2004 still stands but his subsequent wins have been of at least equal merit.

Last year he fell and broke his hand halfway through the race yet was still too strong for his rivals, and this year won in appalling conditions where poor visibility resulted in 24 retirements from the field of 187.

The course had to be lengthened slightly because of the phytopthera ramorum disease affecting the rhododendrons at Rivington's famous Chinese terrace gardens yet Hope still managed to clock 1:37:23 for a 10 second margin over Lloyd Taggart from Dark Peak.

The race ended with a dash for the line between the pair over the final 800 metres after Rob's brother Danny had blown up on the final climb.

By the end he was nearly five minutes in arrears finishing in 1:43:18 but the siblings still helped their Pudsey and Bramley club take team honours. Clayton's runner of the year Paul Thompson was fifth in 1:44:15.

Clayton's English Champion Kieran Carr won the over 60 class in 2:08:50 while Darwen Dasher Don Ashton was first over 65 in 2:16:03.

Chorley Harriers won the women's team prize thanks to Nicola Raby, fifth in 2:33:23, with Anna Marie Crabtree and Jenny Wiseman sixth and 11th in support.

To complete a story of family connections, the over 50 title went to Paul Thompson's mother Katy while Nicola Raby's husband Dominic had a less successful outing.