Lauren Jeska has taken second place in the World Mountain Running Association Grand Prix, being beaten only by the World Champion Andrea Mayr from Austria to cap “an amazing year” that also saw her win the English Championship.

The 36-year old Todmorden Harrier clinched the runners-up spot after finishing fifth at the Smarna Gora Race in Slovenia despite suffering from abdominal pains in the week leading up to the event.

Earlier in the summer she has finished third and fourth in the two Austrian rounds and she is presently in Austria trying to set up a permanent move out there.

“I had a fantastic run at Smarna Gora,” said Jeska. “Beating Anna Frost (of New Zealand), if only because she has run 20 races in 20 weeks, but still as benchmarks go it’s quite an achievement.”

"Racing this week is why I wasn't at Black Mountains for my British medal, and I finished comfortably second overall in the WMRA Grand Prix. Andrea Mayr is the person I most wanted to race against, and one of the reasons I went to run the Grand Prix, albeit quite a few minutes slower than her.”

Josh Tighe was representing England in the men’s race as part of the U23 Delelopment Team. The Blackburn Harrier was 17th, splitting Tom and Mark Addison the other team members who were 16th and 18th. Gary Priestley, the Chorley-based Horwich RMI Harrier was a minute behind them in 22nd.