KENDAL veteran Phil Whiting notched up his first event victory when he won the six-mile Caw Fell Race from near Broughton-in-Furness.

Whiting, 45, a teacher at Sedbergh's Baliol School, put his success down to route choice which he learnt while finishing second last year.

"I went up the gully to the left of the face and re-traced my steps back," said Whiting. "The rest of the field came down the way they went up and had to pick their way down dodging from left to right."

Whiting had a 200 metre lead at the bottom of the hill which the chasing Johan Meyfroidt (Helm Hill) and Dan Duxbury (Ambleside) made deep inroads into and just 12 seconds separated the first three as they crossed the line.

"Johan would have beaten me if he had followed my line. He was closing me down at the end."

First lady was Jackie Lee (unattached) who was running in only her third ever fell race and was just 30 seconds outside the 1995 record set by Helen Diamantides. Lee posted a time of 61-23.

Race organiser Andrew Woods moved the event forward from its usual August date to May because later in the year the course is covered in bracken and it is difficult to overtake on the narrow paths.

RESULTS: 1 P Whiting, Kendal, 53-44; 2 J Meyfroidt, Helm Hill, 53-51; 3 D Duxbury, Ambleside, 53-56; 4 P Pollitt, CFR, 53-56; 5 G Thorpe, Ambleside, 54-32; 6 A Miller, Kendal, 57-03; 7 C Jones, Horwich, 58-08; 8 D Jones, Hoad Hill, 58-38; 9 D Richardson, Helm Hill, 59-43; 10 R Cannon, Helm Hill, 60-37; 15 M Berry, Black Combe, 63-06; 21 S Watson, Dallam, 71-56; 22 P Grayson, Black Combe, 75-24; 23 C Fursey, Black Combe, 79-52; 24 S Rutherford, Black Combe, 80-59; 25 K Rutherford, Black Combe, 81-00.

n Borrowdale's Jonathan Bland led home a field of 113 competitors who took part in Sunday's Buttermere Sailbeck Horseshoe Fell Race.

Bland beat his team mate Andy Schofield by 39 seconds over a 9.4 mile course that includes 4,250ft of climbing and an ascent of Causey Pike at around the half way point.

Best-placed South Lakeland athlete was Ambleside's Jon Deegan who was sixth and his team mate Dan Golding was a creditable 11th.Cumberland Fell Runners' Kate Beattie was the first lady in 1-50-07.

RESULTS: 1 J Bland, Borrowdale, 1-30-15; 2 A Schofield, Borrowdale, 1-30-54; 3 G Crayston, CFR, 1-31-11; 6 J Deegan, Ambleside, 1-34-37; 11 D Golding, Ambleside, 1-41-36; 14 G Thorpe, Ambleside, 1-43-22; 18 A Miller, Kendal, 1-44-22; 25 M Beresford, Kendal, 1-46-13; 28 S Freeman, Ambleside, 1-46-58; 50 C Speight, Ambleside, 1-57-07; 56 R Jerram, Kendal, 1-58-36; 67 P Simpson, Kendal, 2-04-12; 76 D Robinson, Ambleside, 2-10-32; 90 J Taylor, Ambleside, 2-21-32; 96 D Ablitt, Ambleside, 2-24-18.

May 15, 2003 13:00