STAVELEY'S Rob Jebb gave notice that this could well be his most successful season to date by winning the opening British Fell and Hill Running championship race of the season at Slieve Bearnagh in Northern Ireland's Mourne Mountains on Saturday.

Jebb, who runs for Bingley, finished 34 seconds clear of Borrowdale's Jim Davies over the 3.9-mile course that includes 2,680ft of climbing.

Ambleside took a strong contingent of athletes over the water and three of their number finished in the first ten giving the team an excellent start in their bid to win the overall team title.

Mark Rigby, who was first veteran, led them home in fourth place and he was ably supported by Nick Sharp in fifth and Simon Stainer who was eighth.

Carnethy's Angela Mudge was well clear in the women's race finishing 35th overall in 47-57 with Kendal-based Keswick athlete Louise Sharpe tied for second with Borrowdale's Nicola Davies (1st FV40) in 51-40.

Results:

1 Rob Jebb, Bingley, 41-52; 2 J Davies, Borrowdale, 42-26; 3 P Davies, Borrowdale, 42-29; 4 M Rigby, Ambleside, 42-52; 5 N Sharp, Ambleside, 42-52; 6 R Bryson, Newcastle, 42-55; 7 R Hope, Pudsey & Bramley, 43-09; 8 S Stainer, Ambleside, 43-29; 9 T Davies, Mercia, 43-37; 10 S Booth, Borrowdale, 43-46; 17 M Roberts, Borrowdale, 44-58; 39 N Ashcroft, Ambleside, 48-48; 43 J Deegan, Ambleside, 49-22; 44 A Smith, Ambleside, 49-23; 45 P Singleton, Ambleside, 49-33; 50 D Duxbury, Ambleside, 50-30; 64 L Sharp, Keswick, 51-40; 72 S Shuttleworth, Ambleside, 52-07; 77 S Hicks, Borrowdale, 52-27; 80 A Miller, Kendal, 52-37; 101 C Speight, Ambleside, 55-44; 118 S Taylor, Bingley, 58-08; 148 C Kenny, Ambleside, 1-04-33; 165 J Rae, Ambleside, 1-07-05; 174 V Wilkinson, Ambleside, 1-09-13.

n BORROWDALE'S Nick Spence, who lives at Longsleddale, was third vet 40 runner home in the four-and-a-half mile Pendle Fell Race from Barley on Saturday.

First vet was Clayton's Sean Livesey who was fourth and two places ahead of Bradford and Airedale's Steve Oldfield with Spence 11th.

Brothers Peter and Paul Brittleton also turned in solid performances finishing 15th and 22nd respectively from a field of 238 runners. Kendal's Mike Walsh was second V50 behind Clayton's Peter McWade in 30th place.

The race was won by Staffordshire and Moorland's Simon Bailey ahead of Bingley's Ian Holmes and Todmorden's George Ehrhdart. Saddleworth's Lucy Whittaker won the ladies' race finishing 58th in 38-39.

Results:

Seniors: 1 S Bailey, Staffs Moorland, 30-49; 2 I Holmes, Bingley, 31-30; 3 G Ehrhdart, Todmorden, 32-12; 4 S Livesey, Clayton, 32-28; 5 A Peace, Bingley, 32-49; 6 S Oldfield, Bradford & Airedale, 32-53; 7 T Werrett, Mercia, 33-04; 8 G Oldfield, Pudsey, 33-10; 9 R Lawrence, Bingley, 33-13; 10 D Walker, Clayton, 33-33; 11 N Spence, Borrowdale, 33-48; 15 Peter Brittleton, Howgill, 34-26; 22 Paul Brittleton, Helm Hill, 35-09; 30 M Walsh, Kendal, 36-39; 36 M Addison, Helm Hill, 37-21; 59 P Tuson, Kendal, 38-56; 149 B Slater, Settle, 46-33.

Juniors: U12: 1 Jos Addison, Helm Hill, 7-39; 2 A Rutherford, Clayton, 7-52; 4 Rory Addison, Helm Hill, 8-02. U16: 1 P Haworth, unattached, 15-42; 2 Tom Addison, Helm Hill, 16-16; 3 S McNeill, unattached, 17-49.

n BOWLAND'S Quentin Harding won his second race of the Kendal Winter League series and wrapped up the championship to boot at Austwick on Sunday.

Harding led from the start and was never really troubled over the three-and-a-half mile course that involved 900ft of climbing, although Helm Hill's Ian Atkinson never let him relax.

Kendal's Carl Robinson and Helm Hill's Robert Blenkharn were involved in a thrilling sprint finish in the U17 race with just one second separating the pair at the finish. Settle's Karen Slater won the ladies race while Helm Hill's Ashleigh Tallon triumphed in the girls' U17 race.

Helm Hill's Ryan Thornborrow was a clear winner of the boys' U14 race while his team-mate Jonathon Wright beat Dallam's Alex Till to the line in the boys' U12 event. Helm Hill's Rosie Parkinson won the girls' U14 race and Cumberland Fell Runners' Melanie Morphet held off a strong challenge by Helm Hill's Hannah Sewell in the girls' U12 race.

Results:

Senior Men: 1 Q Harding, Bowland, 22-05; 2 I Atkinson, Helm Hill, 22-37; 3 D Scholes, Keighley & Craven, 22-56; 4 A Holden, Wharfedale, 23-42; 5 M Addison, Helm Hill, 24-18; 6 R Cannon, Helm Hill, 24-34.

Women: 1 K Slater, Settle, 25-26; 2 H Sedgwick, Ilkley, 26-12; 3 S Harding, Bowland, 29-19.

Boys U17: 1 C Robinson, Kendal, 16-37; 2 R Blenkharn, Helm Hill, 16-38; 3 M Hurst, Skipton, 17-30.

Girls U17: 1 A Tallon, Helm Hill, 24-04; 2 S Morphet, unattached, 29-14.

Boys U14: 1 R Thornborrow, Helm Hill, 8-50; 2 T Addison, Helm Hill, 9-13; 3 B Morphet, CFR, 9-50.

Girls U14: 1 R Parkinson, Helm Hill, 9-58; 2 K Robinson, Helm Hill, 11-55.

Boys U12: 1 J Wright, Helm Hill, 7-01; 2 A Till, Dallam, 7-08; 3 C Roberts, Kendal, 7-12.

Girls U12: 1 M Morphet, CFR, 8-49; 2 H Sewell, Helm Hill, 8-54; 3 R Addison, Helm Hill, 9-10.

April 11, 2003 10:31