SNOW capped the fell tops and an Arctic wind chilled the field as fell runner and dual cross-country champion Simon Barnby ran the second-ever fastest Wilson Run at Sedbergh School on Tuesday.

His winning time of 1 hour, 9 minutes, 36 seconds put him almost 10 minutes clear of the second-placed finisher, but hopes of breaking the 1993 record were not realised.

Over a windswept course still drying out after the weekend's snowfall and which is now slightly longer, Barnby's bid to better Charles Sykes' amazing 1993 run of 1-08-04 failed by a minute and 32 seconds.

It was a Barnby family three-timer, however, with Simon having won 12 months ago and brother Robert triumphant in 2005.

Runner-up this year was head boy Alex Mad Dog' Newcome, son of the Bishop of Penrith, in 1-19-19. Other leading placings were: 3 W G Steven 1-23-03; 4 J. Robinson 1-25-59; 5 A J Smith 1-26-40.

Sophie Dutton was the first girl in 1-41-44 and 42nd of the 104 mixed-sex field, ahead of Catherine Hirst, daughter of the headmaster, in 1-44-14, with Anika Heale third in 1-46-04.

Hopes had been raised of seeing a run close to the record because of Barnby's fell running feats. He has won competitive races in the local Kendal Winter League. He is also the current Cumbria schools' cross- country champion and took the Midlands and Northern Independent Schools' title at Giggleswick 48 hours before the run.

Wilson Run organiser Hugh Symonds said: "Simon set off from the gun to try and get the record and he ran extremely hard. You could see the fantastic determination he had in his face and it was an extraordinary run."

There was never much doubt Barnby, from Herefordshire, would win, but the ultimate prize of surpassing Sykes' record remained elusive.

This year's field faced inferior wintry conditions and had to run 250 metres further due to a bridleway requirement by a landowner, adding almost a minute to times - all of which will add to the debate about the merits of the respective performances.

Mr Symonds said: "There was a north-easterly wind this year which makes it slow in the first four miles of the race. I've looked at the split times and Simon was one minute 35 seconds slower than Sykes to Cautley and 50 seconds slower than him on Boar Fell, but he ran back from Danny on the last stage one minute faster, which shows his determination."

In addition to being the second fastest run since it was first held in 1881, the winning margin of 9min 43sec was the second largest - just one second short of Sykes beating Morison in 93.

Both former combatants were at the finishing line on Tuesday.

Barnby said: "I've been training hard because it is such a big race and just missed out on the record, but I didn't really realise I was capable of doing that time."

He now tackles the English Schools cross-country championships at Leeds this weekend, in which Sykes finished ninth in his year. He then hopes to become one of the youngest-ever competitors in the Three Peaks Race, a classic fell race of the area.