SIMON Booth returned to Helvellyn after an absence of nine years and showed that he is still the one to beat.

The Borrowdale runner raced to victory in 1 hour 39 minutes, less than two minutes outside the fell race record he set way back in 1995.

In perfect running conditions 95 runners tackled the run up and down England's second highest mountain and Kate Beattie, of Cumberland Fell Runners, broke the women's record with a time of 1:58:00, beating Nichola Davis' time of 2:00:20, also set in 1995.

Borrowdale won the team prize, making up for an error that cost them the equivalent award in the warm up Two Riggs Race held the previous Thursday evening.

Jim Davis, of Borrowdale, was running a comfortable second behind Booth, who also took the Two Riggs title, when he took a wrong turn at St John's-in-the-Vale and ran one Rigg instead of two effectively handing the team prize on a plate to Keswick.

Results: Helvellyn Race: Men - 1 Simon Booth (Borrowdale) 1:39:00; 2 Andrew Schofield (Borrowdale) 1:45:04; 3 & 1st V40 Joe Blackett (North York Moors) 1:45:32; 4 Mark Denham-Smith (Keswick) 1:48:44; 5 Nick Fish (Ambleside) 1:48:54; 6 Nimrod Lockwood (Keswick) 1:50:07: 10 Stuart Shuttleworth (Ambleside) 1:52:00; 14 Rob Turner (Ambleside) 1:57:13; 18 & 1st V50 Dave Tait (Dark Peak) 1:59:00; 22 Dan Ducksbury (Ambleside) 2:01:47;32 & V60 Peter Covey (Pudsey & Bramley) 2:08:00; 53 Paul Simpson (Kendal) 2:20:00. Women 1 & 1st V40 Kate Beattie (Cumberland Fell Runners) 1:58:00; 2 Lynne Clough (Wigan Phoenix) 2:09:37; 3 Wendy Dodd (Clayton) 2:16:31.

Two Riggs: Men 1 Simon Booth (Borrowdale) 40:41; 2 Simon Staner (Ambleside) 43:22; 3 Dave Troman (Keswick) 43:23; 4 Mark Smith (Keswick) 43:28; 5 Gavin Bland (Borrowdale) 44:09; 6 Peter Brittleton (Howgill) 44:09; 9 & 1st V40 James Archbold (Cumberland Fell Runners) 49-29; 15 & 1st V50 Duncan Overton (Keswick) 46:435. Women 1 Kate Beattie (Cumberland Fell Runners) 51:37; 2 Angela Brand-Barker (Keswick) 56:07; 3 Sharon Schofield (Borrowdale) 56:59.

Roof running ANOTHER bumper turnout was recorded for this year's Hutton Roof Crags Race and 240 runners enjoyed soft going after heavy rain had cleared in time for the race.

Lee Siemaszko (Borrow-dale) pulled way from Craig Roberts (Kendal AC) after the big climb up Farleton Knott to finish first. Roberts was just 30 seconds behind and first veteran 40.

Horwich took the team award followed by Wesham roadrunners.

Rebecca Robinson (Kendal AC) won the women's race, almost a minute clear of Settle Harrier Karen Slater in second place.Wendy Dodds (Clayton) had a good race to finish seventh and first V40 as well as first V50.

The junior race was not so well supported because of a clash with the English Championship race at Helvelyn on Sunday, but local runners fared well.

Jack Dickinson (Hutton Roof) was 1st U12 boy; Ryan Suttleworth (Whittington) 1st U14 boy; Tom Addison (Helm Hill) 1st U16 boy; Shannon Moorehead (Settle Harriers) 1st U12 girls and Sian Stead (Holmfirth) 1st U14 girl.

Horwich won the men's prize and Ilkley the women's team prize.

Results: Men:1 L. Siemasko (Borrowdale) 47;38; 2 C. Roberts (Kendal) 48;08; 3 J. Logue (Horwich) 49;50; 4 C. Pass (Wesham) 50;02; 5 A. Dunn (Helm Hill) 50;04; 6 B. Bolland (Horwich 50;22; 9 C. Miller (Harrogate) 50;44; 10 E. Simpson (Preston Harriers) 50;59. Vet 40: 1 J. Hooson (Ambleside) 50;56; 2 T. Taylor (Rossendale) 51:38; 3 A. Clarke (Calder Valley) 52;20. Vet 50: 1 B. Grant (Harrogate) 53;29; 2 G. Pendlebury (Wesham) 54;30; 3 J. Griffiths (Rasmey RR) 55;17. Vet 60: 1 P. Jepson (FRA) 64;05; 2 G. James (Blackpool) 66;52; 3 Webster (Valley Striders) 67;02.

Women: 1 R. Robinson (Kendal) 57;37; 2 K. Slater (Settle H) 58;24; 3 J. Dunn (Helm Hill) 59;55. Vet 40: 1 W. Dodds (Clayton) 65;44; 2 J. Robinson (Garstang) 66;27; 3 D. Pelly (Dark Peak) 70;20. Vet 50: 1 W. Dodds (Clayton) 65;44; 2 L. Lord (Clayton) 71;30.

New record n CANDICE LEAH, of Clayton, set a new women's record in the Austwick Amble when she raced home in 59 minutes 42 seconds for the eight-mile race which goes out and back from the village centre.

Results: Men: 1 Lee Siemaszko (Borrowdale) 51:17; 2 Chris Miller (Harrogate) 51:39; 3 Richard Pattinson (Pudsey Pacers) 51:50; 4 Thornton Taylor (Rossendale) 52:23; 5th &1st V40 Andrew Robertshaw (Otley) 53:41; V50 Steven Kirkbride (Kendal) 58:27; V60 Geoffrey Fielding (Rossendale) 62:16.

Women: 1 Candice Leah (Clayton) 59:42; 2 Karen Slater (Settle) 61:53; 3 & 1st V45 Wendy Dodds (Clayton) 68:13; V40 Liz Campbell (unattached) 82:09.