AMBLESIDE'S Simon Stainer won his second fell race of the year when he romped home with two minutes to spare in Saturday's 12 mile Three Shires Race from Little Langdale, writes Mike Addison.

The 35-year-old English Nature conservation officer allowed Borrowdale's Andrew Davies to do most of the route finding over a course that visits the summits of Wetherlam, Pike O'Blisco and Lingmoor.

"I ran threequarters of the way round with Andrew," said Stainer, whose previous race victory was at Tebay. "It was not until we got to the top end of Blea Tarn that I got a slight gap on him and I managed to pull away up Lingmoor."

Stainer has only done the race once before and admitted: "Andrew was keeping me right half the time with directions." Davies could console himself with the first V40 prize.

First lady was Keswick's Louise Sharp who was 27th and nearly two minutes ahead of Staveley's Sharon Taylor who runs for Bingley.

Meanwhile, youngsters from all over the north of England competed in the final English championship event of the season with all the races being highly competitive.

The biggest field was for the U12 race which attracted 34 runners and was won by Keighley's Thomas Sessford, although second-placed Ryan Gould, East Cheshire, took the overall title. Helm Hill's Jonathon Wright and Tom Doyle finished third and fourth, which reflected where they finished in the overall standings. First girl was Holmfirth's Amy McGivern who was seventh overall.

Rossendale's Phil Bolton triumphed in the U14 race with Ingleton's Ben Morphet being the best-placed local athlete finishing a respectable ninth. First girl was Blue Haywood, of Lincoln Well, who was fifth.

Pendle's Ben Lindsay was pushed all the way by the leading group in the U16 race and finished just nine seconds ahead of Skipton's Matthew Hirst. Helm Hill's Tom Addison had been fourth at the turn on top of Lingmoor but slipped back to sixth. CFR's Emma Stuart was first girl in 15th.

Kirkby Stephen's Sarah Tunstall was first girl in the U18 race finishing ninth. Jonny Mellor of Liverpool Harriers won the race. There were only two U20 runners with Wigan's Danny Kevan winning the duel.

Results: (first 100) 1 S. Stainer, Ambleside 1.57.56; 2 A. Davies, Borrowdale M40 2.00.02; 3 J. Hunt, CFR 2.04.56; 4 A. Davies, Carnethy, M40 2.05.01; 5 R. Lightfoot, CFR, 2.05.03; 6 J. Blackett, North York Moors AC, M40 2.05.05; 7 A. Ward, Dark Peak, 2.05.35; 8 C. Fray, Pennine, M40 2.08.21; 9 B. Taylor, CFR, 2.08.28; 10 J. Archbold CFR M40 2.08.31; 11 D. Golding, Ambleside, 2.09.32; 12 P. Singleton, Ambleside, 2.09.42; 14 P. Whiting, Kendal, M40 2.13.09; 15 N. Spence, Borrowdale, M40 2.14.49; 17 P. Clark, Kendal, M50 2.15.40; 19 J. Murfin, Settle, 2.16.21; 23 C. Valentine, Keswick, M40 2.17.31; 24 P. Dugdale, Kendal, 2.17.36; 27 L. Sharp, Keswick, F 2.18.28; 28 G. Thorpe, Ambleside, M40 2.18.57; 34 S. Taylor, Bingley, F 2.20.18; 36 A. Pilkington, Settle, 2.20.59; 37 M. Beresford, Kendal, 2.21.04; 38 A. Miller, Kendal, M40 2.21.44; 41 Q. Harding, Bowland, M40, 2.23.38; 42 N. Pike, Hoad Hill, 2.23.57; 56 J. Osborne, Settle, M40 2.27.31; 57 R. Cannon, Helm Hill, M40 2.28.14; 58 K. Rutherford, Black Combe, M40 2.28.55; 59 M. Berry, Black Combe, M50 2.29.00; 64 C. Lumb, Kendal, M50 2.30.22; 67 B. Kennedy, Settle, 2.30.56; 69 R. Scott, Kendal, 2.31.29; 76 R. Jerram, Kendal, M40 2.33.49; 85 F. Livesey, Horwich, M40 2.36.32; 87 P. Simpson, Kendal, M40 2.37.14; 93 M. Horn, Settle, 2.38.11; 94 G. Allsopp, Settle, M40 2.38.23; 95 S. Oxley, Settle, M40 2.38.33.

Juniors: U-12: 1 T. Sessford, Keighley & Craven, 10-13; 2 R. Gould, East Cheshire, 10-31; 3 J. Wright, Helm Hill, 10-39; 4 T. Doyle, Helm Hill, 10-51; 5 R. Addison, Helm Hill, 10-58; 10 N. Till, Helm Hill, 11-18; 13 Jos Addison, Helm Hill, 11-44; 15 Jenny Addison, Helm Hill, 11-54; 17 D. Lund, Settle, 12-29; 18 M. Morphet, CFR, 12-45; 19 J. Wright, Broughton, 12-54; 29 M. Cannon, Helm Hill, 15-21.

U-14: 1 P. Bolton, Rossendale, 21-23; 2 R. Shuttleworth, Preston, 21-54; 3 T. Yates, Keswick, 21-58; 9 B. Morphet, CFR, 22-41; 20 C. Tuson, Helm Hill, 26-12.

U-16: 1 B. Lindsay, Pendle, 20-08; 2 M. Hirst, Skipton, 20-17; 3 S. Mitchell, Vale Royal, 20-26; 6 T. Addison, Helm Hill, 21-04; 7 D. Shepherd, Settle, 21-09; 16 L. McCrae, Broughton, 23-25; 28 L. Campbell, Helm Hill, 29-47.

U-18: 1 J. Mellor, Liverpool, 36-01; 2 S. Hunn, Skipton, 36-04; 3 J. Teece, Matlock, 36-31; 5 A. Russell, Kendal, 9 S. Tunstall, Border, 39-42.

U-20: 1 D. Kevan, Wigan, 39-26; 2 A. Godwin, Rossendale, 44-42.

n BORROWDALE runners dominated proceedings at the 4.5-mile Dale Head race from Rosthwaite with the top three places being filled with athletes from the local club.

It was Jim Davies who crossed the line first ahead of Jonathan Bland and Gavin Bland with 52 seconds separating the three.

The first V40 was Bowland's Tim Kelly who was just over a minute ahead of Westmorland's Chris Upson. Kendal's Mike Walsh was first V50 in 17th.

Ambleside's Sue Wood was the first lady finishing 21st, over five minutes ahead of her nearest challenger who was Keswick's Lynn Thomp-son, first FV40.

Results: 1 J. Davies, Borrowdale, 46-06; 2 J. Bland, Borrowdale, 46-57; 3 G. Bland, Borrowdale, 46-58; 4 N. Lockwood, Keswick, 49-50; 5 R. Lightfoot, CFR, 50-14; 10 C. Upson, Westmorland, 55-03; 17 M. Walsh, Kendal, 58-54; 21 S. Wood, Ambleside, 1-00-34; 38 R. Gillespie, Eden, 1-06-01; 49 D. Kenyan, Eden, 1-09-17; 57 R. Smithurst, Black Combe, 1-13-28. There were 69 finishers.

n THE open British and Irish Junior Hill Running championships, incorporating the Junior Home Inter-nationals, will be staged at Keswick on Sunday, October 10, and will be centred on Latrigg.

Race organiser Steve Fletcher said the courses had been designed as "true" fell courses with some steep ascent and descent and fast running in between.

There will be races for U14 (2.67km with 263m ascent), U16 (4.01km with 350 metres of ascent) and U18 (6.90km with 420m ascent) with boys and girls running in the same races. There will also be a non-championship U12 race.

The event has received support from UK Athletics, the Fell Runner's Association, the North of England AA, Allerdale Community Fund and Inov8. For further information contact Mr Fletcher (017687-79362) or Chris Knox (017687-72922).

n THE Lake District Mountain Trial, sponsored by the Climbers' Shop in Ambleside and supported by the Ordnance Survey, Peter Bland Sports and the Wasdale Head Inn, will go ahead in September next year but its usual date will be switched to avoid clashing with the World Masters' Fell-Running Championship in Keswick on the weekend of the 10/11.