AMBLESIDE'S Nick Sharp timed his race to perfection to win Saturday's final British championship event over the 18-mile Two Breweries Hill course from Innerleithen in Scotland, writes Mike Addison.

Sharp tucked in behind Colin Donnelly of Camuslang Harriers and Shettlestone Harriers' Jethro Lennox before making his move on Trahenna - the final hill - forging in front to win by 39 seconds.

"It was really, really windy and I did not want to battle into it all the way," said Sharp, a teacher at Flookburgh School. "Colin Donnelly was pushing it along quite nicely. He knew where he was going because he won the race last year, so I thought I would just stick in."

Sharp last did the race when it was a championship event in 2000 and remembered the way to the finish from Trahenna and made his move from there. It was the second time he has won a British championship race having being victorious last year in the Brecon Beacons.

Donnelly finished second and celebrated winning the V40 title ahead of Borrowdale's Mark Roberts who finished 13th and sixth vet.

The first lady was Carnethy's Tracey Brindley (2-59-12) who was 15th, over ten minutes ahead of her team mate J Mykura (3-09-45).

RESULTS: 1 N Sharp, Ambleside, 2-42-49; 2 C Donnelly, Camusland Harriers, 2-43-28; 3 J Lennox, Shettlestone, 2-44-39; 4 S Whitlie, Carnethy, 2-47-56; 5 T Austin, Dark Peak, 2-50-01; 13 M Roberts, Borrowdale, 2-58-42; 83 S Taylor, Bingley, 3-31-49.

Young guns on Winder THERE was some keen competition and a friendly, family atmosphere prevailed at the second Helm Hill junior relay staged at Sedbergh on Sunday.

And it was the host club that proved it has a hard to beat nursery of young runners by claiming first and second places in the race centred on Winder.

The Helm Hill A team was made up of Thomas Wright (under 16), Jonathan Wright and Tom Doyle (under 14),Niall Till and Christopher Tuson (under 12) and Chris Doyle (under 18). They clocked a winning time of 1-25-46 over the four legs.

Helm Hill Runners B had been given a leading start when Tom Addison led home the first leg runners but the A team established a strong lead on the second leg and never looked back.

The other B team runners were Joshua Parkinson and Matthew Cannon (under 12), Rory and Jos Addison (under 14) and Mark Addison (under 18). They came home in 1-29-56.

Settle finished third but were the first mixed team and their runners were Ben Morphet, Mel Morphet and Lauren Moorhead, Matthew Fretwell and Matthew Cardus and David Shepherd. Preston Harriers won the girl's race.

An under 10s race was won by Broughton's Nathan Metcalfe (6-40) who beat Settle's Shannon Moorhead by six seconds.

Helm Hill's Billy Procter won the senior race, which visited Crook, Arant Haw and Winder, with almost three minutes to spare over Keighley and Craven's Damien Scholes.

RESULTS: 1 B Procter, Helm Hill, 37-56; 2 D Scholes, Keighley & Craven, 40-48; 3 M Walsh, Kendal, 40-53; 4 S Addison, Helm Hill, 41-29; 5 P Tuson, Helm Hill, 41-38; 6 D Handley, Helm Hill, 47-59; 7 D Till, Helm Hill,49-50; 10 M Horn, Settle, 50-28; 12 S Wright, Ambleside, 52-33; 13 S Morphet, CFR, 67-00; 16 M Moorhead, Settle, 73-02.

n Next year the event is to be the English junior relay championships and will be organised by the Fell Runners' Association.