KENDAL Athletic Club's men competed in the Northern Six-Stage Road Relay in Blackpool on Saturday.

The men's event involved six athletes per team running a blustery 4.1 mile leg along the North Promenade.

Over 100 clubs entered the competition with around 80 teams starting on the day.

On the first stage Steve Varney made light work of the conditions by running the fastest Kendal leg of the day in a time of 23 minutes 30 seconds, bringing the club home in 56th place.

Mike Cronshaw, gained two places on the second stage by running a time of 24-47. On stages three and four Stuart McGurk (26-47) and Peter Acland (25-36) kept the club in 55th position before Ken Dacre (2-:49) and Dave Moffett (26-45) worked hard over stages five and six to gain a further eight places between them to bring Kendal home in 47th position.

David Whitehead and Andy Spiby also completed the first two stages over the same course as part of an incomplete B team.

At the sharp end the Morpeth team won the men's event ahead of Leeds City and Altrincham.

KENDAL's team in the corresponding Four-Stage women's race produced the finest result for the club in many year of competing in the event.

Home for the summer, three girls trained together for this race guided by coahc Steve Priestley and were rewarded with a great day.

Youngest of the trio Rebecca Cronshaw rose to the challenge of facing many of the fastest competitors on the first leg and, with the wind also at its worst, finished 25th in 17-03.

Experienced Rebecca Robinson gained an outstanding 11 places to be 14th - and fifth fastest on the leg - in 15-43.

Enter the race Kendal's international Gemma Phillip, who remains a great ambassador for the Kendal club. Fresh from a impressive track season, she rose through the field to lift the team to seventh in 15-21 - the second fastest run of the third leg.

The pressure was on Christine Handforth on the closing run but she produced another surprising run. Although overtaken by a fast runner in the early stages who went on to clock 15-24, Handforth hung on for ninth place even manging a notable sprint finish in 17-39.

Liverpool were four seconds ahead of Sale Harriers, Manchester and Salford, who after leading the first three stages finished third, 21 seconds adrift.