WITH none of the winners of the Kendal Winter League series in contention for the championship, Hoad Hill's Chris Howie gave his title chances a boost by finishing second to Helm Hill's Tom Addison in the eighth event at Cautley Spout.

Howie emerged through the field on the long, steep climb from the valley floor to register his highest finish of the season.

Settle's Ben Lonsdale and Helm Hill's Paul Brittleton led the field out on the path but on the fell Addison dominated, building up a commanding lead at the summit turn.

However, a long absence through injury told on the descent and Addison complained of his legs seizing up' as Howie made inroads into his lead on the run to the finish.

Brittleton was first V40 in third place with Clayton's Jack Holt having an excellent run to finish first V50 in fifth place.

Clayton's Wendy Dodds, who lives in Milnthorpe, recorded a third successive victory with Helm Hill's Jayne Rigby a distant second. Dallam's Alex Till used his superior descending to deny Jos Addison, of Helm Hill, victory in the U17 boys' race while Sedbergh's Brooke Van Hinsburg was a clear winner of the U17 girls' event.

n TEACHERS Nick Sharp and Nick Fish, both former students at Charlotte Mason College, returned to well-known terrain to finish first and second respectively in Sunday's Loughrigg/Silver Howe Chase. Show good fitness ahead of turning veteran, Jon Deegan placed third to make it an Ambleside AC 1-2-3 from the 48-entry field.

Past winner Sharp chalked up a comfortable win in 1-05-59, with Fish clocking 1-0-7-35 and Deegan 1-09-09.

Staveley-based Sharon Taylor (Bingley H) was 1st woman and 14th overall in 1-21-10, with Louise Roberts (Keswick) second in 1-25-03.

1st male vet 40 was G. Thomas (Kendal), 11th in 1-18-18, and 1st male vet 50 Jon Broxap in 1-31-51. 1st female vet was Kate Beaty (Cumberland FR) in 1-32-21.

n CROSS COUNTRY: Athletes from Cumbria were pitted against the cream of the country's runners at the Inter-Counties Cross- Country Championships at Woolaton Park in Nottingham on Saturday. Kendal AC's Rebecca Robinson turned in a gutsy performance to finish 22nd in the senior women's race won by Middlesex's Hayley Yelling.

Kendal's Chloe Rodham, who runs for Lancaster and Morecambe, was Cumbria's third counter behind Border's Clare McKeown, in 137th position.

In the senior men's event Kendal's Alasdair Russell was 167th with Avon and Somerset's Frank Tickner winning after moving clear at the 2k mark in the 12km race. Alasdair was second Cumbria counter behind Border's James Douglas who was 145th.

Kendal's Kieran Alderson was first Cumbrian counter in the U20 men's race finishing 92nd with Eden's Mark Nixon 159th. Ulverston's Jeffrey Chadwick was 199th.

Helm Hill's Tom Addison moved through the 263-strong field to be a respectable 44th and second Cumbria counter behind Border's Tom Farrell (35th) in the U17 boys' race. Ulverston's Peter Huck was 97th and Dallam's Alex Till was 213th.

Jonathon Knox, of Leven, was second counter and 165th in the U15 boys' event ahead of Jos Addison (186th), Niall Till (227th), Liam Stainton (242nd) and Tom Doyle (245th).

Dallam's Sam Till was first Cumbrian home in the U13 boys' race finishing 68th and supported by Rory Addison (97th), Oliver Lockley (177th), Theo Messenger-Jones (180th) and Dallam's Dale Sutton (251).

In the under 13 girls' race Kendal's Eilidh Sproul was 272nd.