OTLEY Athletics Club's Andrew Robertshaw made a return visit to the Kentmere Valley Fell Race in the Lake District, finishing 21st in 1hr 44min 54sec.

Robertshaw was pleased to make his target time in a race he had first learned about while at university.

After competing in what was the 40th anniversary of the event, he said: "I came to the Kentmere Valley for the first time as a student on a training weekend from Lancaster University. However, as our coach was a very experienced middle distance track man we just ran up to the reservoir at the heart of the horseshoe and did a reps session.

“I remember him telling us about some mad folk who ran round the horseshoe, but that would be far too much for us!

“Roll on several years and this classic Lakeland horseshoe is now one of my favourite runs. After getting lots of climbing in my legs on Derek Fuller's Bob Graham weekend, a race entry had to be sent off when I noticed that the 40th anniversary race still had a few places available.

"I was pleased to finish just under my target time of 1:45 to 1:50, with a 21st place finish and feeling strong most of the way round despite cracking my knee on a rock losing my footing on the last bit of the climb to Ill Bell."

The winner was Rob Jebb (Bingley) in 1:31:23 and the first lady was Charlotte Watson (Edinburgh Uni) in 1:52:08.

Mark Hall finished sixth and first veteran, in the Priory 10k at Nostell Priory near Wakefield, completing the two-lap circuit on trails and road in 37:02. The winner was Rob Jones in 35:29.

In the Podium 10k, near Nelson in Lancashire, Frank Beresford finished ninth in 31:32.

The race is nine and half laps around a Tarmac cycle track and Frank used the event as training for a Yorkshire Marathon, arriving at it "slightly jaded from running a 94-mile week".

The race was won by Ben Fish (Blackburn Harriers) in 30:16 and the first lady was Claire Duck (Leeds) in 34:52.

Garry Cochrane joined 300 other runners on the starting line of the Ultimate Trails 110k, in Ambleside, which has to be completed within 24 hours and has five mountain passes.

Garry crossed the finishing line in 18hr 56:29. The winner was Kim Collison (Borrowdale) in 10:48:57 and first lady was Sally Ford in 13th position in 14:49:01.