LAST Sunday's Ian Hodgson Mountain Relay Race saw the Horwich RMI Harriers veteran team of over-40s finish a superb third overall and first veteran team.

The team took full advantage of the low cloud cover as many other teams struggled to come to terms with the poor visibility and heavy conditions.

It was a chilly day and, fortunately, the heavy downpours held off until most of the leading teams had finished the races which covered 25 miles including 8,500ft of ascent.

The relay is run over four legs in pairs, and the team of Graham Schofield and Steve Jackson (leg one), Tony Hesketh and Kev Gaskell (leg two), Steve Barlow and Rob Haworth (leg three) and Neil Wrigley and Rob Green performed absolutely superbly to finish as veteran champions.

Legs one, three and four involved genuine mountain terrain while leg two was still a very testing route.

The Horwich men's team repeated last year's 11th place while the ladies' team finished 63rd after some navigational problems on leg three.

The Harriers now look forward to the UKA British Fell and Hill Running Relay Championships to be held in the Peak District next Saturday.

Rob Jackson finished an excellent second in 39mins 30secs in last Sunday's testing Burnley Fire Station Seven-Mile Road Race, behind the winner Rick Hayman of Sale in 37mins 48secs.

Results: Ian Hodgson Relay: Men's Vets Team: Leg 1 Graham Schofield & Steve Jackson 9th 1.13.58; Leg 2 Tony Hesketh & Kev Gaskell 8th 39.36; Leg 3 Steve Barlow & Rob Haworth 7th 1.16.21; Leg 4 Neil Wrigley & Rob Green 4th 58.27.

Men's Team: Leg 1 Brendan Bolland & James Logue 10th 1.14.10; Leg 2 James Simmonite & Colin Rigby 7th 39.12; Leg 3 Guy Heyes & C. Heys 28th 1.28.03; Leg 4 Darren Kay & Colin Jones 7th 1.00.17.

Ladies' Team: Leg 1 Mary White & Rachel Metcalfe 59th 1.39.46; Leg 2 Sheila Norris & Rachel Thompson 43rd 50.23; Leg 3 Suzanne Budgett & Sue Jones 63rd 2.07.49; Leg 4 Liz Smart & Geraldine Walkington 62nd 1.42.43.

Overall: 1. Borrowdale Men's Team 3.38.24; 2. Dark Peak Men's Team 3.54.32; 3. Horwich Men's Vets Team 4.08.22; 11. Horwich Men's Team 4.21.42; 63. Horwich Ladies' Team 6.20.41. Finishers 65 teams.

Bolton United Harriers' Under-15s girls team of Hanna Darby, Sophie Birch and Rebecca Fordham won bronze in the North West Counties Road Relay Championships at Birchwood, Warrington.

The event, which combines the Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside county championships, saw the team finish 12th overall and third in the Greater Manchester Championship.

The result was all the more promising as it was the first ever road relay for all three girls and two out of the three are still eligible to run in the same age group next year.