The arrival of Storm Bert affected the schedule for many Horwich Harriers last weekend.

Parkrun was particularly affected with only two Harriers able to post times. Alex Fowler ran 32mins 3secs (174th) at Preston and, at Coventry, Brendan Bolland clocked 27:17 for a 180th-placed finish.

The 2024/25 UK Athletics Cross Challenge Series returned this month as the top endurance athletes from across the UK swapped road and track for cross-country courses across a five-event series.

Athletes were looking to book their spots on the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for Antalya in December and after the evnet in Cardiff, the series continued on to Sefton Park, in Liverpool.

Storm Bert ensured conditions were tough providing a slow, treacherous, energy-sapping and mud-bath of a course, but a high-quality field was guaranteed, with Harriers competing against the best in the country.

Under-11 boy, Ben-Essex Crosby, ran 7:37 for an excellent ninth-placed finish, while Louis Yates ran marginally slower than his 2023 time, but good given the conditions, with 8:22 to claim 65th place and Harry Law was 196th in 11:22.

For the U11 girls, Imogen Meakin ran 9:21 (72nd), youngest Mort, April, finished 180th in a time of 12:13 with Jennifer Irving nipping at her heels with a 12:33 for 181st.

Solo U13 boy, Matthew MacDonald, was 89th (14:03), while continuing her good form, Kitty Crossland ran 11:57 for 18th in the U13 girls’ category.

Another solo category runner, and older brother to Louis, Harry Yates, ran 11:39 for 75th place in the U15 boys.

Francis Crossland crossed the line in 12:45 (116th), while second of the Mort girls, Grace, finished 72nd (12:27) and Lauren Freary 145th (17:05) in the U15 girls’ category.

In the U20 junior women, Amelia Smethurst finished 63rd in 18:05 followed by Emma Bradley, in 22:32 for 92nd.

U17s budding star, Harrison Stokes, clocked 15:23 (42nd), while Isaac Battye, already an England multiple-vest holder, finished the 4km U20s’ course in 15:09 to nab 77th position.

In the senior races, stalwarts Lindsay Brindle (36:01, 75th), matriarch Mort, Alison (41:25, 137th) and the evergreen Mary White, with a time of 47:36 and 225th all shone.

The men’s senior team fielded a quintet of runners with Luke Foley (29:27, 71st), tri-guy Ryan Snee (32:15, 146th), Adrian Braham (34:49, 216th), Douglas Fleming (40:29, 402nd) and Tony Hesketh (56:05 for 533rd) involved.

On Sunday, Tony and Brendan Hesketh organised the annual Children in Need Pike Challenge. This year there was an impressive 62 summits in three hours made raising £516 in the process. Special mention goes to Isaline Hughes and Martin Pollit - both boasting four attempts.