LEIGH Harriers senior men and women teams have won through to the Northern Inter-Club Plate KO Final at Cudworth in August for a second successive year.

David Smith gave the team a good start by winning the javelin with a near-club record throw of 52m 8cm. John Howarth ran a season's best in the 10,000m in a time of 34:6.8.

Leigh had a series of second places: John Indricks 55.8 in the 400m, Darrem Smith 24.9 in the 200m, Alex Urmston 2:3.8 in the 800m, Mark pendlebury 35.24 in the discus, Tom Boardman 4:26.1 in the 1500m and Neil Pendlebury 17:37.7 in the 500m.

Ian Graham won two firsts in the 100m hurdles and pole vault. Alex Urmston ran a PB in the 3000m steeplechase in 10:53.3. Mark Pendlebury won the shot with a season's best of 10.99cm, Louise Boardman was second in the 100m in 14.1, Rebecca Howarth was second in the 800m in 2:25.7 and third in the high jump with 1.20cm.

Harrier Derek Howarth continues to amaze by setting another club record.

In the National Veterans Track and Field championships in Birmingham he competed in the O/70s age group and won the 1500m in 6:01.10, was second in the 10,000m in 45:24.21 and third in the 5000m in 22:06.

In Derek's long career which goes back over 35 years he was won world championship medals, over 20 national titles and approaching 50 Northern titles.

He has won championships as varied as 100m - 11.4 secs at the age of 40 - to national cross-country titles when he was 65 and ten mile road races as a 72-year-old.

John is a real inspiration and with the new athletics facilties planned for Leigh Sports Village its an ideal time to get down to Leigh Harriers.