MARINE Brian Cole and police woman Louise Cooper led the local challenge in last Sunday's Flora London Marathon as over 60 East Lancashire athletes took part in the race.

Cole was on a mission as the Navy was using the event as a qualifier for the Washington Marathon in October, and he duly made the team as the first of the service's runners home and 64th overall in 2:32:44.

"I got in a good pack chasing 2:28, but when we tried to recover some lost time we split up and it became more difficult," said Cole.

"I struggled over the last three miles and in the end just beat my personal best by 20 seconds."

Reading-based Cooper, who was running her eighth successive London marathon, is one of a select band of ladies to have run under three hours.

That was in 1995, and this year only three locals managed under 3:30 with Cooper home in 3:12:23, Clayton Harrier Lindsay Hudson in 3:28:19 and anither Rossendale runner Karen Taylor, who logged 3:29:05 at the age of 43.

Husband Phil matched Karen's performance with 2:42:56, as seven veteran men broke the three hour barrier.

Eric Wilson, of Blackburn Harriers, was the quickest and his 2:38:05 at the age of 47 put him sixth in his class.

Clayton Harriers had seven runners under three hours with M40 John Hartley and Jason Harbour both in the top 200, while Darwen Dashers - led by marathon debutant Stuart Walpole with 3:49:07 - had four sub three hour men.

It brought success at last for M45 Tony Hurn whose quest has taken him as far as Beijing.

As usual Accrington Road Runners were the best represented of the local clubs and organised a coach trip.

Despite the heroic efforts of Al Hodgson, who recorded 5:06 at the age of 74, much of the glory went to the women.

F50s runners Alison Hope and Jean Goodwin returned times of 4:10 and 4:16, respectively, and Vicky Bolton cruised round in 3:38.

Bolton's father Tony also ran and there was a second father-daughter combination of Jimmy and Sonia Smithson who ran together.

At one stage they became separated and Jimmy had to run against the flow of the other runners to find his daughter. There was a near calamity for one of the party who packed odd running shoes but luckily he had one left and one right, and actually ran well!

Blind athlete Mike Ogle was escorted round the course by daughter and son in-law Jennifer and Tony McCabe, while John Townson, who is also a Chorley Harrier, beat four hours at 65 years of age.

Clayton seniors were also to the fore with 63-year-old Kitty Garnett and 59-year-old marathon debutante Val Lawson returning times of 4:19 and 4:33, respectively.

Blackburn Road Runners' stars were over 45s Mick Nester and Brenda Fullard with respective times of 2:52 and 3:54, and 54-year-old Norma Smith with 4:03. Former club member Jimmy Nolan completed in 3:09 at the age of 57.