Last Saturday was the first of four important races in consecutive weeks as the cross country season reaches its climax.

The English National Championships is the traditional big day out for the rank and file club members, maybe even more so this year as it was held at Alton Towers!

The competition was serious enough, though, with the course including a large hill on each lap, and with athletes tuning up for the challenges ahead, be it the last round of the Mid Lancs League at Blackburn this Saturday, the English Schools' Championships or the Inter Counties Championships which follow.

For the elite, such as Ben Lindsay, Pauline Powell and Vicky Gill, the season might even be extended for another two weeks if they are successful at the Inter Counties, which also doubles as the World Championship Trial for the U20s and seniors.

Having represented the U20s in the World's in Kenya last season, and in the European's in Spain already this winter, Lindsay is one of the favourites to reach Edinburgh this time and his fourth place finish will do his confidence no harm at all.

Any disappointment in missing out on a medal as Nuneaton's Lee Carey led them home will be tempered by his Aldershot, Farnham and District club winning team gold with him as the first counter.

The student joined the club when he started a Sports Science and Nutrition course in Twickenham, but Lindsay continues to maintain his links with Pendle Athletic Club.

Chorley Harriers' Vicky Gill is another to have graduated to Aldershot and she placed 19th of nearly 500 in the senior women's race finishing shoulder to shoulder with Powell of Blackburn Harriers.

The pair were given identical times with Powell just ahead in 18th, but they and the other chasers will be hard pushed to beat Liz Yelling who won her fourth title.

With around 4,000 runners in the 10 races, there was a surprisingly high strike rate of top 100 finishes from the Harriers of Rossendale and Blackburn.

Danny Walsh was Dale's gem with 56th in the U13 race while Joe Johnston finished 102nd in the U15s, and Joe Kelly and Ashley Kay with 66th and 116th in the U17s were the leading counters as their teams finished 34th and 22nd.

Sarah Yeomans 73rd shared the plaudits with Blackburn's Rachel Wood 45th in the U20s, and there was a similar story in the U17s where Emma Flanagan (Rossendale) in 67th held off the challenge of Rachel Searson (Blackburn) in 90th, although they were split by Michaela Brolly of Clayton in 75th.

Blackburn fielded their only full team in the U15 girls' race taking 27th place with in-form Beckie Taylor their first home in 71st as Clayton mustered a full team of six in the senior men's event with Mark Aspinall and Gary Shaw the quickest in 206th and 290th.

There were nearly 1,250 athletes in this race alone so Tom Cornthwaite's 49th spot surely made him Blackburn Harriers' athlete of the day.