ROGER Brewster of Clayton Le Moors Harriers was the winning veteran at the Ribble Valley 10K after surviving a race long challenge from Blackburn Harrier Bob Shorrock.

The pair were only separated by a second after fighting out a finish on a chilly morning at Edisford Bridge. In the end both were age group winners with Roger taking the M45 class, and Bob winning M40 honours.

For Shorrock it was a rare visit home for Christmas with family at Withnell after spending the last 15 years living abroad, the last three as a Sales Director with Adidas in Oregon.

Although he has run at Clitheroe before, in Lancashire he is best remembered for his cross country prowess.

Twice he won representative honours for the English Cross Country Union, and he also ran for English Schools.

Throughout Bob's time away 'Mister Consistency' Brewster has been winning races and after the race Shorrock remarked that he remembered Roger well from his time here.

Since last year, when he was first M40, Roger has celebrated his 45th birthday but he shows little sign of slowing.

His eighth place was Clayton's highest as he led his men to the team title. Andrew Hartley was 11th while Tony Chew, 14th, was also second M40.

The club won a double as the women successfully defended their title with Carol Life, and the first two F50's Christine Leathley and Karin Goss.

The race was a remarkable success for organisers Blackburn Harriers after Saturday evening's snow had seriously threatened the race.

Seventy pre-entered athletes failed to beat the weather and yet 370 still toed the line on Sunday morning. The leading places went to runners from outside the area as if to illustrate the pulling power of the event. Salford's Evelyn Dugdale took the women's title with Mark Warmby winning a closely contested men's race. The 23-year-old Yorkshireman had recently undergone micro-surgery on his knee and hadn't run for more than 20 minutes at a time since, but he was still strong enough to split the field in the latter stages after a five strong group had passed the four mile marker together.

It was his debut over the distance and his main aim this year is to make the England Commonwealth Games steeplechase team.

Prospect Thomas Cornthwaite won the under 18 title for Hyndburn, while at the other end of the age spectrum regular winners Ted Orrell and Bill Atkinson were once again supreme.

Ted of Clayton Harriers won the M60's in 39:30 and only seconds behind, 65-year-old Northern Vet Bill was home in 39:49.

The leading local lady was Linda Clarkson who set another PB of 41:18, and her Darwen team-mate Sheila Gudgeon was 1st F45. For the organisers Tony Wood expressed his gratitude to local clubs for their support.

The Dashers and Accrington Road Runners both used the race as a Club Championship event while Blackburn Road Runners had a quarter of their membership competing. Leaders from the three clubs were Andy Smith, John Wieczorek and Rob Wynne.

Men: 1 Mark Warmby (Newham Essex) 30:54, 2 Ian Fisher (Otley) 31:07, 3 Tony Ford (Blackpool) 31:11, 8 (1st M45) Roger Brewster (C) 32:54, 9 (1st M40) Bob Shorrock (BH) 32:55, 11 Andrew Hartley (C) 33:13, 14 (2nd M40) Tony Chew (C) 33:57, 17 Michael Hammer (BH) 34:17, 18 Lee Passco (C) 34:18, 21 Scott Monk (BH) 34:50, 24 Philip Atherton (C) 35:02, 26 John Wieczorek (A) 35:12, 27 (3rd M45) Graham Cunliffe (C) 35:23, 28 Lee Dowthwaite (BFR) 35:24, 29 Shane Fitzpatrick (H) 35:28, 32 Andy Smith (D) 35:33, 33 (1st Junior) Thomas Cornthwaite (H) 35:43, 35 (M45) Peter Butterworth (C) 35:50, 38 Rob Wynne (BRR) 36:13, 40 (M40) Neil Holding (WP) 36:16 Team: 1 Clayton (Brewster, Hartley, Chew)

Women: 1 (30th overall/1st F35) Evelyn Dugdale (Salford) 35:30, 2 (58th/2nd F35) Tricia Sloan (Salford), 3 (65th/1st F40) Philippa Walsh (Preston) 38:31, 8 (114th) Linda Clarkson (D) 41:18, 11 (190th/F35) Carol Life (C) 45:19, 16 (217th/1st F50) Christine Leathley (C) 47:04, 17 (222nd/F35) Gale Evans (BFR) 47:17, 19 (234th/1st F45) Sheila Gudgeon (D) 48:06, 20 (237th/F35) Gill Craske (A) 48:15 Team: 1 Clayton (Life, Leathley, Goss)

Club Key: A-Accrington RR, BFR-Bowland Fell Runners, BH-Blackburn Harriers, BRR-Blackburn RR, C-Clayton Harriers, D-Darwen Dashers, H-Hyndburn AC, WP-West Pennine Runners

Good for Age -- Accrington RR: 52 Brent Hoggan 37:18, 89 (M40) David Gaskill 39:50, 216 (M60) Gerry Bunn 46:56, 225 (M65) Brian Scully 47:27, 248 (F40) Kim Lowes 49:02, 343 (F45) Kath Snape 56:14 Blackburn Harriers: 53 (M45) Peter Lynch 37:21, 181 (2nd Junior) Andy Lake 44:50, 261 (2nd F45) Carole Kay 50:18 Blackburn RR: 186 (M55) John Mitchell 45:13, 240 (F35) Larraine Bray 48:34, 310 (F45) Maureen Wilcock 52:53, 314 (F45) Madeline Haworth 53:02, 315 (3rd F55) Anne Harwood 53:04 Clayton Harriers: 49 (M) Derek Ashcroft 36:54, 59 (M45) Steve Green 38:08, 63 (M40) Alan Clarkson 38:26, 81 (1st M60) Ted Orrell 39:30, 146 (M55) Ben Brown 43:33, 165 (2nd M60) Richard Lawson 44:15, 175 (M55) Brian Jackson 44:36, 180 (M55) Tom Targett 44:49, 198 (3rd M60) Ray Jones 45:49, 214 (M55) Paul Healey 46:45, 271 (2nd F50) Karin Goss 50:52, 319 (F55) Val Lawson 53:14 Darwen Dashers: 46 (M45) Eric Wilson 36:35, 75 (M40) Vince Brookes 39:16, 166 (M55) Brian Tull 44:16, 213 (M55) Bill Parkinson 46:33 Red Rose RR: 118 (M45) Peter Nickson 41:47 Rossendale Harriers: 178 (M55) Gerard Navan 44:45, 282 (2nd F55) Christine Navan 51:11 Others: 88 (1st M65) Bill Atkinson (Northern Vets) 39:49, 199 (2nd M65) Peter Dibb (Longwood) 45:50, 286 (F50) Kath Medd (Darwen Masters) 51:16