A huge return for the smallest club

Park High School AC have returned to action this season and the club fielded two just two athletes, but both set personal bests.

In the Under-13 section Amy Ellis beat her 800m best time by 15 seconds, while Charlotte Bickerstaffe was second in the Under-15 event over the same distance.

For Burnley AC the focus was on the Under-17 men as Simon Woods won a sprint double in the 100m and 200m, and Owen Woodward took the triple jump with a personal best of 12.85m.

Danielle Walker, aged 12, was the club's other winner, taking the under-13 girls 1500m in fine style.

Like Burnley, Pendle AC are also strong at under-17 level where Lee Leishman and James Robinson were double winners.

Leishman took the honours in the 800m and 1500m, the former in a personal best of 2:07.2, while Robinson was successful in the 400m, where he logged a personal best of 55.3, and the shot.

David Thornton was a winner in the senior 800m and Jason Wade's 32.79m in the discus was an Under-15 grade two performance.

The girls were present in greater numbers, but only had one winner.

Hayley Manning took first in the Under-13 shot with a putt of 6.75m, which was grade three standard.

However, the girls served up 14 personal bests with Emma Hargreaves and Andrea Manning each producing three.

Jade Hartley gained a grade two standard with her personal best of 5:18.8 in the Under-13 800m.

Both Chorley clubs were in attendance with Gary Wadsworth winning the Under-17 mens javelin in a personal best of 48.36m for Chorley AC.

In the same age group John Ordish cleared 1.70m in the high jump for second, while newcomer Joe Dawes made an excellent start with second places in the Under-13 100m and 200m races.

Chorley Harriers notched no less than12 personal bests with Scott Evans knocking 24 seconds off his fastest 1500m to take third.

The club 's highest finisher was Michael Godsmark with a second place in the Under-17 400m.

Hyndburn's Senior Ladies scooped a clean sweep in the 3000m with Liona Riding, who also competes for Blackburn Road Runners, leading home Pam Highton and Jackie Walker.

The club is best known for nurturing junior talent, but this time the seniors were the stars with Daniel Johnson, in the triple jump, and Shane Fitzpatrick, in the long jump, giving the club two more victories.

Callum Fitzpatrick in the Under-13s 800m and Matthew Mugan in the Under-15s long jump were the junior winners, while Under-15 Lauren Grime set a personal best when finishing second in the discus.

Andrew Gabriel cleared 1.85m to win the senior mens high jump for Blackburn Harriers, and the hosts were again victorious in the mens 3K team event as they had been in the opening meeting at Wigan.

Mark Birchall ran the 100m in a rapid 12.0 secs to finish second senior, and there was also a second place finish for Carly Thompson in the 800m for Under-13 girls.

Thompson was also third in the 100m, while Carol Glover was third in the under 17 5/8s 300m.

The next league meeting is at Blackpool on June 16. Proud Peacock takes road title EXPERIENCE was the key to success in the Lancashire10M Road Race Championship which was held in Chorley on Sunday.

Ladies winner was Clayton Harrier Vanessa Peacock, who last year won the cross country county title and was denied the fell championship only by an administrative error.

Now she has won on the road to underline her mastery of all surfaces.

It would be a tremendous achievement for anyone - but Vanessa is in her late forties.

Chorley Harriers were the hosts for the first time and they were rewarded for their efforts with entry of 350, an improvement of 80 on last year.

The two lap course in and around Worden Park is fast, and winner Alex Rowe, of Wesham, returned in 53:13.

Paul Muller, of Wrekin, in fifth was the second Lancastrian - Rowe and Muller are both 44 years old.

Todmorden pair Paul Brannigan and George Ehrhardt were well placed in 17th and 21st, respectively, with M45 Mick Nester, of Blackburn Road Runners, sandwiched in 19th.

Chorley Harrier David Mulvee was first junior home in 1:05:06.

The first five in the ladies race, including winner Lisa Heyes of Salford, were not eligible to take the Lancashire title so it went to Peacock, who finished in sixth in 1:04:44.

Tomorden Harrier Sue Becconsall finished first F40 in seventh overall wasn't an entrant in the County Championship so the minor medals went to the west of the county. Quartet enjoy championship success on the other side of the Pennines FOUR local athletes won gold medals in the North of England Championships at the Dorthy Hyman at Cudworth, bear Barnsley, last weekend.

Simon Bissell, Matt Wood, Lee Pursglove and Louise Dickinson are the new Northern Champions, while five others returned home with medals.

Bissell's performances continue to amaze as he took two golds and one silver despite only being in the first year of the Under-17 age group.

His winning distances in the hammer and shot were 53:31m and 13.60m, respectively, while he threw the discus 40.58m for second place. Last year the Sale Harrier, from Burnley, was top of the Under-15 national rankings in hammer and discus, and won the AAA's title in both events.

Matt Wood, of Blackburn Harriers, is one of the most improved athletes in East Lancashire. Having settled on the 800m as his best distance, the Under-15 won his first Northern title to add to the bronze medal he won in the AAA 's Indoor Championships in February.

Louise Dickinson is another athlete who has carried her form on the boards into the outdoor season.

In the winter she reached the top of the indoor English rankings for the Under-15 200m, and the Park High School athlete produced an outdoor best 25.81 seconds, well inside the English Schools qualifying time, and too good for her opponents.

Lee Pursglove led a highly successful campaign by Chorley AC which produced three medals.

Pursglove cleared a new personal best height of 1.79m to win the Under-15 high jump.

Team-mate Mark Cranswick was awarded the silver medal in the Under-15s shot with a putt of 11.49m, and Under-17 Eloise Manger won the silver medal in the javelin with a throw of 35.26m.

Pendle AC's Laura Finucane produced another classy display in the Under-17s 800m to lower her personal best again to 2:10.49, a time that would have given her second in last year's English Schools Championship.

She led all the way, but couldn't shake off Liverpool Harrier Rachael Thompson who edged through to win in the final yards.

Former Pendle runner Kieran Turner won a bronze in the Under-15s 400m returning a personla best of 53.4 seconds.

Hyndburn also won a medal with Vikki Grime earning the bronze in the Junior Women's hammer with a distance of 30.32m. White matches her best abroad REBECCA White equalled her triple jump personal best of 12.84m as Sale Harriers finished seventh in the European Club's Cup in Madrid.

The Haslingden athlete set her mark in the first round, and felt that the elusive 13m mark was possible.

However, in the 30 degree heat she lost her rhythm.

"I think I was trying too hard" she admitted.

She also competed in the 100m and relay, while the former Hyndburn AC star Kerry Smithson returned 4:25.17 in the 1500m. Dolphins delight A TEAM from Clitheroe Dolphins Swimming Club has won a silver medal in the British Modern Triathlon Championships at Wolverhampton.

Jane Greenwood, Barbara Smith and Pam Highton finished second team in the ladies masters (Over-35) category.

The event consists of running, swimming and 10 metre air pistol shooting.

In the individual competition, Julie Pym was fifth senior, Louise Highton sixth in the 12-13 age group, and Toby Banfield eighth in the 14-15 section.

Many of the athletes are also members of Hyndburn Athletic Club.

Lee cashes in FORMER Pendle ace Lee McCash won the 5000m B race at the British Milers Club meeting at Wythenshawe last week.

McCash recorded a quick 14:28.20, while Blackburn Harrier Ben Fish set a personal best of 14:38 in the same race.

In her final warm up race before Madrid, Kerry Smithson was third in the 1500m A race in 4:19.05.

Brown on-song JOHN Brown, of Salford, and Andrew Pearson, of Longwood, ran away from the opposition in the David Atkinson 4M Road Race at Rochdale.

Winner Brown set a new course record of 19:55, while Clayton's Craig Watson, in fifth, was the area's highest finisher.

Martin Lee, of Rossendale, was seventh, Clayton's Lee Passco was eighth and Todmorden runner Keith Parkinson finished 16th, while Peter Dibb, of Clitheroe, was first in the M65 section. Get clearance ASTHMA sufferers are being warned that if they use inhalers Salbutamol (Ventolin), Terbutaline (Bricanyl) or Salmeterol (Serevant) they must be registered with the IAAF's Medical Officer.

UK Athletics have stated: "There are substances in these inhalers that are prohibited unless you have prior clearance."

The use of corticosteroids by inhaler (eg Becotide, Pulmicort) does not require prior permission but should be declared at the time of any doping control. For further information refer to the UK Athletics website www.ukathletics.org.

Keep in touch CONTRIBUTORS for this page please note Andy McAllister's new e-mail address is <mailto:andy.mcallister@virgin.net>andy.mcallister@virgin.net Whats on The Burnley Boys Club 10K is on Sunday. This year the start time has been brought forward to 11am and the course has been revised. The start is at Barden track in Burnley with three interesting laps of tarmac, trail and towpath.

The Blackpool Marathon is also on Sunday. Race HQ is the Hilton, and the race starts outside the hotel on the North Promenade. If 26 miles is too far for you, there is also a 4x10K relay race.

The Preston Race for Life 5K for ladies only has already accepted nearly 1000 entries. It is on Sunday at 11am from Preston Sports Arena. The course is entirely on tarmac paths.

Tuesday's Skipton Tough 10 is on Tuesday from Skipton LMS Football Ground, Carleton New Road. Start is scheduled for 7:30pm. Organiser Dave Oselton confirms that it will definitely go ahead despite the recent foot and mouth cases in the area.

The second Chorley 4M Night Race sponsored by Leyland Trucks is on Wednesday. Like all the races in the series it starts at 7:30pm from the Baron's Rest Public House in Astley Village, Chorley.

The Joe and Carol Ashcroft 4.3M Road Race is at 7:15pm on Wednesday from Springhill Hospice, Broad Lane, Rochdale (A671 Oldham Road). Race Calendar

Sun June 3rd: Blackpool Marathon, Burnley Boys Club 10K, Preston Race for Life 5K (ladies only) Tues June 5th: Skipton Tough 10M Wed June 6th: Chorley Night Race 4M (2), Joe & Carol Ashcroft 4.3M (Rochdale), Fri 8th to Sun June 10th: Rochdale 3 Day Event Sun June 10th: Prestwich Multi Terrain Challenge, Blackburn Day Care Centre 2M Fun Run Wed June 13th: Haigh Hall 5M (2) Thur June 14th: Full Bronte 5M Sat June 16th: Derian House 10K (2) Sun June 17th: Freckleton Half Marathon, Potteries Marathon Wed June 20th: Horwich Jubilee 4M Fri June 22nd: Chorley On the Run 5/8 Park Series 5K (3) Sat June 23rd: Baxenden 5K + 1M Fun Run, Grimsargh Field Day 2M Fun Run Sun June 24th: Manchester 10K, Derian House Gala Day 5, Morecambe 10K Wed June 27th: Chorley Woodend 4M (3), Blackburn Race for Life 5K Fri June 29th: Blackburn RR Witton 4M Trail Race + 2 Mile Fun Run Sat June 30th: Lancashire Youth Games (Clitheroe) Sun July 1st: Charles Saer 10K (Fleetwood), Viga Thirsty Three (Heapey), White Rose 10K (Skipton)