It would be only a slight exaggeration to say that East Lancashire athletes had dominated the English and the British Senior Fell Championships this season.

The last counter in both series took place recently at Dufton, in Cumbria, and the result leaves no fewer than six local runners at the top of the pile.

Rob Hope, James Kevan, Mike Wallis, Ken Taylor, Wendy Dodds and Linda Lord are all 2008 champions and three of them – Kevan, Wallis and Taylor – are English and British champions.

Rob Hope is the Senior Men’s British champion, joining an exclusive group who have successfully defended their title.

Although he represents Yorkshire club Pudsey and Bramley, which he joined many years ago when a student in Leeds, he lives in the village of Wheelton, between Blackburn and Chorley.

It is a measure of his success that the only other local winner of the Men’s British title was Harry Walker, of Blackburn Harriers, 35 years ago.

Hope won the first round in the Mourne Mountains of Northern Ireland and the first short race at Blackstone Edge in Littleborough, but in the second short counter at Dufton, he could manage only sixth, one position behind rival Rob Jebb. The position cost Hope a share of the English title which Jebb took by a single point. Hope was the co-winner of the English Championship three years ago.

Neither Mike Wallis nor Ken Taylor had won either Championship, but this year they have achieved doubles, with Clayton’s Wallis succeeding in the over 50s and Taylor from Rossendale taking the over 60s.

Wallis had an unassailable lead in both series even before Dufton, so second place there to Andrew Normandale of York didn’t matter after four wins in the British and three in the English.

Taylor was safe in the English after his three wins, but with two in the British he was vulnerable.

Arch-rival Dave Spedding from Keswick was first past the post on Cumbrian turf, and the two ended level to share the British title.

James Kevan’s name is the only one on the trophy for the English U23 Men’s Champion-ship as the 2007 winner of the inaugural Championship repeated the feat in 2008.

The British Championship is in its third year and he easily achieved his first win. So dominant was the Chorley-based Horwich Harrier that he could afford to skip the last race.

Clayton-le-Moors Harrier Wendy Dodds already has six English Championships to her credit, so a seventh came as no surprise.

Following her over 40s title in the Millennium year, she won the over 50s in 2002, 2003 and 2007, and the over 55s in 2006, 2007 and now in 2008.

Her four wins in the season, including at the finale, gave her maximum points, yet she is still awaiting her first British Championship.

It has always been very hard for the veteran women with only the over 40 class being contested until this year when the over 50s has been added.

Still, the lack of five-year age bands stopped her going for gold this year, although she did capture the bronze.

The surprise package of the year was Wendy’s club-mate Linda Lord, who was only the second woman to join the Clayton club.

Lord has returned to competition at the age of 60 and has won her class in the English Championship at her first attempt.

The older athletes only run the short and medium races and can score in three out of four, so three wins gave her the perfect score.

Former champion, Jan Atkins of Chorley Harriers, was third in the same category this season while Todmorden’s Chris Small was third in the men’s over 40s with a highest finish of third at Black Combe.