Bowland Fell Runner Leigh Warburton was the winning over-40 man at the longest race in the Senior English Fell Championship series.

The Ennerdale Fell Race is 23 miles long and includes 7,500 feet of climb as it follows a substantial part of the classic Bob Graham Round.

Only two of the elite field managed to break four hours with Borrowdale's former Rossendale Harrier Andrew Schofield heading them home in 3:48:03.

Warburton took fourth outright in 4:20:43, missing third by two seconds after running round with Mike Robinson from Dark Peak for the last three hours.

He finished fifteen minutes clear of the second veteran. Three other locals made the top twenty with Tim Edward ninth for Clayton in 4:39:09, Boff Whalley, the Pudsey and Bramley athlete from Burnley was 13th in 4:40:50, and Bowland's Chris Reade took 20th in 4:49:35. Jane Smith representing Todmorden Harriers was eighth woman and the third over 40 clocking 5:46:59.

Subject to the landowner's permission being granted, the Paddy's Pole Race at Fell Foot near Chipping will be an English Championship counter next year, with a provisional date being set for Saturday April 24.

This year's race was part of organisers Preston Harriers' 125th Anniversary celebrations and their Honorary President Helen Clitheroe was there to present the prizes.

Simon Thompson from Clayton-le-Moors Harriers was a comfortable winner in the 4.5 miler, registering 31:56 from Brent Hoggan of Accrington Road Runners 33:10 and Bowland's Mark Chippendale 33:15.

Six local clubs featured in the first ten with Danny Headifen of Darwen Dashers, Alan Alty of Chorley Harriers and Todmorden's Paul Burnett taking seventh, eighth and ninth.

Andy Preedy was the pick of the Rossendale Harriers in sixteenth and John Nuttall won the over 60 class for Clayton. Former Lancashire champion Debbie Gowans of Accrington was the women's winner in 39:29 with Jo Taylor of Bowland fourth and Anne Marie Crabtree from Chorley Harriers sixth.

Meanwhile, the English Junior Fell Championship reached the fourth of six rounds with the Garburn Races starting in Windermere and racing up and down Orrest Head.

East Lancashire's best results were in the under-16 class where the in-form Rossendale Harrier Joseph Kelly took third with Jack Thompson of Pendle fourth and Phil Bolton from Rossendale fifth.

Dale's Emma Flanagan was seventh girl. Pendle's England International Anna Anderson was third behind Dionne Allen of Leigh in the under 18 girl's race while Heather Parker was another Rossendale success story with fourth of the under 14 girls as Jordan Beara placed eighth in the boys' race.

All this season's races include under-8 and under-10 races although there is no championship at stake for these youngsters. Almost 100 enthusiasts took part with Marcus Preedy fifth under-10 boy.