BLACKBURN Harriers have taken fourth place in the North of England Track and Field League play-off match on Saturday.

"The Harriers have excelled themselves this season," said proud club chairman Tony Wood after their success.

The Senior Men's and Senior Women's Leagues were combined this summer with the second division men and fourth division women expected to struggle to justify their joint second division status - but instead they have flourished.

The regular season saw them finish second to Trafford to join them and six other hopefuls in a play-off showdown at Cleckheaton for two available places in the first division, and against all odds they almost made it.

In the end the Harriers of Wakefield and Sale were successful, while Blackburn were a competitive fourth and delighted to pip Division 2W Champions Trafford by half a point.

On the track, distance athletes Ben Fish with 15:13.1 in the 5,000 metres and Chris Hart with 9:26.0 in the 3,000 metres steeplechase secured A string victories with Liam Barton combining with Hart to win the B chase for a maximum points haul.

The same pair ran in the 400m hurdles where Barton was second A and Hart first B. Liam's identical twin Rob won the B string 800m, while Phil Vickers took the B 100m.

Triple jumpers Ben Fox and Claude Peter-Thomas took maximum points in the triple jump with respective distances of 13.31m and 12.65m, the latter was a season's best.

There were also personal bests for hammer thrower Lee Eccles and 1,500m runner Paul Bradshaw.

The women continue to break new ground with Jackie Taylor winning the B string 3,000m with a big PB 11:27.0, and Emma MacEachnie improving in shot and discus in spite of the windy conditions.

Meanwhile, former International Judith Hodgkinson rolled back the years for third in the senior 800m in 2:21.1, just seconds behind the winner.

Success at the double for Hilton

KELLY Hilton of Chorley Athletic Club won two gold medals at the Blackpool Open Medal Meeting at Stanley Park on Sunday.

The in-form under 17 set a PB 12.1 seconds in the 80m hurdles and won the 100m in 13.2 seconds.

The club's crop of sprinters produced a third gold for under 13 Michael Hough with 13.7 seconds in the 100m.

Senior John Wright clocked 24.9 seconds in the 200m and 11.8 seconds in the 100m to earn silver and bronze and Sean Waring took silver in the under 17s 200m in 24.3 seconds.

There were useful performances for Pendle and Hyndburn in the field events in spite of wet and windy conditions.

Pendle's Eleanor Markendale won the under 15 long jump in 5.12m and was third in the hurdles and fourth in the shot as she completed her preparations for this weekend's English Schools Pentathlon.

Hyndburn sisters Vikki and Lauren Grime were rivals in the senior hammer and shot.

Vikki won the hammer with 34.68m and took second with 9.10m in the shot as Lauren finished fourth and fifth in the respective disciplines.

Emma Flanagan was Rossendale's star setting a Grade Three Standard in the under 13 1,500m, won in 5:40. Andy Grenfall was the other Dale gold medallist in the senior 800m.

Anthony Gotts won silver and bronze in the senior 800m and 1,500m, the latter in a PB 4:41.

The club's medal tally rose to six with silver for under 13 Anthony Hauserman in the 800m and bronze for Phil Bolton in the under 15s 800m.

Disappointment for cross country crew

THE dates and venues for the new cross country season are virtually finalised now, but local runners will be disappointed that the Skipton meeting on Saturday, October 2, has been cancelled.

For the last 26 years the fixture has been used by many as a final sharpener before the local leagues begin, but apparently the venue has been double booked.

The Red Rose League kicks off a week later on October 9 at Bury, then it's Hyndburn on October 24, Bolton on November 27 and Rossendale on January 8.

The Hyndburn race is on a Sunday with the others on Saturdays.

The Mid Lancs League races are all on Saturdays beginning at Witton Park, Blackburn on October 16.

There have been recent discussions about changing this first fixture because of the clash with the British Fell and Hill Relay Championships, but this date has now been confirmed.

Burnley's Towneley Park hosts the second meeting on October 30 followed by Sefton Park, Liverpool on December 4.

For the third year this meeting will incorporate the Reebok Cross Challenge.

There are three more meetings in the New Year, on January 22 at the County Showground, Kendal, at Wilson's Playing Fields, Hyndburn on February 12 and at Fitz Park, Keswick on March 12.

The start times are unchanged from last year and it is anticipated that every fixture will include under 11 races.

The South East Lancs League matches are all on Saturdays commencing on October 16 at Leigh, but the actual venue is yet to be confirmed. Hopwood Hall, Middleton on November 13 and Boggart Hole Clough, Salford on December 4 will host the second and third rounds, the latter being a shared meeting with the Manchester League.

The final date is December 18, but the venue is yet to be announced. Start times are identical to last year except for the final race for senior men which has been pushed back by 15 minutes to 2.45pm.

Dale's dynamic duo are victors

STEVE Duxbury and Phil Taylor of Rossendale Harriers were the winning pair at the Yorkshireman Off-Road Marathon last Sunday.

Duxbury and Taylor completed the 26 miles through Bronte Country in 3:28:08 to head home two Clayton Harrier teams.

Graham Cunliffe and Phil Atherton were second in 4:04:18 with Martin Terry and Neil Worswick third in 4:14:47.

The strong tradition of success for East Lancashire runners in this event was underlined by Rossendale's Tony Spicer who won the over 50 class in the individual race, finishing fifth in 3:40:30.

Accrington Road Runner John Haworth was 22nd in 4:15:12, while Jenny Wiseman of Chorley Harriers was second woman in 4:31:57.

In the accompanying half marathon, Darwen Dasher Derek Ashcroft took fifth in 1:41:37 with team-mates Mark Walsh, Jamie Dowdall and Kevin Smith 24th, 30th and 31st. Stephen White of Clayton was 24th.