JULY has been a wonderful month for Rachael Thompson.

It started when she clinched her first English Fell Championship at the Settle Hills Race and ended on Sunday with victory at the World Trophy Trials in Keswick.

Now she will head the England women's under 20 team in what is effectively fell running's World Championship at Wellington, New Zealand on September 25.

The 19-year old former Westholme schoolgirl didn't quite take the English title in her usual style, being piggy-backed away from the finish at Settle by her father Dave after suffering an injury during the Settle race.

However, having won the first three rounds of the Intermediate (under 20) Championship at the Wrekin in Shropshire, the High Rigg in Cumbria and the Edale in Derbyshire, she had done the hard work.

By managing to reach the finish in second behind Lytham's Rachel Crowe it meant that her lead was unassailable.

She is still intending to race the remaining two rounds starting with the Whittle Pike in Rossendale later this month.

The Horwich RMI Harrier is only in her third season of fell running, but she is the reigning British Champion having won the Home International last autumn, and she holds a World Trophy silver medal won two years ago when the England under 20s were second in Alaska.

Her biggest disappointment was last season when she was injured for the World Trophy Trials and was forced to retire from the race.

There were no worries on Sunday though. At Braithwaite near Grisedale she was headed on the first climb by the newly crowned English under 16 Champion Dionne Allen from Leigh Harriers before taking over in the latter stages.

The course mirrored the up and down course the athletes will encounter in the World Trophy and now Allen will join Thompson and third placed Emma Stuart from Keswick on the plane to New Zealand.

Pendle's Anna Anderson just missed out after finishing sixth.

l The seniors were in action at the final round of the British Championships at Pen y Fan in the Welsh Brecon Beacons on Sunday afternoon.

Wheelton based Rob Hope from the Pudsey and Bramley club was the winner, while his brother Danny from the Hyndburn area was third.

Kieran Carr, the Clayton-le-Moors Harrier was the second over 60 to share the Championship with race winner Dave Spedding from Keswick. Carr had already won the English title.

At just 3.5 miles the race was more to Spedding's liking, and he has won both short races this season.

In contrast, Carr took both of the long races and each of them won one of the medium length events as the pair completely dominated the class.

Sean Bolland of Bowland Fell Runners was 12th in Wales with Todmorden's Chris Smale 14th and second over 40.

For the second consecutive round, Clayton's Wendy Dodds was the only woman over 50 to finish, taking 15th.