LEIGH Harriers tackled 87th running of the Rivington Pike race in good numbers.

The event took place at Horwich and was incorporated into the English Fell Championships - consequently the numbers and the quality of all the races attracted the best fell runners in the North of England.

The main race of the day, the Senior Pike race, attracted over four hundred athletes.

The course started at the obelisk in Horwich with a climb of 226mts to the Tower and back down to the obelisk - a total of 5km.

Leigh’s top two female fell runners - both Great Britain internationals on the fells - ran well over the testing course, with patches of snow making the assent and descent hazardous.

Dionne Allen ran an exhalant race finishing second senior lady in the race in a very good time of 21:41, whilst Laura Riches also ran well with a very fast decent she won the under 20 ladies race in a time of 22:36.

Leigh’s lone senior man in the race Neil Wade recorded a time of 30:21.

Leigh’s younger runners were out in force in the junior races which were also part of the English fell Championships series and for most of the young athletes this would be their experience of fell racing.

The under 12s boys' and girls' race was 2.2km with a climb of 140mts.

Eleven year old Keely Hodgkinson, in her first fell trip, ran a very competitive race.

Running in flats, Keely finished in 4th place against some of the best fell runners in the North,  recording a time of 11:28 whilst Eve Williams ran one of her best races of the season finishing in 7th place 12:02.

Joanna Smith bravely finished the race in 31st place suffering from a stitch soon after the start in a time 15:04.

In the boys race Joseph Wane was first home for the team in 15th place in a time of 11:24, Ben McLaughlin 20th 11:42sec, Conner Wyatt 22nd 11:54, Shea Mellor 31st 12:15, William Hewitt 37th 2:46, Billy Blain 38th 13:00, Patrick Hewitt 52nd 13:57.

The under 14s boy’s race was a climb of 193mts over an out and back course of 2.9kmts. Kristian Wade ran well in his first fell race finishing a creditable 14th place in 16:11.