The DEWSBURY 10K is often a breakthrough event, though the conditions, as on Sunday, can conspire against a hard winter's training.

Simon Bolland finished 19th, knocking 37 seconds off his best in 33min 58sec and almost two minutes from his Abbey Dash time in November.

Last year, the 21-year-old Spenborough athlete concentrated on the track, interspersed with winning the Dewsbury parkrun most weekends.

The out-and-back course offers a slight rise for the first three miles, so the downhill return should help towards a negative split.

But a strong headwind proved otherwise as Mohammed Azubarreq won in 30min 6sec, beating Gateshead's Matthew Hynes on the dip.

Jamil Parapia battled with Hallamshire's Dave Archer for third, but was outsprinted.

Parapia's 31:37 was his equal fastest for ten years. His former clubmate Scott Harrington (Otley AC) was a group further back in sixth, just edging out Spenborough's Joe Sagar.

Charlene Thomas (Wakefield) was first lady in 33min 32sec (chip-time) with her team-mate Julie Briscoe second (35:03).

Sharon Barlow (Darlington; 35:59), Alex Sneddon (Jarrow, 36:11) and Jenny Blizzard (Rotherham; 36:11) were the next three women.

Excellent performances in the conditions were by Matt Lockyer (Pudsey & Bramley, 33:11 in 11th), Matt Newell (Ilkley, a personal best in 34:54) and Otley's Mark Hall who ran 35:00, the fastest 10K of the year so far for an over-55.

Hall has regularly been ranked top five in the UK at distances from 5K to half-marathon from the under-45 age group upwards.

Saturday's ROMBALDS STRIDE 23-mile fell-race and long-distance walk, organised by the 15th Airedale Scouts, also suffered from very wet conditions.

Ilkley's Jack Wood describes a lesson learnt about knowing where the finish is as he, Graham Pearce and Joe Baxter reached the end.

Wood said: "We ran together up a muddy Chevin before I pushed on towards Guiseley.

As I reached St Oswalds School, with Graham just behind, I looked for the finish but, in my hesitation, Graham went through a door and gave his number for the win!

"It was a cheeky but probably deserved victory, having led us along fast lines for most of the course."