LOS HELLAWELL (pictured) led the Keighley & Craven vets team to success in the gruelling Three Peaks race.

He was fastest of the club's runners to complete the 26-mile mountain marathon, finishing in 23rd place, and clocking a time of 3 hours 42 mins 7 secs.

He was backed up by Des Fretwell in 29th place (3:44:49) and Tim Clegg in 49th (3:55:01).

The race was won by Dave Walker of Clayton-le-Moors who was six minutes ahead of his closest rival.

A total of 235 runners set off from Horton-in-Ribblesdale on the 24-mile race which took competitors over the summits of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, covering a total of 1,200ft of climbing.

The event is still rated one of the toughest fell races in the world and the entries for the 2003 run had dropped to their lowest level for 30 years.

"There are so many fell races today that athletes cannot afford the time to train for, or recover from the really long events, so an entry approaching 300 is not bad," said entries organiser Bill Wade.

But the event is due to get a major boost next year when the race celebrates its 50th anniversary, with hunreds of runners expected to join the 'golden' celebrations.

Results: 1 D Walker (Clayton) 3:06:27; 2 J Hemsley (P&B) 3:12:49; 3 A Schofield (Borrowdale) 3:16:55; 4 J Blackett (Middlesborough) 3:19:59; 5 A Orr (Clayton) 3:25:58; 6 G Schofield (Horwich) 3:26:06.

Women: 1 B Whitfield (Clayton) 3:56:40; 2 H Sedgewick (Ilkley) 4:03:16; 3 S Miles (Unattached) 4:05:39.