Athletics: Batley-based postman Michael Pearson cruised to victory in the Mileta ten-mile road race last night.

The 34-year-old finished almost half a minute ahead of second-placed Darren Hanson.

Longwood Harrier Pearson showed no signs of tiring, finishing in an impressive 54min 24sec, despite having won the Almondbury 10km race at Huddersfield just 24 hours earlier.

Spen runner Kath Drake won the women's race with a time of 65min 48sec, having led from start to finish, ahead of Treena Carney of Dewsbury.

Runners will be heading up the Wharfedale Valley for the Burnsall Classic fell race on Saturday (5pm).

The short one-and-a-half-mile course climbs 900 feet and has a history dating back over 100 years.

John Wild (RAF Cosford) set the course record on his third consecutive victory in 1983, with a time of 12min 48sec. In the same year, Carol Haigh (now Greenwood) of Holmfirth set the women's best of 16-34.

Now a Bingley runner and a seasoned international, Carol is not in Saturday's line-up.

Most number of wins for the event belongs to Pudsey and Bramley's Pete Watson with seven wins in 1959, 1961, 1962 and 1966-1969.

Two men have dominated the race in recent years - Andy Peace, with five wins, and Steve Hawk-ins with four.

A ten-mile road race compliments the Classic with a 3pm start. Graham Ellis of Holmfirth holds the course record for this event with his 1997 time of 49-19.

Longwood won two of the four Northern Veterans' League meetings to take the titles in the over-40 and over-60s sections, and were runners-up to Manchester in the over-50s. The women finished third, a place ahead of Spenborough.

Dave Oselton lead the newly-merged Skipton club to runners-up spot in the over-40s.

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