WHARFEDALE Harriers won the senior men's title in the prestigious WEST YORKSHIRE CROSS-COUNTRY LEAGUE for the first time on Sunday.

The Silsden-based team were led home in the final race at Nunroyd Park, Guiseley by steeplechaser Lee Athersmith (11th), with Nick Charlesworth and Sam Watson 18th and 19th.

Spence Riley (28th), Gareth Hird (34th) and Jonathan Bradshaw (37th) were Wharfedale's remaining scorers.

Holmfirth put up a strong challenge, winning the last race alongside the first of the series, but Wharfedale won the other two and were second in the two races won by Holmfirth, while Holmfirth scored poorly elsewhere.

Holmfirth held off Valley Striders through countback, while Bingley were a good fourth overall, ahead of York Knavesmire, with Skyrac, hosts of the final race, seventh.

Andy Browne and Martin Peace led the Bingley team home in ninth and 43rd, while Michael Malyon and Quentin Lewis entered for Baildon Runners and were rewarded with 22nd and 32nd places.

Tom Adams (second for Ilkley), Joe Sagar (fourth for Spenborough) and Chris Thornton (seventh for Skyrac) were best of the local runners.

Perennial champions Leeds City were fifth on the day but failed to score in the league through having insufficient runners in all four events. However, their Simon Deakin managed to beat Tom Adams by 100 yards – no mean feat – in 30min 16sec over the full four-lap course.

The senior women's event was even tighter, Pudsey & Bramley prevailing over Holmfirth with identical team scores but lower individual totals (countback).

Alex Ball, victorious at Nunroyd, and Claire Green (seventh) were top scorers, alongside Rachel Pilling (29th) and Suzanne Sharman (32nd).

Keighley & Craven's duo of Helen Glover and Zara Knappy were fourth and sixth, while Skyrac's Rebecca Cesar de Sa continues to improve, finishing ninth.

In the junior races, the under-11 boys' title was close-fought, with Keighley & Craven edging Ilkley, and Bingley getting bronze on countback over Holmfirth.

Skyrac's Sebastian Cunming won the final race, with Bingley's Oliver Peace beating Keighley's Sam Conroy for third.

In the under-11 girls', Ilkley's Charlotte Kenneth was second, with Keighley & Craven's Harisah Khafoor third.