Bingley Harriers have reached the play-off for promotion to Division One of the NORTH OF ENGLAND TRACK & FIELD LEAGUE.

A fine season was rounded off in slightly downbeat fashion at Bolton, where a depleted team managed third place on the day, behind Holmfirth and the host club.

Holmfirth overtook Bingley at the last to become divisional champions. Both clubs qualify for the play-off against a daunting roll-call of competitors: West Cheshire, Trafford AC A, Lincoln Wellington, Rotherham, Gateshead and Durham City.

New squad members Stephen Broadbent, Mark Teasdale and returning member Angela Bretherick all helped. Meanwhile, regulars Demetric Nelson, Oliver Robinson, Ben Marriott, Carly Robinson, Janine Crosby, Amy Howard, Harriet Pickles and Sarah Benson, all won their A-string events.

Lauren Powell and Jessica Ellis in the women’s sprints were Spenborough’s only individual winners as they consolidated fourth spot in the division.

Halifax and Skyrac will become the area’s only clubs in Division Three, having gained promotion at Oldham.

A much-improved Bradford-Airedale finished fifth and are becoming fully competitive for next season.

Skyrac’s Eliot Dawson, with three wins, Darren Thomas, Molly Keefe, Emma Inglis and Fiona Thomas with two wins, rounded off a successful season for the Guiseley-based club.

Final league positions: Division 1: Blackburn 19pts (1442.5 match points); City of Manchester 16 (1337); Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde 13 (1342); Preston 13 (1331.5); Wakefield 13 (1258); City of York 10 (1271).

Division 2 (West-Central): Holmfirth 22pts (1612 match points); Bingley 21 (1521); Bolton 17 (1473.5); Spenborough 10 (1162.5); Lancaster & Morecambe/Kendal 7 (1067); Rossendale 7 (1021).

Division 4 (WC): Halifax 22pts (1512 match points); Skyrac 20 (1408); Pudsey & Bramley 18 (1354); Oldham & Royton 12 (815); Bradford-Airedale 7 (629); Chorley 5 (535).

The two-third marker in the YORKSHIRE VETS GRAND PRIX SERIES was reached last Wednesday at the Knavesmire in York.

The five-mile trail race attracted 227 runners and a fiercely competitive women’s race, with home-team athletes Emma Yate and Robyn Oldham being split by Pudsey Pacers’ Karen Pickles.

Yates’ victory in 36min 44sec was a rare defeat for Pickles. Nonetheless, the Pacers women’s team lie first in the “first-four-to-count” league, 62 points ahead of Horsforth. But Horsforth have a commanding lead (5653 to 5164) in the “all-runners-to-count” category.

Pacers’ women have a stranglehold on many of the individual prizes: Karen Pickles leading the over-35 category, and Nicola Bradford and Sue Ransome likewise for the over-40 and over-50 age-groups.