West Yorkshire clubs stole the limelight in appalling conditions at the Norman Matthews Winter Hill Fell Race on Sunday.

The race, named after Horwich RMI’s former national fell race champion, featured 2,749 feet of climbing spread over 11 miles of dank and foggy moorland above Rivington in Lancashire.

With little racing available in the white rose county this weekend, the event attracted an extremely strong showing from Pudsey & Bramley AC as the club provided three of a four-man group that finished nearly eight minutes clear of the pack.

Graham Pearce followed up his course record win in the Rombalds Stride with another victory, posting a time of 1hr 30min 58sec to edge out team-mate Danny Hope by 17 seconds.

Karl Gray (Calder) and Darren Kay (P&B) followed within a minute to complete the top four. Otley AC’s Matt John (1:39.40) was best of the rest in fifth, while Tom Brunt (Holmfirth) and Jo Mercer (Skipton) also made the top ten.

Calder Valley duo Helen Fines and Jo Buckley were the first ladies back in a field of 173, and the only female competitors to break the two-hour barrier with times of 1:55.18 and 1:59.46 respectively.

The 245-strong field at the Leeds Park Run 5k on Saturday reflected the burgeoning popularity of these weekly, free to enter, events.

Pudsey Pacers were out in force and four of their nine runners managed course personal bests.

Andrew Byrom led the way in 22min 32sec and was joined by Lisa Heath (23:30), Keeley Huddart (23:41) and Dave Shipley (26:36).

Otley AC’s Eleanor Shotton (23:30) and Keighley & Craven’s Sam Overend also set new bests.

Rebecca Coope, an under-15 runner for Pudsey & Bramley, was an excellent second overall in the ladies race.

* There is a hectic schedule of cross-country races this weekend.

Sunday marks the culmination of the West Yorkshire Winter League at Stainland, race four of the PECO Series at Golden Acre Park and the Yorkshire Veterans Cross-Country Championships – for runners aged over 35 – at Doncaster.