FELL RUNNERS battled against terrible conditions in Sunday's Three Peaks Race.

Favourite for the event was ex-Skyrac runner Simon Booth (Borrowdale), but his winning time of 3 hrs 10 min 43 sec was 18 minutes slower than when he won the last race two years ago, underlining just how severe conditions were.

Rain, wind, hail and sleet combined to test the runners to destruction.

There were 254 starters, but of these over 40 runners dropped out with many suffering from the bone-chilling conditions.

At Ribblehead Viaduct, at the foot of Whernside, Booth was running comfortably in a group of four runners who had made a decisive break from a field already bunching in groups for succour against the cruel weather.

However, by the Hill Inn, which lies at the foot of the long drag up to Ingleborough, Booth was alone, having broken clear by 45 seconds from his Borrowdale club-mate Andrew Schofield, who in turn had opened up a 30 second gap on Clayton's Garry Wilkinson.

These positions were to remain unaltered to the finish, with both gaps widening over the last third of the race to around six minutes, with Schofield finishing in 3.16.30 and Wilkinson in 3.22.04.

Skyrac runners received two awards. Neil Clayton received his plaque for previously completing 21 races and Malcolm Coles (93rd in 4.19.29) was the first Over 60 to finish.

The number of finishers was the lowest since 1973, but the Three Peaks Race Association take pride in the attention they pay to the safety of runners, including "timing out" runners who cannot complete the race in less than 5 hrs 30 min.

At 24 miles, with 4,500 feet of climb over hills well over 2000 feet, the Three Peaks Race is arduous even in balmy weather, but the conditions experienced last Sunday justify the attention paid by the organisers to ensuring that the well-being of competitors remains paramount.

The 'Peaks' remains the event most runners want to conquer at least once in their running careers.

Results

Leading positions: 1. S Booth (Borrowdale FR) 3:10:43; 2. A Schofield (Borrowdale FR) 3:16:30; 3. G R Wilkinson (Clayton-Le-Moors) 3:22:04; 4. P Thompson (Clayton-Le-Moors) 3:23:45; 5. D Cummins (Shettleston) 3:30:55; 6. L A Dowthwaite (Bowland FR) 3:31:58; 7. P A Briscoe (Pudsey & Bramley AC) 3:33:55; 8. A Hauser (Pudsey & Bramley) 3:34:52; 9. G Schofield (Horwich) 3:35:37; 10. J Parsons (Pudsey & Bramley) 3:36:02.

Local finishers: 32. J Wootton (Wharfedale Harriers) 3:50:46; 45. 57. Des Fretwell (Keighley & Craven) 4:04:02; J Hindle (Keighley & Craven) 4:15:22; 77. T Minikin (Keighley & Craven) 4:16:02; 85. J Preston (Keighley & Craven) 4:17:21; 147. R Sharples (Keighley & Craven) 4:43:43; 150.

151. Kevin Hopkinson (Keighley & Craven) 4:46:07; 187. C Preston (Keighley & Craven) 5:08:58.