Runners' loyalties were severely tested last Saturday.

The National Cross-Country Championships were being staged in Roundhay Park, Leeds, and on the same day the first counter in the English Fell Running Championships were held in conjunction with the Noon Stone Fell Race at Todmorden. Ian Holmes and Andy Peace of Bingley Harriers, who would have been expected to be counters for the team in the national, opted instead for their first love of fell running and finished 15th and 21st respectively.

The nine-mile, category-A race with 2,300 feet of climbing was won by Matthew Speake of Dark Peak, who held off his clubmate Lloyd Taggart by just three seconds. Taggart had the consolation of taking first place in the V40 category in front of Holmes.

Pudsey and Bramley were well represented to the front of the field with Rob Hope third, Danny Hope fifth and Graham Pearce sixth. Bingley’s Rob Jebb separated the Hopes in fourth place.

On Sunday there was the Snake Lane ten-mile race from Pocklington.

The fast, flat course ‘snakes’ its way out through Meltonby, Bishop Wilton, Bolton and Yapham Mill before returning to Pocklington.

The 666 finishers, from all parts of the north east, were led home by Stephen Hepples from the Newham and Essex Beagles Club, who clocked 53min 39sec, well clear of the second-placed runner Gary Dunn from Thirsk & Sowerby Harriers.

First local home was Julian Mawson of Otley AC in 55:44, with good placings for Will Kerr of St. Bede’s (22nd in 59:49) and Paul Gaile of Pudsey Pacers in 27th in a personal best of 60:31 – having raced in the nationals the previous day!

This Sunday there is the final race in the Peco Cross-Country League being hosted by St Bede’s at Esholt (11am), and also the first of the 2010 Yorkshire Vets series at Meltham with a 9.30am, start followed by the Yorkshire Veterans’ annual meeting.