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Radcliffe Athletic Club’s Kath Davies celebrated her birthday by picking up a fell running award.

She was crowned first VW60 at the Run the Moors Fell Grand Prix presentation evening.

Eight local clubs contest the annual grand prix, a series of 11 fell races held over various distances around the North West.

Kath was one of eight RAC members who attended the prize-giving at Norden Bowling Club, Rochdale. Her trophy was presented by guest speaker Darren Graham, a well-known organiser of local trail and fell races.

Karen Doherty, Mark Garner, Ian Swan and Peter Warr also received commemorative pint glasses for completing at least five races in the series.

RAC runners lined up with some of the country’s top runners when they took part in Saturday’s British Athletics Cross Challenge in Liverpool. Nine-time Olympic gold medal winner Carl Lewis was among the spectators at the cross country event in Sefton Park.

The event was chosen as the third fixture in the Red Rose Cross Country League which is contested by 20 clubs from Greater Manchester and Lancashire, including Radcliffe.

In bright, crisp and muddy conditions, Julie Robertson was the club’s first finisher in the women’s 8.1k race. She ran 38:20 followed by Paula Abernethy (43:38), Karen Doherty (44:23), Charlotte Holden (48:30), Helen Kay (1:00:13) and Louise Shield (1:00:14).

The men competed over 9.8k with Gary Adkins clocking 39:55 in only his second cross country race. Mark Garner ran 46:09 and David Bartlett finished in 56:39.

Grace O’Donnell and Aoife Warr ran 12:19 and 13:18 respectively in the under-11 girls’ race while Oliver Swan ran 17:21 in the under-13 boys’ race.

There was a podium place for Katherine Biddle when she headed to a famous motor racing venue for her latest long distance event. She was third VW50 at Sunday’s Oulton Park Marathon, completing ten laps of the racetrack in 4:46:34. The day before, she clocked 26:41 at the 5k York parkrun.

Three RAC runners got into the festive spirit early at the Wilmslow Festive 10k. Rob Shiels ran 41:53 to earn himself a robin-shaped medal. Stephen Crowe clocked 1:00:02 while it was a busy weekend for Helen Kay who ran 1:09:25 a day after completing cross country and running 34:11 at Sutton Manor parkrun.

International parkruns were notched up by Chemane Golding who was second woman in 26:20 at Rheinpark in Cologne, Germany. Meanwhile, Amy Brough-Aikin ran 25:36 at Varna in Bulgaria.

Closer to home, Lucy Tighe bagged a new personal best of 27:41 at Stretford parkrun and there was a large turnout of RAC members at Heaton Park. Junior Robbie Parkinson ran 21:36 and was joined by Rob Shiels (22:13), Mark Taylor (22:41), Adam Wills (22:45), Donna Cartwright (24:44), Dominic Parry (24:49), Charlene Leyden (25:55) and Sara Parry (39:22).

Sheila Jones ran the fastest age-weighted time and was first WV65 in 27:19 at Centre Vale parkrun. Results from other parkruns: Bolton – Tracy Wroe (56:40); Clarence – Kath Davies (29:05), Stephen Crowe (31:09) and Bev Quinton (60:60). Peel – Mia Derbyshire (24:55) and Rob Lister (27:27).