Eight Bury AC athletes competed in the Ribble Valley 10k road race on New Year’s Eve, with Martin Clark the club’s first home.

The race also doubled as the North of England Championships and it upheld its tradition of attracting a field of top-class athletes.

The race produced a brilliant duel between Marc Scott and Emile Caress, two of the best distance runners in the UK, with Scott prevailing in a sprint to the line.

Clark was Bury’s first finisher, producing a very nippy 32mins 48secs to secure 70th place overall.

Jack Griffiths was the next local finisher, his 35:20 giving him 150th position, while Paul Johnston crossed the line in 35:59 in 170th overall, but he took an excellent sixth in the V45 category.

Byron Edwards was not far behind, clocking 36:22 in 181st place, but taking eighth in the V45 category. Also running in that age category was Paul Marshall, whose 37:38 gave him 13th in the category and 223rd overall.

Abigail Warburton took 28th women’s place with a lifetime best of 39:35 and Harriet Griffiths’ 41:47 was also a new personal best and secured her 35th place.

Alexander Leach improved his best to 41:51, taking 414th place in a field of nearly 1300 runners.

Bury AC member and coaching assistant, Brandon Quinton, ran superbly for Warrington, his first claim club, recording 30:49 and taking 18th place.

Several Bury AC members used the New Year’s Day Heaton Parkrun to usher in 2024 with Conor Wilkinson taking fourth with 18:08 and Paul Marshall hot on his heels in sixth with 18:13.

Matthew Finch set a new PB of 19:13 in 14th position and Giles Bennett recorded 19:46 in 19th. Sarah Flett was fastest woman in a new PB of 20:26 and Irfan Qureshi finished in 51st in 22:09.

Triathlete Matthew Garside was on pacemaking duties and recorded 24:02, while Afroditi Kalambouka clocked 24:36, just 12 seconds outside her PB.

The previous Saturday young Sam Smyth, back home from university in Bath, won the Heaton Parkrun recording a nippy 16:54.

Rob Fowler took fourth in 17:32 and Caitlyn Johnston was first woman finisher with 19:31.

Giles Bennett took 21st, with 19:51, and Sarah Flett was third woman finisher with 20:51.

The other Bury finishers included Sarah Thomas (21:20), Paul Marshall (21:57 - pacemaking) and Irfan Qureshi (22:01).