RADCLIFFE AC's Dave McGrath took a well-deserved second place in the Edenfield Fell Race on Sunday.

He ran the 6.4-mile course with its 1,565 feet of climbing in 47mins 42secs, losing out to the winner by just three seconds.

But there was drama for the great turnout of 23 runners from Radcliffe when Donna Cartwright had a nasty fall landing her in hospital.

Despite a fractured ankle out on the tough course the gutsy vet-40 continued her run and finished fifth woman in 1:02:30 before being treated at the finish by Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue then taken for more treatment at hospital by her club-mates.

Radcliffe won the ladies' team prize with Cartwright home first, Katie Percival running 1:05:29 for ninth woman and Fiona Lynch (V40) 1:07:02, 12th woman.

The popular event, running  from Edenfield Cricket Club, had a record number of runners with 223 taking to the local moors in scorching conditions.

It was part of the Run The Moors Grand Prix so there were points to be fought for between Radcliffe and several other clubs who take part.

Next home for the club after McGrath was Chris Whittaker in 30th place in 54:14 with Ian Warrington close behind in 32nd in 54:35.

Other results: James Hall 55:42, John Gibbs 56:06, John Wrigley 56:37, Craig Norman 56:43, Mike Cooke (V45) 1:02:49, Peter McNulty (V60) 1:03:33, Paul Swyers (V50) 1:03:56, Mauro Rotondi (V45) 1:04:38, Kris Lee (V40) 1:08:09, Mark Garner (V45) 1:08:23, John Andrew (V45) 1:09:02, Steve Hamer (V60) 1:11:10, Mark Wolfenden (V50) 1:15:01, Nick Barnes 1:15:23, Lisa Carter (V45) 1:16:44, Sheila McNulty (first vet-70) 1:24:13, Susanne Andrew (V45) 1:31:09.

In his first marathon, Stephen O'Hagan faced the same hot weather on Sunday in Derry in Northern Ireland when he finished in 4:24:00 in the Walled City Marathon.

The city is known for its 17th-century Derry Walls with seven gates and the challenging route took in the sights.

He celebrated with his wife Ema.

Michelle Hincks took on the Coniston Marathon on Sunday and clocked 5:55:00 but she was running it with a large back pack, in training for bigger things.

She plans to run a multi-day desert race in Namibia in South West Africa in November.

Sarah Oxley was also training for bigger things when she ran one of the toughest half marathons in the UK – the Bolton Hill Half Marathon in Sunday's hot conditions. She clocked 3:12:30 on a course that went up Winter Hill and over Rivington Pike, through Barrow village and finished in Moss Bank Park.

She also added more miles after making it 20 miles, training for two ultras she has planned in July.

The day before, the vet-45 had run the Conwy Parkrun in Wales in 28:37.

Keeping cool on Sunday was easier for Caroline Malone than most as she took part in the 3.8k Ullswater Swim, clocking 1:25:35. 

McGrath was among the top runners again when he was fifth in the midweek Foe Edge Fell Race on the local moors above Waterfoot, Rossendale.

He ran the four miles with 984 feet of climbing in 33:51.

James Hall was next home for the club in 25th place in 38:15, with John Wrigley right behind in 26th place in 38:24.

John Gibbs was 37th in 40:13, Lisa Carter (V45) ran 51:18 and Mark Wolfenden (V50) finished in 53:04.

Chris Whittaker ran the Hollingworth Lake Handicap 5k at Littleborough, a midweek event, which was run after the end of the recent race series. He was first M35 and fifth in 18:07.