Bury AC had seven athletes in the field for the Ribble Valley 10k and all were rewarded with either personal or season’s best performances.

First to finish was Ben Coop, making the top 50 to record a season’s best of 31.54mins in 47th place.

Setting another personal best and rounding off an astounding year of improvement was Josh Birmingham, crossing the line in 32.08 in 61st place.

Junior Marcus Dey was next to finish, taking 73rd place but the international triathlete’s new PB of 32.47 did secure him seventh place in the junior category.

Men’s team captain Byron Edwards finished in 100th place overall but his season’s best of 34.06 saw him finish in second position in the V45 age category.

New member Andrew Mellor ran a fine new best of 34.31 in his debut for the club, giving him 114th place.

Paul Johnston ended 2019 on a high note, also setting a new best of 36.32 to finish 171st overall and giving him 15th position in the V40 category.

Rachel Marshall’s 41.04 time was not only a new personal best but also gave her a brilliant fifth place in the V40 category.

On Boxing Day Coop and Caitlin Cole competed in Rossendale Harriers’ Whinberry Naze fell race.

Coop took an excellent fourth place whilst Cole, making her debut over the fells, finished as fifth lady over the tough four-mile course.

The previous Saturday five Bury junior multi-event athletes competed at the Manchester Christmas Field meeting indoors at the Sportcity complex.

Jay Cook produced an excellent series of performances to round off an excellent year.

He won the high jump in a new personal best of 1.67m, took third in his U17 age group in the pole vault with another new best of 3.35m and won the shot put with yet another lifetime best of 10.94.

Daisy Worthington took third in the long jump with a 5.08 performance and third in the shot with a new personal best put of 8.53.

Abigail Howard set a new lifetime best of 4.64 to take third in her U17 age group in the long jump and took seventh in the shot with 8.15.

Rosella Togo set a new personal best of 11.03 to take second whilst Ella Hall only just missed her best with 10.04 to take fourth place.