The Red Rose Cross Country League’s annual presentation evening doubled as a celebration of the league’s 50th year.

It was fitting that Bury AC, as one of the league’s founding clubs, was well represented in the prizes presented at the Horwich RMI club.

The senior women led the way, winning the team prize and with Hannah Price as third overall in the league and Caitlin Cole in fifth. In the women’s veteran’s category, the Bury team took third place and Rachel Marshall was second in the V40 category and Katie Geelan was the popular V45 winner.

Demonstrating that the future remains bright for the women’s team, Bury’s under-13 girls also took the first team place.

Emily Purdy took an excellent third place overall, with Chloe Ardin just behind her in fourth. Freya Potts took an excellent second place in the u15 girls and Charlotte Speakman-Farnworth led the u17 women’s team to third place, securing sixth place as an individual.

The u13 boys team took third place and Nathan Shepherd was fifth in the u20 men’s category. The senior men’s team took an excellent third place, led by Ben Coop who also took third place in the individual competition.

In what was a very quiet weekend for fixtures, a few of Bury’s athletes used the Parkruns to stretch their legs. Byron Edwards used a weekend trip to Northern Ireland as a good excuse to participate in the Belfast Victoria Parkrun.

He set an age best of 16mins 19secs to take second place overall.

Sarah Thomas was only six seconds outside her best for the Heaton Parkrun course, where she finished as second woman in 18.35.