EMILY Purdy stormed to glory at the English Schools’ Fell Running Championships in Sedburgh.

The Bury AC runner produced a superb performance to win the Year 8/9 girls’ race with Sam Smyth ninth in the senior boys’ race.

The first of the four Red Rose Cross Country League fixtures were held at Leigh Sports Village and Bury’s top performances all came from female athletes.

In the senior women’s race, team captain Hannah Lucas won in 19mins 21secs – 40 seconds clear of the second-placed runner.

Rachel Marshall (fifth), Caitlin Cole (sixth) and Nicola Ryan (10th) helped Bury win the team event. The other finishers were Katie Geelan (12th), Caitlyn Johnston (20th and second U20), Harriet Griffiths (25th), Susan Wheeldon-Gorst (48th) and Afroditi Kalambouka (79th).

The under-15s girls emulated the seniors with Emily Purdy dominating the race and finishing nearly 90 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Anna Gisbourne (third) and Lola Potts (sixth) sealed another team win.

The other finishers were Polly Fordham (seventh) and Corinne Newton (11th). Lucy Dent was second in the under-11 girls’ race with Isabella Robinson and Gabriella Idoko helping Bury secure third place. The other competitors were Layla Halton (39th), Sophia Reaves (54th), Maisy Battersby (55th), Katie Tunbridge (56th), Ruby Dent (58th), Maisie Wright (59th) and Lois Green (60th).

Jack Griffiths finished in sixth place for the depleted senior men’s team. Luke Harreld was ninth and Ian Warrington 23rd.

The other scoring runners were Paul Johnston (28th), Giles Bennett (62nd) and Jacob Allen (73rd) to take second place. Other finishers included Peter Barrow (78th) and Anthony Hallahan (95th).

The under-15 boys were fourth with Adam Warren in 12th, Thomas Donnelly 16th and Samuel Gooddy 23rd. The under-11 boys were also fourth with Ethan Statham in 11th, Harrison Burgess 13th and Sammy McBride-Duerden in 23rd.

Bury’s other finishers included Fionn Hunt (29th), Zac Buckley (34th), Rory Hunt (36th), James Kay (43rd), Max Sayers (45th), George Whalley (46th), Ryan Leigh-Kumawu (54th) and Eion Hunt (57th).

The under-13 boys scoring trio of Edison Marsden (11th), Kian Bleakley (19th) and Oliver Cooper (19th) took fifth place. The other finisher was Patrick Yates in 22nd. The under-13 girls could not field a complete team but there were good individual runs from Faye Gribbin, in ninth, and Evie Elliot in 36th. Matthew Lowe was Bury’s only under-17 men’s competitor, taking a strong seventh place and Eva Powell was the only under-17 women, finishing 15th.

Sarah Thomas competed in the London Marathon, clocking 3:16:06 on her debut over the distance.