Radcliffe runners finished high up the leader board at the gruelling four-day Tour of Tameside, wrires Karen Doherty.

Mia Derbyshire, Alex Pullan and Julie Robertson completed four races on consecutive days, kicking off with a 10k trail race in sweltering 24C temperatures followed by a six-mile fell race and a half marathon. The sporting festival finished with the Dr Ron Hill Hyde 7, a hilly seven-mile road race.

Pullan was 44th out of the 318 runners who completed all four events, posting a cumulative time of 4:05:50. Derbyshire was the 11th female, and second senior female, in 4:24:07, just a place ahead of Robertson who ran 4:27:38 and was also fourth FV50.

In another popular annual event closer to home, two Radcliffe runners chased a steam engine from Bury to Rawtenstall in the Race the Train event on Sunday.

Ken Smith completed the 11-mile trail challenge in 1:38:31, finishing first MV65, while Karen Doherty completed the scenic route in 1:44:17.

Earlier in the week, Doherty clocked a new pb of 56:15 in sizzling sunshine at the Hawkshead 10k in the Lake District. She enjoyed the scenic and undulating road race around Esthwaite Water, knocking 1 min 15 seconds off her previous fastest time.

Five Radcliffe runners took to the hills above Littleborough in the Brown Wardle Fell Race, the fifth race in the Run the Moors Fell Grand Prix which is contested by local clubs. John Gibbs was 14th in 31:38 over the short but sharp 3.3km course with 360 metres of ascent, a place ahead of Craig Norman in 32:25. Ian Swan ran 37:50, Lee Turner 38:55 and Peter Warr 56:02.

Meanwhile, David Bartlett ran 51:13 in the second Horwich Jubilee Race, part of a series of three scenic 5.4-mile courses around Rivington.

The club was out in force to celebrate the 13th anniversary of Heaton Parkrun, with junior Robbie Parkinson winning a chocolate cake after finishing third JM11-14 in 23:26. Chris Paxton was 21st in 19:59, just ahead of Rob Shiels in 20:05. Other times were: Simon Foulkes (21:28), Ian Swan (22:07 parkrun pb), Peter Hunter (23:28) and Iain Harris (36:37).

Times from elsewhere: Bolton – Rob Lister (ninth in 21:21) and Elaine Bailey (30:38); Dishley, Loughborough – Neil Greenhalgh (20:44); Keswick – Karen Doherty (parkrun pb 27:20); Macclesfield – Cheryl Gallagher (33:51); Worsley Woods - Tracy Wroe (32.29).

It was also confirmed that V65 Sheila Jones set the age-graded record at Peel parkrun on June 13. That meant that, when adjusted for age, her time of 23:03 is the fastest for the 5k course.