THE Red Rose Cross Country League kicked off the winter season with its first ever fixture at Leigh Sports Village.

Top billing for Blackburn Harriers has to go to the U15 boys with a 1-2-3 finish for Robert Wong, Connor Mahoney and Jack Hindle, and with 11th for Robert Blow they were also first team while team honours went to the U15 girls too.

Elizabeth Greenwood and Karl Billingtonn added individual victories in the U13 girls and U20 men’s races with Billington second overall as the U20s ran with the seniors.

Hannah Cookson (U11G), Dominic Mahoney (U17M) and Beckie Taylor (U20W) all opened their accounts with second places.

Nick Schofield was Rossendale Harriers’ star turn helping the senior men take first place and individually being the first veteran.

The club’s U13 girls and U20 men also won team honours with Shauna Williamson and Joe Johnston claiming fine third places.

Pendle AC’s U13 boys led the way in their class with Tianan Crorken third, but Kai Atkins was the club’s highest finisher with second for the U11 boys. Natalya Irvine gave Clayton-le-Moors an early bonus with third in the U11 girls’ race, but the club had to wait for their first win as the veteran men won out with Mark Aspinall in second spot.

For the moment the two Chorley clubs are still rivals and the best result came from the Harriers as Lynne Clough was the winning veteran and helped her team win the day.

Chorley AC’s Fergus Tallon and Luke Betts were each fourth in their respective contests, Tallon in the U15 boys race and Betts for the U20 men.