ORGANISERS of the Borrowdale Fell Race were astounded at the size of Saturday's field considering it was not a championship race.

There were 100 more athletes than normal in Rosthwaite with 383 runners tackling the gruelling 17-mile race that takes in Bessy Boot, Esk Hause, Scafell Pike, Great Gable, Honister Pass and Dalehead.

Borrowdale's Simon Booth maintained his unbroken winning sequence that started in 1998, finishing five minutes ahead of Bingley's Ian Holmes.

The leading group of runners was down to three at the start of the climb up Great Gable before Booth broke away from Holmes and Dark Peak's Lloyd Taggart.

Booth managed to run all the way up Great Gable and when the second and third- placed runners passed through Honister Hause, the Borrowdale athlete was already 300 yards in to the climb up Dalehead. By the finish that lead was extended to five minutes.

Best-placed South Lakeland athlete was Ambleside's Dan Golding who was 14th with team-mate Jon Deegan not far behind in 16th.

Ambleside's Sue Wood turned in a gutsy performance to finish first lady in 3-49-46 with Ilkley's Nicky Jaquiery over seven minutes behind. Milnthorpe's Wendy Dodds, who runs for Clayton, was first lady V50 in 189th.

Results: 1 S Booth, Borrowdale, 2-46-18; 2 I Holmes, Bingley, 2-51-20; 3 L Taggart, Dark Peak, 2-51-50; 4 P Davies, Borrowdale, 2-54-40; 5 J Davies, Borrowdale, 2-54-40; 6 B Bardsley, Borrowdale, 2-58-06; 7 J Bland, Borrowdale, 2-58-50; 8 P Vale, Mercia, 3-02-11; 9 P Thompson, Clayton, 3-02-35; 10 R Lightfoot, Ellenborough, 3-03-34; 14 D Golding, Ambleside, 3-12-51; 16 J Deegan, Ambleside, 3-13-12; 30 D Duxbury, Ambleside, 3-28-39; 37 G Thomas, Kendal, 3-30-48; 43 A Pilkington, Settle, 3-33-21; 49 J Murfin, Settle, 3-36-31; 53 C Speight, Ambleside, 3-38-34; 54 A Labram, Eden, 3-39-18; 75 S Wood, Ambleside, 3-49-46; 84 M Horn, Settle, 3-51-12; 91 C Addy, Eden, 3-54-12; 105 R Gillespie, Eden, 3-58-17; 106 R Jerram, Kendal, 3-58-44; 122 J Osborne, Settle, 4-05-27; 140 J Faulkner, Eden, 4-11-32; 142 S Ruane, Eden, 4-12-54; 144 D Aspden, Dallam, 4-13-19; 147 A Hinde, Settle, 4-14-20; 155 H Jones, Dallam, 4-15-40; 158 K Rutherford, Black Combe, 4-16-25; 159 D Till, Helm Hill, 4-16-46; 166 J Rigby, Helm Hill, 4-19-36; 179 M Meadowcroft, Dallam, 4-23-57; 189 W Dodds, Clayton, 4-27-42; 194 R Cannon, Helm Hill, 4-28-30; 261 G Beardwood, Helm Hill, 4-49-06; 262 A Young, Ambleside, 4-49-10; 265 P Acland, Kendal, 4-49-40; 268 R Smithurst, Black Combe, 4-51-06; 289 E Aspden, Dallam, 4-58-18; 293 K Fursey, Black Combe, 5-01-21; 339 A Gittins, Black Combe, 5-36-21. There were 353 finishers.

n KENDAL'S Craig Roberts was fifth and first V40 in Sunday's three-mile (950ft) Latrigg Fell Race.

He was just over a minute behind Salford's Andi Jones who won in 17-46 with Altrincham's Andy Norman in second.

First male V50 was Kendal's Mike Walsh in 12th place, while the first lady was Bingley's Victoria Wilkinson who was eighth in 20 minutes dead. Clayton's V50 athlete Maureen Laney (24-05) was second lady and she came home with 22 seconds to spare over Keswick youngster Emma Stuart daughter of race record-holder Kenny Stuart who clocked 16-37 in 1984.

Results: 1 A Jones, Salford, 17-46; 2 A Norman, Altrincham, 18-01; 3 I Holmes, Bingley, 18-06; 4 T Austin, Dark Peak, 18-11; 5 C Roberts, Kendal, 18-49; 6 C Doyle, Trafford, 18-58; 7 R Lightfoot, Ellenborough, 19-10; 8 V Wilkinson, Bingley, 20:00; 9 D Frampton, Borrowdale, 20-22; 10 P Thompson, Clayton, 21-00; 11 A Labram, Eden, 21-15; 12 M Walsh, Kendal,21-18; 66 W Percival, Ambleside, 28-43; 68 D Ablitt, Ambleside, 28-57; 85 K Pilkington, Settle, 36-12.

n MARK Croasdale won the BOFRA championship Farleton Knott Fell Race after battling with Wharfedale's Mark Horrocks all the way round the five-mile course.

Ted Mason set the early pace and was ahead of Croasdale, Horrocks and Helm Hill's Alastair Dunn after the scree descent down the front of Farleton Knott.

Mason faded on the big climb back up Farleton Knott and Croasdale and Horrocks took it on and as the pair entered the last half mile the Lancaster athlete put in a devastating burst that took him away from Horrocks who was unable to respond.

Mason finished third with Dunn who recently won the senior fell race at Ambleside placing fourth.

Matthew Hurst won the U17 race after overtaking clear leader Tom Addison, of Helm Hill, on the scree descent while the U14 race was won by Lewis Robinson from Settle's Matthew Fretwell. Helm Hill's Rory Addison was a comfortable winner of the U12 event.