AMBLESIDE’S Sarah McCormack is top of the pile in the mountain running world cup standings following her phenomenal victory in the Snowdon International Mountain Race on Saturday.

The 10-mile event up and down the highest mountain in Wales attracted a field of 600 runners and the Irish international emerged triumphant in the women’s race.

McCormack overtook England’s Hatti Archer and with less than two miles to go in the race back to Llanberis, she had to grit her teeth to shake off Italy’s Elisa Sortini.

She placed 29th overall and crossed the line in 14-14-49. Her time is believed by officials to be the second fastest female time ever. It is a result which means she now heads the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA)World Cup standings.

Helm Hill’s Kelli Roberts also put in an impressive performance at Snowdon, coming in fifth lady and 58th overall in a 1-21-47.

Scotsman Andy Douglas won the race outright in one hour and four minutes and was closely followed by Italian twins Martin and Bernard Dematteis. The race not only attracted runners from the home countries but also from Italy, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya and the USA.

Kendal AC’s Sarah Tunstall sits in fourth place in the World Cup rankings after taking a very deserving win at the GrossGlockner Mountain Race in Austria a couple of weeks ago.

With just three races remaining in the WMRA World Cup the next one will be held on August 11 in Sierre-Zinal, Switzerland.

KESWICK’S Mark Lamb was a comfortable winner of the mid-week Blisco Dash race which was run in heavy rain and mist which obscured visibility on the summit.

Eighty-one hardy runners turned out for the five mile (2,000ft) run up and down Pike O’ Blisco which tested navigation to the full with a number of runners going astray.

Lamb, a previous winner of the race, crossed the line in 39-35 ahead of Dark Peak’s Rhys Findlay-Robinson (40-19) and team mate Max Wainwright (41-32).

Even Pannone (51-19) of Eden Runners was the first woman home placing 28th overall. She was followed by Harrogate’s Byrony Halcrow (54-01)and the unattached Lucy Scott (54-09). Helm Hill’s Kieran Hodgson (45-37) was the first VM40 in 13th place and team mate Marie Robson (62-15) was the first FV50 to cross the line.