STAVELEY'S Rob Jebb will have his work cut out defending his British championship title after Mercia's Simon Bailey won the second race of the campaign, writes Mike Addison.

Jebb, who runs for Bingley, had to settle for second place in the five mile (2,800ft) Elidir Fawr race in Wales but a fall a mile from the finish could have proved more costly.

The South Lakeland athlete tripped over a rock on a steep section of the course and fell badly suffering a "dead leg" which hampered him to the finish with Borrowdale's Simon Booth threatening.

Bailey and Jebb had reached the summit together after the initial steep climb but Bailey demonstrated a superior descending speed and won comfortably by a minute and 23 seconds.

After his fifth placing in the opening race of the campaign in Ireland, Jebb is currently lying third in the championship behind Bailey and Booth.

Ambleside's Nick Sharp turned in a solid performance to finish seventh while Borrowdale's Mark Roberts, who lives in Kendal, was first V40 in 11th position.

The ladies' race was won by Carnethy's Tracey Brindley in one hour and 52seconds while Keswick's Louise Sharp, who lives in Kendal, was fourth lady and Bingley's Sharon Taylor, of Staveley, was seventh, crossing the line with Borrowdale's Nicola Davies. Clayton's Wendy Dodds, of Milnthorpe, was second lady V50 in 153rd position.

RESULTS: 1 S Bailey, Mercia, 49-15; 2 R Jebb, Bingley, 50-38; 3 S Booth, Borrowdale, 50-49; 4 R Hope, Pudsey & Bramley, 51-18; 5 A Pease, Bingley, 51-29; 6 D Hope, Pudsey & Bramley, 51-39; 7 N Sharp, Ambleside, 52-02; 8 J Davies, Borrowdale, 52-07; 9 T Austin, Dark Peak, 52-24; 10 B Bardsley, Borrowdale, 52-28; 11 M Roberts, Borrowdale, 53-18; 30 A Smith, Ambleside, 56-56; 43 N Ashcroft, Ambleside, 58-40; 83 L Sharp, Keswick, 63-52; 95 S Taylor, Bingley, 65-20; 153 W Dodds, Clayton, 72-22.

The 37-mile Old County Tops race on Saturday attracted 39 teams of two and was won by Borrowdale's Andrew Schofield and Eryri's James McQueen in six hours and 54 minutes - almost half-an-hour outside the course record.

Kendal's Allan Miller and Tring's Rick Ansell - who won the event last year - were the first V40 pairing and completed the circuit that takes in Helvellyn, Scafell and Coniston in 7-42 ahead of the first V50 pairing of Howard Nicholson and Andrew Robinson, who run for Clayton.

Kendal's Chris Lumb and Rob Blyth were the first V45 pairing in fourth while the ladies' race was won by Ambleside's Alison Bramhall and Susan Clough in 9-56.

Borrowdale's Andrew Schofield set a new record in the midweek Dockray Fell Race which he won by over five minutes from Helm Hill's Paul Brittleton.

The six mile race which involves 1,800ft of climbing attracted 60 runners and only nine of those competed in last year's event. First lady was Keswick's Angela Brand-Barker who was 11th in 60-04.

RESULTS: 1 A Schofield, Borrowdale, 48-54; 2 P Brittleton, Helm Hill, 54-06; 3 P Singleton, Ambleside, 55-35; 4 A Labram, Eden, 57-22; 16 K Rutherford, Black Combe, 60-24; 17 S Watson, Dallam, 60-52; 19 S Ruane, Eden, 61-10; 20 A Miller, Kendal, 61-22; 26 R Gillespie, Eden, 64-43; 27 S Hartley, Eden, 64-44; 31 D Aspden, Dallam, 65-58; 33 S Lloyd, Eden, 66-47; 37 R Baker, Ambleside, 69-08; 41 D Loftas, Eden, 70-36; 44 S Lewsley, Kendal, 71-21; 45 K Finn, Kendal, 71-51; 53 D Ablitt, Ambleside, 76-57.