BORROWDALE registered a tenth successive win in the Ian Hodgson Mountain Relay with the help of runners from the South Lakes area, writes Mike Addison.

Kendal's Mark Roberts and Sedbergh's Lee Siemaszko ran leg two (Patterdale to Hartsop) and clocked the second fastest time (36-18) to build on the lead they were handed by first leg (Brotherswater to Patterdale via St Sunday Crag) runners Phil and Jim Davies (1-06-52).

The rest of the team was made up of Ben Bardsley and Andrew Schofield (1-04-12) and Gavin and Jonnie Bland (52-14), who ran the fastest time on leg four (Kirkstone Pass to Brotherswater via Red Screes).

They finished in 3-39-36, nearly five minutes ahead of Dark Peak (3-44-25), who had the fastest runners on leg two with Andrew Middleditch and Dave Taylor coming home in 35-48.

Ambleside were third team and were given an excellent start when Simon Stainer and John Atkinson (1-09-08) came in behind Phil and Jim Davies on leg one. They were supported by Tony Smith and Stuart Shuttleworth (39-22), who were overtaken by the Dark Peak pair on leg two, John Deegan and Dan Golding (1-08-25) and Dan Duxbury and Matt Reedy (56-21).

Surprise package were Helm Hill who were fifth with Kirkby Stephen brothers Peter and Paul Brittleton (1-12-20) placing sixth after leg one. Tom Addison and Tom Tipping (39-38) and Alistair Dunn and Johan Meyfroidt (1-09-37) gained a place to move the team into fifth, which was consolidated by Billy Procter and Mark Addison (56-28) on the final leg.

Ilkley were the first ladies' team and Helen Sedgwick, formerly of Bentham, and team-mate Andrew Priestley broke the first leg record coming home 29th in 1-23-22. The Ilkley ladies finished 36th overall in 4-43-17. Dark Peak (4-52-54) and Keswick (4-53-41) were second and third respectively.

Kendal were the second veterans' team behind pre-race favourites Clayton. The team comprised Phil Whiting and Mike Walsh (1-18-47), Chris Lumb and Gavin Thomas (41-04), Craig Roberts and Paul Dugdale (1-08-02) and Phil Clarke and Allan Miller (57-15).

Two Lakeland runners have intimated that they are prepared to take over the running of the 25-mile relay after Dave and Shirley Hodgson decided to call it a day after 20 years.

"We are prepared to give every co-operation we can to help it continue," said Mr Hodgson. "We are getting too old for it and it's getting too stressful. It's a very difficult event to organise."

RESULTS: 1 Borrowdale, 3-39-36; 2 Dark Peak, 3-44-25; 3 Ambleside, 3-53-16; 4 Pudsey & Bramley, 3-57-39; 5 Helm Hill, 3-58-06; 6 Clayton 4-00-05; 7 Keswick A, 4-02-42; 8 Bowland, 4-03-01; 9 Clayton Vets, 4-03-09; 10 Carnethy, 4-04-21; 11 Kendal, 4-05-08; 24 Helm Hill Vets, 4-32-20; 29 Kendal B, 4-38-08; 31 Settle, 4-38-31; 32 Eden Runners, 4-41-00; 35 Settle (mixed), 4-43-01; 45 Eden Runners Vets, 4-58-40; 46 Kendal (mixed), 5-00-59; 48 Dallam, 5-03-36; 54 Ambleside Ladies, 5-17-09; 60 Black Combe (mixed), 5-36-31. There were 67 finishers.