WITH just one race remaining in the Kendal Winter League there were some valuable points up for grabs at Austwick on Sunday, writes Mike Addison.

Kendal's Paul Dugdale (656 points) is currently leading the senior and veteran tables and he bolstered his championship credentials with a second place behind Helm Hill's Tom Addison, who cannot get seven scoring races in because of injury earlier in the year.

Ambleside's Paul Knowles (647 points) placed third and is currently lying second in the championship while Clayton's Jack Holt (628) continued to impress with fourth, a result that sees him wrap up the V50 title.

Keswick's Emma Stuart was a comfortable winner of the ladies' race ahead of Wharfedale's Kate Rogan and Nina Walkinshaw, who is lying second in the championship placings behind Clayton's Wendy Dodds.

Dallam's Alex Till (696 pts) turned in a commanding performance to secure the U17 boys' title beating Pendle's Jack Thompson and his main rival for the title Helm Hill's Jos Addison (688pts).

Keswick's Rosie Stuart was over a minute clear of Pendle's Emma Thompson in the U17 girls' race with championship leader Jenny Addison, of Helm Hill, in third.

Rossendale's Joe Johnstone emerged victorious in the U14 boys' race with Dallam's Sam Till finishing strongly in second ahead of Helm Hill's Rory Addison (682), who is lying second in the table behind team-mate Tom Doyle (692).

Dallam's Melanie Hyder (700 pts) continued to clock up maximum points in the girls' U14 race with team-mates Robin Goodfellow (686) and Jane Gill following her home.

Dallam's Ben Till (680) won the boys' U12 event to put himself within striking distance of team mate Dale Sutton (684), who is second in the table led by Helm Hill's James Knox (700).

Helm Hill's Megan Stuart (700) also kept up her 100 per cent record in the girls' U12 race, beating chasers Lauren Munro-Bennett (686) and Lorna Nunwick (684).

n AMBLESIDE'S Ben Abdelnoor was in the thick of the racing action at the eight-mile (3,400ft) Black Combe Fell Race, near Silecroft, on Sunday.

Abdelnoor placed third with just three seconds separating him from Borrowdale's Andrew Schofield who was second, over two-and-a-half minutes behind Pudsey and Bramley's Danny Hope, who was unchallenged at the front, winning in 1-13-21.

There were six runners involved in the battle for second place all grouped together for safety in the mist.

Rossendale's Brendon Taylor led the charge around the head of the valley to White Combe.

Borrowdale's Chris Steele then took the lead down off White Combe to the stream junction, closely chased by Dark Peak's Joe Blackett.

But it was the final climb back into the swirling mists of Black Combe that pulled the group apart.

Craftsman-like navigating from Schofield, with Abdelnoor and Horrocks in tow, opened a gap of almost a minute on the chasing runners.

From the summit a 1,600ft adrenaline-fuelled descent down to the finish, completed in less than ten minutes, saw Schofield take second place in 1-16-05 with Abdelnoor in hot pursuit.

The first V40 was Wharfedale's Mark Horrocks, who was just 11 seconds behind Abdelnoor in fourth position.

Dallam's Hazel Jones was first lady in 25th overall, clocking 1-26-54, with Cumberland Fell Runners' Kate Beaty second and first LV40 in 48th some ten minutes behind and closely followed by Todmorden's Alison Richards.

n AFTER a 12-year hiatus the Youth Hostel Association has resurrected a local sporting tradition. Employees of the Lake District's Youth Hostels gathered for an organised short fell race that took runners on a 2.5-mile route, climbing onto Loughrigg and around Lily Tarn with 500 feet of climbing.

Thirteen hostel assistants, managers and deputy managers took part, representing youth hostels at Elterwater, Hawkshead, Borrowdale, Derwentwater, Langdale, Windermere and Ambleside.

Two of those racing competed in the original races organised by hostel wardens in the 1980s and early 1990s.

The winner, in just over 18 minutes, was Barry Wilkinson (Borrowdale YHA), who also runs for Borrowdale Fell Runners. Race organiser Ben Abdelnoor (Elterwater YHA) was pleased with the turnout and was hoping to organise further races later in the season.

n THE first High Cup Nick Fell Race attracted 90 senior competitors, who took part in the nine-mile race through one of the most dramatic landscapes in the Pennines.

Organisers of the event, run in aid of Dufton Village Hall renovation fund, hailed the event as a "great community effort" and promised to make the race an annual event.

The senior men's race was won by Borrowdale's Jim Davies in 1-03-06 with the ladies' event being won by Karen Robertson, of Northumberland Fell Runners 1.16.35.

Co-organiser of the event Ray Walker said: "We are delighted with the numbers of people who have travelled not only from all over the north of England to take part in the race, but also from as far away as Brighton."