SUB four-minute miler and Commonwealth Games 800m runner Neil Speaight swapped his track spikes for trail shoes and won Saturday's opening 10km event at the Lakeland Trails in Cartmel.

Belgrave Harrier Speaight made light work of the mud after the heavy overnight rain, winning the Sticky Toffee Trail Run 10km in a new course record of 39min 08sec.

Sarah Ridehalgh, of Accrington Road Runners, was a runaway winner in the women’s race, in another course record of 42-59, and finishing off her preparations for the London Marathon in two weeks time where she hopes to run under three hours.

The Blue Riband event of the day, 18km Cartmel Trail Race, was won by the favourite - GB International and in-form cross country runner, Gareth Raven (Sale Harriers) in 67-54.

He knocked almost two minutes off the previous course record - an outstanding performance given the soft conditions.

Runner-up was Alex Whittem (Calder Valley Fell Runners) in 73-38, with former course record-holder, Nick Leigh (Altrincham & District AC), 76-20, in third.

The comfortable winner of the women’s race was Ulverston resident and GB International Lizzie Adams (Hallamshire Harriers) in 79-34. Second place went to Pauling Munro (Bingley Harriers) in 87-25, with Angela Armstrong (Carlisle Tri), third in 91-30.

More than 1,000 runners from all over the UK, including visitors from United States, Holland, Belgium and Ireland finished the various events on the day, all earning themselves a sticky toffee pudding for their efforts along with an T-shirt memento.

Milnthorpe Steel Band provided live entertainment, with singer Pete Lashley performing at the prize giving.

Richard Leafe, Chief Executive of the Lake District National Park Authority, finished the 18km Trail Race in 1-49 and then presented over £1,000 worth of prizes sponsored by PUMA at the prizegiving.

The event was supporting the local King George V Allithwaite Playing Field Committee, along with the regional charities Cancer Care and North West Air Ambulance.

The next event in the Lakeland Trails series is on May 7 at Hawkshead, with only a few places still available (event website: www.lakelandtrails.org)