Craven schools athletes won a “magnificent seven” titles in the finals of the North Yorkshire Schools’ Championships at York.

Two of those – Rebecca Lambson of Skipton Girls’ High and Alex Rieder of Giggleswick – pulled off winning doubles.

Lambson, who has also flown particularly high in the colours of Skipton Athletics Club, repeated last year’s success by winning both the senior girls’ 3,000 metres in 9min 59.3sec and the 1,500 metres in 4min 55.2sec.

Also an English Schools’ finalist over the longer distance last year, Lambson’s impressive standard in the 3,000m should again almost certainly have cemented her a place in the prestigious English Schools’ event, where stringent qualifying levels must be met.

Meanwhile, Rieder performed his double winning heroics in the senior boys’ shot and discus.

Other Craven conquerors comprised Fiona Jordan (Skipton Girls’ High) in the senior girls’ 400m hurdles, thus emulating her success at intermediate age group level last year; Nicole Elliott (Giggleswick) in the intermediate girls’ long jump; and Tom Blanchard (Ermysted’s) in the junior boys’ 800m.

Blanchard, who had carried Skipton Athletics Club’s colours to a terrific triumph in the Yorkshire Cross-Country Championships during the winter, was figuring at the younger end of his age group at York, where he produced another personal best (2min 12.7sec) for the 800m, which augers well for a more serious assault at national level next year.

On a cloudy but otherwise fine day, 138 runners gathered to do battle on “The Pike” – otherwise known as Buckden Pike Fell Race. Graham Pearce, of Pudsey & Bramley, set off as if he was determined to win the race, and this proved to be the case, although he had to battle for it.

At the summit, Tom Brunt (Holmfirth) was the leader. When most farmers were just getting up, local farmer and Wharfedale member Ted Mason retired to bed after attending the rugby club dinner. However, this did not hamper him from putting in a good performance to finish in second place, ahead of Brunt.

In the ladies’ race, last year’s winner Lisa Lacon appeared to be a little out of sorts and was beaten to the finish line by team-mate Helen Berry.

It was good to see a few juniors take on this race and they were led home by Tom Sessford (Keighley & Craven), followed by Scott Bairstow (Wharfedale Harriers), who had a good run and obviously enjoyed the race. The Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association always attend this race, and once again their assistance was needed this year, to help junior runner Will Marshall back to the start as during the race he aggravated an injury to his foot, which was incurred on the previous Thursday at school.

Fortunately, it was nothing that rest and recuperation will not put right. At the other end of the scale, the race was taken on by two veterans in their 70s – Robert Cutts, of Longwood Harriers, who has competed in all 29 Buckden Pike races, and Norman Bush of Ilkley, who finished in the top half of the field in a remarkable 58th position.

The first male team was Wharfedale Harriers and first ladies’ team was Holmfirth.

Many thanks go to all the helpers and marshals, who helped make the race a success.

Results: 1 Graham Pearce (Pudsey & Bramley) 34min 28sec, 2 Ted Mason (Wharfedale Harriers) 34:49, 3 Tom Brunt (Holmfirth) 35:17, 4 Chris Newman (Wharfedale Harriers) 35:55, 5 Bill Stewart (Holmfirth) 36:01, 6 Sam Watson (Wharfedale Harriers) 36:22. Ladies: 1 Helen Berry (Holmfirth) 41:56.