Athletics: Boxing Day's Chevin Chase was won by Pudsey and Bramley international Paul Sheard for the fourth consecutive year.

Despite tweaking a hamstring in training the week prior to the race, the 34-year-old had enough to hold off Altrincham's Dave Cowlishaw and lead home the massive 850 starters.

He covered the predominantly off road seven mile course, which takes in a traverse of Otley Chevin, in 39min 53sec and his next major objective will be the Yorkshire Cross Country Championships in a fortnight's time.

Otley's Neil Caton demonstrated his potential by taking third ahead of Shaftesbury Barnet's John Herries with Pudsey and Bramley's Shane Green and Baildon's Quentin Lewis in close attendance.

Nigel Monaghan added to Pudsey and Bramley's dominance by taking the over 40 veteran award ahead of Phil Grimes of Huddersfield RR and Malcolm Pickering (Ilkley).

Sixty-year-old Fred Gibbs turned in a magnificent performance and took the over-50 award. This was a tremendous achievement on what has been a vintage year for the Bingley veteran.

The women's race was a titanic struggle with the lead changing several times over the rough terrain before Imperial's Lisa Mawer came out on top, half a minute clear of Abbey's Pauline Munro.

Dewsbury veteran Treena Carney continued her improving form with third place ahead of Liz Batt (Buxton).

Bradford Airedale veteran Steve Oldfield lead the charge in the Whinberry Naze Fell Race at Rawtenstall in Lancashire.

He was first to the Cowpe Trig point summit and collected his tub of Smarties from Santa Claus before turning for the finish.

However, the faster descending power of Royal Marine Craig Haslam proved decisive and with Robert Hope of Horwich also closing Steve was pushed out to third with just five seconds separating the trio at the end.

Mystery runners in full fancy dress, Road Runner and Daffy Duck, turned out to be Bingley pair Matt Whitfield and Robert Jebb, who filled fifth and sixth places respectively.

Debbie Gowans of Accrington was a clear winner of the women's race, with the blossoming Sharon Taylor of Bingley in runner-up spot and first junior.

Sunday's Hot Toddy six mile race was a personal triumph for Rossendale's ex-international Dave Lewis. Despite the cold, wet conditions and a testing course, Lewis powered round the 5.8 miles on a solo run to produce a new course record for the 16-year-old event.

His winning time of 27min 58sec will certainly take some beating.

American-based Sale Harrier Lee Shaw was almost a minute down in second with Leeds City runner Scott Mitchell a further minute adrift in third, just ahead of Mark Mason of Halifax.

Keighley and Craven's Johnnie Butler enjoyed a good run to take third over-40 and Skipton's Peter Wilkinson took first place in the over-50 category.

Wilkinson will now be aiming to continue that form over the country when his club are involved in a winter league fixture in a fortnight's time.

England's international fell runner Jessica Turnbull of Bury AC was a comfortable winner in the women's race, but Spenborough's Amy Green produced a fine performance for second place and first junior.

There were family connections in the race with Turnbull's father Ian winning the over-60 award and Green's dad Andy was fourth over-45 for Bradford Airedale out of the 194 finishers.

The rapidly improving 17-year-old Green was almost two minutes clear of Geraldine Roby of Halifax and Louise Rosindale of Baildon.

The fourth Auld Lang Syne Fell Race brings the curtain down on the 1998 racing calendar on Thursday. The Dave Woodhead promotion starts from Penistone Hill, Haworth at 11.30am and climbs 900 feet during the six mile course. Entries are £2.50 and each finisher will receive a bottle of specially brewed ale.

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