Athletics: Richard Findlow of Bradford Airedale and Bingley's Mathew Whitfield have secured places in the English men's team for the World Fell Running Championships.

They finished second and third respectively at the seven miles uphill only Skiddaw fell race.

With six places up for grabs the top three Englishmen were certain of selection for the championships on Reunion Island next month.

Conditions should be entirely different on the Indian Ocean resort to the hill fog encountered on Skiddaw's 3,000ft summit, where Findlow narrowly failed to beat event winner Bobby Quinn of Scotland.

Bingley's John Taylor also had a fine run to finish sixth.

But Robert Jebb produced a below par performance to finish 11th after suffering food poisoning last week while his team-mate and pre-race favourite Andrew Pearson was absent through illness.

The ladies race was won by Jo Smith from Sheffield and Heather Heasman of Horwich was second.

With only two places available in the World Championship team, Jane Clark of Pudsey and Bramley, and Victoria Wilkinson of Bingley had to reflect on what might have been after finishing third and fourth respectively.

Carol Greenwood showed her form over the weekend with a winning double. On Saturday she won the Teggs Nose fell race in Cheshire, slicing five seconds off Sarah Rowells' course record in the process.

On Sunday she was placed sixth overall in the Wadsworth Fair Fell Race, five minutes clear of second placec Vanessa Peacock of Clayton le Moors and Ilkley's Helen Johnson.

The men's race was won by Andy Wrench of Todmorden from Gary Oldfield (Pudsey and Bramley).

Chart-topping Chumbawumba's lead guitarist Alan Whalley, running for Pudsey and Bramley, out-sprinted Carol Greenwood for fifth overall.

Bradford Airedale's Steve Oldfield won the Arncliffe Gala fell race on Saturday.

With fellow veteran international Graham Schofield in the line-up Oldfield was determined to reach the summit first against his rival which he did.

Oldfield won the race in a sprint finish where the top three finished within seven seconds of each other.

The Northern Men's Track and Field action on Saturday saw promotion and relegation issues settled.

Spenborough held a home fixture at Cleckheaton for the first time in three years and responded with a fine all round performance to finish second team on the day to League Division 2C champions Bolton.

However, this was not enough to save them from relegation along with local rivals Longwood but Guiseley-based Skyrac just held on to their Division Two status by the narrowest of margins.

Longwood's Ian Mitchell scored a notable double winning both the 800 and 1500 metres.

Stockport's Graham Hill, son of former European marathon champion Ron Hill, held off Spen's Darren Hanson and Longwood's Michael Pearson to win the 5,000 metres.

The result left Spen's captain Doug Grub in a confident mood for next season's campaign now that the Princess Mary's track is in use again.

In a double header at Bury, Bingley's men gained promotion to Division Two, but Bradford Airedale had a disappointing afternoon and suffered relegation from Division 4C.

Star performers for Bingley were Steve Green, who won the 5,000 metres in a quick 14min 21 sec with Colin Moore second in 14-29. Both men also ran in the crucial 4x400 relay 15 minutes later.

Eighteen-year-old Wesley Trevino won the high jump improving his personal best from 1m 65cm to 1.80 while the reliable veteran thrower Ian Lindley won the shot.

Bradford Airedale's predominantly young squad must regroup for next season.

Paul Jennings had an inspired afternoon for them running a season's best in the 100 metres in 11.9 seconds and the 200 metres in 24.6 seconds. Eighteen-year-old Mark Gregory was third in the high jump with 1m 65cm.

Team captain Adrian Jones had a winning double at Derby for Keighley and Craven, but their depleted squad also drop a division. Jones won the 800 metres in 1min 56sec and the 1500 metres in 4min 10sec.

On Sunday at Cudworth, Barnsley, Bingley Ladies have booked themselves a National League play-off place after winning their Division One fixture.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.