A ferocious race in untypically balmy weather on New Year’s Eve saw Andi Jones of Salford Harriers hold off recent Chevin Chase victor Jonathan Brownlee for his third victory in the Auld Lang Syne Fell Race.

Despite pushing each other all the way around the six-mile course, they still finished over 40 seconds outside Jones’s own 2008 course record.

The relieved winner admitted: “I just managed to get a few yards on the moor corner cut-back to Penistone Hill. I just couldn’t relax at all, especially nearing the finish - I knew he was coming.”

Brownlee’s team-mate Ian Holmes (Bingley Harriers), the 11-times winner of the race, finished third.

Afterwards Holmes said: “Andi and Jonny were a class apart. Andi definitely had the bit between his teeth. By Top Withins, I knew the race was for third between me and Chris Steele.”

Malcolm Coles, of Valley Striders, broke the over-70s course record by 6min 13sec, finishing in exactly 62 minutes in 223rd out of the 394 starters.

Bingley’s Mary Wilkinson took the women’s race in a new record of 46min 33sec (in 28th place overall) taking 32 seconds off Olivia Walwyn’s 2007 record. Calder Valley’s Jo Buckley finished second, with Helen Glover (Keighley & Craven) third.

Margaret Jagan, who lives virtually on the route. won the female over-60s category in a new record time of 63min 2sec.

The ladies’ team prize went to Ilkley Harriers, with Sally Morley in fifth, Sally Malir 18th and Sharon Williams 23rd.

The following day, 107 runners took to the tracks and fells around Ogden Water reservoir for the Giant's Tooth Race, a brisk thhree-mile run to blow off the cobwebs from any festivities the previous night.

The race was won by Nick Hooker of Leeds City in 16min 47sec, with a close battle for second place between Matthew Roberts (Eryri; 17:01) and Ben Crowther (Halifax; 17:02). Baildon’s Quentin Lewis finished fifth.

Dave Armstrong (Saltaire Striders) finished first over-60 in 24:21, one of several runners who competed on both days.