IT was a rare quiet weekend from a racing perspective for the Ilkley Harriers, with the windy weather causing a few cancellations.

However, the fifth and final event of the PECO Cross Country series took place on Sunday at Roundhay Park in Leeds.

And Ilkley were again well represented, with Sarah Pickering leading the ladies home in an excellent 21st place out of 374 finishers.

They were the seventh team in the First Division standings, both on the day and overall.

In the men’s race, Steven Gott and Robbie Matthews were 20th and 35th respectively (out of 459), with the team in eighth at the Roundhay meet - and sixth in the cumulative table.

Special mention too for Malcolm Pickering who produced another strong display to ensure he stayed top of the overall M65 category.

And his efforts helped the men’s team end the season in fourth on the vets' standings.

A little further afield on the cross country front, Jemima Elgood represented the North in Rotselar at the Belgium Cross Cup, defying a tricky technical course to finish in a terrific 19th place.

In the Lakes on Sunday, Jane McCarthy combined her running prowess with mountain biking skills to win the ladies Open 5 race.

As many control checkpoints as possible have to be visited in the five-hour time limit, and McCarthy racked up a score of 425 (out of a maximum 605), to win by 10 points from her nearest rival.

Given the gusty winds, many Parkruns were called off for safety reasons. But Skipton was one of the few local ones to take place, and Geoff Howard and Neil Pomfret made the most of it by notching top 40 finishes.

Peter Lewis enjoyed slightly calmer conditions as he experienced a Parkrun Italian-style, coming home 34th at Caffarella in Rome.