Dever's set for the Italian job

Preston Harriers' ladies team who competed at Sefton Park

The second counter in the British Athletics Cross Challenge series, as well as the Mid Lancs League and the trial race for the European Cross Country Championships, it saw Dever finish 14th overall.

The second Under-23s finisher, he gained automatic selection for GB’s Under-23s for the European event at Chia, Italy, on December 11.

Andy Buchart, who was sixth in the 10,000m at the Rio Olympics, won the senior men’s race was in fine style.

The senior women’s race, over 8.1K saw Helen Clitheroe finish second in the Mid Lancs standings, while Emma Essex-Crosby was 25th and Lindsey Berends 27th, with the first team finishing fourth.

There were some excellent junior performances with James Ince second in the Under-11s boys’ race, while Scarlett Sutton led the Under-13s team to victory, backed up by Imogen Blackwell and Faye Houghton.

Harriers saw Tom Durney, Thom Barnes and Ethan Warren finish second, third and fourth in the Under-13s boys’ race to ensure victory.

That was also the outcome for the Under-13s girls’ line-up of Lucy Treaddell (fourth), Emma Fulton (sixth) and Kate Danby (11th).

Benjamin Preddy won the Under-15s boys’ race, while Nathan Dunn was first in the Under-17s’ event ahead of William Howard (10th) and Niall Higham (12th).

Harriers’ Sportshall team totally dominated the first Lancashire Sportshall League fixture, convincingly beating their fellow Lancashire athletics clubs.

Harriers scored 433 points while their closest rival Chorley managed 137.5 points.

Having won all six of the team age-group competitions and collected five of the sixindividual ‘Athlete of the Match’ age group awards, Harriers look set to retain their Lancashire title for the ninth consecutive season.

The next match is in the New Year at Blackpool where Harriers try to extend their run of 25 consecutive league wins.

This year’s Best 5K race at Moor Park focused on raising funds for five-year-old Rory Curzon Smith who was born at 24 weeks with hypertonia, a muscle weakness condition.

Harriers established their domination at the start with Jason Parker winning in 16:40.

The rest of the Harriers contingent was led by Alex Waddelove (18:36), ahead of Neil McDonald (18:38), Jack Keighley (18:41), Lee Foley (18:43), Billy Johnstone (19:11), Stephen Needham (19:56), Victoria Duckett (21:40), Loy Kalasiram (22:17), Graham Bailey, (22:54) and Felicity Cross (26:57).