Silsden's Graham Pearce finished fourth in the 27th running of the Rombalds Stride on Saturday.

Pearce, who runs for Pudsey & Bramley Harriers, finished the 25-mile course in 2.51.05 The race over Baildon and Ilkley Moors followed by the Otley Chevin starts and finishes at St Oswald's Junior School in Guiseley.

The Rombalds Stride has always been more about enjoyment than racing and this spirit was captured last Saturday when the first three runners chose to cross the line together with to Horsforth's Mark Bendall, Richard Pattinson and Lee Athersmith all recording the same time of 2.48.04.

The win was credited to Horsforth's Mark Bendall with second and third placed going to Pattinson and Athersmith, respectively. Pattinson set a course record winning in 2006 with 02:39:07 while Athersmith was the 2007 winner in 3:36:07.

First lady was once again llkley Harrier Sally Malir in 3:13:07 who was 18th overall. Malir finished second last year after being first lady in 2005.

Keighley & Craven Athletics Club put in a very creditable showing in the race, as the club's vice chairman Charlie Marshall said 20 KCAC runners took part.

Gary Bailey recorded the best result for the club, finishing tenth in a time of 2.58.28.

Next up for Keighley & Craven were three V50s, Des Fretwell in 22nd (3.15.56), Peter McDermott in 32nd (3.27.07) and Andrew Green in 44th (3.29.52).

Two V40 club runners finished 50th and 51st. Dick Ballentine finished in 3.36.37 and Russell Fairhurst recorded a time of 3.37.00. Marshall, a V50, followed them in 52nd in a time of 3.37.45.

First lady was once again llkley Harrier Sally Malir in 3:13:07 who was a splendid 18th overall.

Marshall also said that Keighley & Craven also had some female runners taking part. Susan Weeden and Karen Sutcliffe crossed the line in 5.25.06 while Margaret Marsden and Sue Wilson each finished with a time of 5.25.55 As well as serious runners this event also attracts walkers hence the huge difference in finishing times.

This time instead of running over gallons of mud -a freeze overnight had made the open moor sections easier to manage. The only downside occurred for runners lower down the order through the compacting of the snow. Conditions were tricky from the Cow and Calf down to Burley Woodhead.

Marshall said of the event: "A lot of people use it as a good training run for the Three Peaks in April."