Mike Hetherton performed superbly in the sun to claim second place in the veteran category as the Cleveland Winter Fell Race Series ended with the gruelling Guisborough Moors event.

The Pickering Running Club member completed the 12.5-mile course, which involved 2,300 feet of ascent, including Captain Cook’s Monument and Roseberry Topping, in 113 minutes 40 seconds.

Club-mates Mike Wilson clocked 116-42 and Steve Hampshire 125-38, both good efforts over the long course, while Tess Roebuck matched Hampshire’s time to claim an excellent third in category.

The Pickering squad have travelled all over the North York Moors and beyond to compete in most of the 13 races in the series, and they had some excellent results to show for it.

The ladies have been stars of the show, with a late winter surge meaning Roebuck claimed second place in the ladies’ over-45 category, while Philly Hare performed consistently well to claim third in the over-50s, supported by Nicola Wise in 10th.

Hetherton has been top man, as runner-up in the over-60s category, pipping Pickering resident and Swale Outdoor Club runner Steve Clough in the standings.

Many of the men featured in their respective top 10s. Good early season form saw Paul Marks finish seventh in the over-55s, Wilson claimed eighth in the tough over-50s group, the spritely Nick Cousins ran well throughout the winter to get fifth in the over-45s, and Andy Harvey, who missed the last race due to warm weather training in Spain, did well in his first winter season to finish seventh in the same class.

Dave Ward represented Pickering Running Club at the annual Ripon Jolly Holly Jog trail race at the Studley Royal Estate of Fountains Abbey, an event which was cancelled at Christmas due to bad weather.

Organisers made the most of the rolling countryside to create an enjoyable but challenging course including one really evil hill, and Ward achieved a good time of 49-12.