As Britain basks in heatwave conditions, runners battled each other – and the elements – in multi-terrain, trail and fell races, Denis Shepherd reports.

Fell running

PEN Y FAN (British championships counter), Cwm Llwch nr Brecon, July 11

The Pen y Fan race in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park hosted the 2026 UK Athletics Short Course Hill and Fell Running Championships. 120 runners tackled the 5.8km course with 588 metres of climb in hot and sunny conditions. The race first climbs to Corn Du (873m) before reaching the summit of Pen y Fan (886m). The route then descends steeply to finish at Cwn Llwch.

In the men’s race, Finlay Grant (Dark Peak Fell Runners) took the win in 31 minutes 46 seconds, with Tom Crudgington in second place (32:01). Tom Wood (Eryri Harriers) took the bronze medal (33:13).

Nichola Jackson (Keswick AC) took gold in the women’s race (40:22), with Helen Haigh (Holmfirth Harriers) in second (40:58) and Beth Rawlinson (Mercia Fell Runners) winning bronze (41:07).

Tom Crudgington was also  the under 23 men’s gold medal winner, with Beth Rawlinson also claiming the women’s U23 gold.

The winners in the women’s veteran categories were Liza Bradshaw (CLC Striders, V40), Sally Fawcett (Dark Peak Fell Runners, V45), Helen Haigh (Holmfirth Harriers, V50), Rhian Probert (Mynydd Du, V55), Sarah Barnwell (Eryri Harriers, V60) and Katherine Harvey (Pennine Fell Runners, V65).

The men’s veteran gold medal winners were Tom Turner (Mynydd Du, V40), Steve Jacques (Ambleside AC, V45), Paul Faulkner (Carnethy, V50), Kenny Richmond (Helm Hill, V55), David Nuttall (Bowland Fell Runners, V60), Des Crowe (Penicuik Harriers, V65) and Chris Davies (Saddleworth Runners Club, V70).

Overall (5.8km/588m): 1 F Grant (Dark Pk) 31:46; 2 Tom Crudgington 32:01; 3 T Wood (Eryri) 33:13; 4 B Cartwright (Kes) 34:02; 5 E Corden (Dark Pk) 34:17; 6 D Connolly (Kesw) 35:05; 7 S Holding (Kesw) 35:32; 8 S Gunning (Cybi) 36:04; 9 T Day (Kesw) 37:15; 10 M Spoor (Dark Pk) 37:59; 11 S Jacques (Amble, M45) 38:08; 12 B Coop (Bury) 38:28; 13 T Black (P’pridd R) 38:56; 14 J Agnew (Mercia) 39:06; 15 P Faulkner (C’thy, M50) 39:14; 16 J Blore (Chep) 39:38; 17 S Mayglothling (Croft A, M40) 39:46; 18 K Richmond (Helm H, M55) 39:58; 19 J Goudge (Horw, M55) 40:14; 20 N Jackson (Kesw, W) 40:22; 21 H Haigh (Holm, W50) 40:58; 22 B Westhenry (Poole) 41:06; 23 B Rawlinson (Mercia, W) 41:07; 24 B Noon (MDC, M45) 41:20; 25 D Hope (Horw, M45) 42:08

M60: D Nuttall (Bowl) 44:07

M65: D Crowe (Penic) 46:06

M70: C Davies (Sadd) 55:33

TEAM: Dark Pk 1:44:02

Women: 1 Jackson 40:22; 2 Haigh 40:58; 3 Rawlinson 41:07; 4 B Logan (Mynydd D) 44:17; 5 R Probert (Mynydd D, W55) 46:22; 6 E Pitcher (Kesw) 47:32; 7 S Fawcett (Dark Pk, W45) 47:48; 8 A Walker (Sheff U) 47:49; 9 J Powell (Wharf, W55) 49:48; 10 L Bradshaw (CLC St, W40) 50:01; 11 S Curtis (Penn, W55) 51:36; 12 E Mc.williams (Mynydd, W40) 52:59; 13 Abigail Linkens 53:16; 14 Lucy Williams 53:34; 15 S Barnwell (Eryri, W60) 54:17

TEAM: Mynydd D 2:23:38

WHINLATTER (FRA junior championships counter and junior home international trials), Whinlatter, July 12

U20 (5.6km/510m): 1 J Hutchinson (Traff) 31:33; 2 A Bentham (Mercia) 32:28; 3 M Wood (Macc) 32:30

U20 women: 1 G Turner (P’stone FPR) 37:41; 2 C Jenneson (Bux) 37:43; 3 R Gilldaley (Eden) 37:46

U18 (3.6km/420m): 1 Z Sumner (Amble) 21:17; 2 G Watkins (Macc) 21:49; 3 Harry Bebb 22:35

U18 women: 1 C McKee (Calder V) 24:00; 2 I Pastor (Warri) 25:03; 3 I Yorke (Warri) 25:58

U16 (3.6km/420m): 1 O Mannion (E Ches) 20:57; 2 C Dobson (Ross) 21:45; 3 T Daly (Traff) 21:52

U16 girls: 1 I Jebb (Helm H) 24:58; 2 E Willis (Bux) 26:33; 3 A Carr (Ross) 26:42

U14 (3.2km/350m): 1 B Ryan (Helm, H) 19:11; 2 J Metcalfe-Skerratt 19:25; 3 J Jebb (Helm H) 20:15

U14 girls: 1 E Simpson (Bing) 21:38; 2 O Stones (K&C) 23:28; 3 I MacKinnon (Helm H) 23:33

DAVID SHEPHERD MEMORIAL GLAMAIG (SHR championships counter), Sligachan, Skye, July 11

Overall (7km/760m): 1 T Simpson (Amble) 48:24; 2 R Abernethy (Ochil) 48:55; 3 L Fisher (C’thy) 49:46; 4 Barney Nikolich 51:23; 5 A Thornton (Ochil) 51:34; 6 P Vokes (HHR) 51:45; 7 H Pagett (S’earn) 52:58; 8 S Chepellin (C’thy) 53:05; 9 F Wilson (C’thy) 53:18; 10 J Dry (Q Park) 53:19; 11 S Hooper (C’thy) 53:33; 12 K Cooper (C’thy) 53:49; 13 J Espie (Dees R) 53:54; 14 H Pulham (Q Park) 53:56; 15 C Balogh (C’thy) 54:16

M40: T Owens (L’ber) 56:05

M50: N Carter (HHR) 68:06

M60: J Knox (Anst) 70:32

TEAM (provisional): 1 C’thy 31; 2 Q Park 64; 3 HHR 87

Women: 1 A Flint (L’ber) 61:55; 2 B Halcrow (Amble) 62:08; 3 E Peters (W’lands CC) 63:32; 4 G Pow (C’thy) 65:53; 5 E Downs (W’lands CC) 67:15; 6 C-J Irvine (Dees R) 67:42; 7 Catriona Gordon 67:59; 8 E Foreman (W’lands CC) 68:34; 9 L Mclelland (L’ber) 70:27; 10 L Knox (C’thy) 72:06

W40: S Macpherson (C Dubh) 75:36

W50: N Spinks (Dark Pk) 76:34

W60: V Oldham (Cosmic) 78:25

TEAM: 1 W’lands CC 16; 2 L’ber 23; 3 C’thy 40

DANEFIELD RELAY, Otley, July 8

Overall (3x4.8km/170m): 1 GH Brooks 55:35 (C Shannon 18:56, C Miller 18:39, J Kelly 18:00); 2 NLFR 56:18 (T Bell 18:22, S Coates 19:53, L Small 18:03); 3 Saltaire 58:53 (R Wall 19:00, J Egan 20:01, A McConkey 19:52)

M40: Saltire 62:02 (R MacFarlane 20:57, D Jenkins 20:30, P Weir 20:35)

Fastest: F Roden (gst) 17:14, Kelly 18:00, Small 18:03

M40: Miller 18:39

Mixed: Puds P 61:51 (J Smithson 19:21, P Lockwood 21:51, S Bancroft 20:39)

Women: 1 Wharf 66:37 (I Rowe 21:06, S Martin 20:42, K Hall 24:49) 2 Viv Vall 72:11 (G Bayne 22:54, A Felska-Shaker 24:30, S Shanks 24:47); 3 St Ther 73:33 (E Ballantyne 23:20, J Evans 24:31; 3 H Seddon 24:42)

W40: 1 Leg Burn 76:21 (L Battey 25:35, M White 24:40, N Wright 25:06)

Fastest: C Knowles (Abbey) 19:47, Martin (W40) 20:42, A Wall (Horsf) 21:02

Hathersage gala, Hope Valley, July 6

Overall (4.5M/925ft): 1 M Jones (Dark Pk) 30:33; 2 M Spoor (Dark Pk) 32:26; 3 G Winter (Steel) 32:23; 4 J Dale (Dark Pk, M40) 32:24; 5 Jack Wergan 32:31; 6 M Prince (H&R, M40) 33:23

M50: S Knowles (Penn) 34:37

M60: M Buskwood (Totley) 44:06

M70: Michael Docherty 51:22

U20: O Wightman Hallam) 35:59

Women: 1 C Potter (Hallam) 34:48; 2 E Frost (Dark Pk, U20) 37:05; 3 K Russell (Totley) 37:20; 4 S Thorne (Steel) 37:31

W40: C Kay (Totley) 44:23

W60: K McAteer (Totley) 50:20

Multi-terrain

ULTIMATE LAKELAND TRAILS 100km, Ambleside, July 11

Overall: 1 Yannick Noel 9:36:16; 2 Calum Tinnion 13:17:10; 3 Ian Douglas (M40) 13:59:04; 4 Paul Banks (M50) 14:11:21; 5 Joe Gresty 14:12:52

M60: Tony Bowe 18:35:40

Women: 1 Kinga Wallace 15:59:42; 2 Natalie Swarbrick (W40) 15:59:42; 3 Rebecca Duckers 16:52:53; 4 Emily Torode 17:17:04; 5 Karolina Graves (W40) 17:57:39

W50: Michelle Jeffrey 18:27:04

HALF DRAM, Dundee, July 12

Overall (HM): 1 Matthew Carroll 75:10; 2 A Calnan (Cambus, M40) 75:14

Women: 1 Megan Scott 85:16; 2 Kari Robertson 85:35; 3 Chelsea Cook (Metro) 86:08

W50: J Dickson (Fife) 90:42

W60: K Macpherson (Fife) 1:45:07