WHARFEDALE’S Ted Mason used all his fell running abilities to storm home, in front of 56 other senior runners, at Saturday’s Alva Games Fell Race.

It started out as the perfect Scottish summer’s day, but by the time the seniors ran there was torrential rain adding to the Highland challenge.

This classic race has all the necessary ingredients of a lung-busting ascent, followed by a hair-raising, sharp, buttock bouncing descent.

Mason’s win steals the crown held by Alastair Dunn of Helm Hill since 2006, and notches up another impressive victory for him this season.

Dunn was second with Sam Watson of Wharfedale Harriers taking third place.

The first lady to slide down the sheer incline, made more treacherous by the rain, was Ambleside’s Hazel Robinson with Christina Rankin of Kilbarchan in second and Judith James third.

The under-17s contended with heavy rain as they scrambled up to the top of this steep sided fell.

The equally steep descent revealed the first boy in the arena to be Thomas Nelson, with brothers Harry and George Muir in second and third places. All three are from Wharfedale Harriers.

The first and only girl back to the arena was Wharfedale’s Ellamae Gibson.

The under-14s merely had to deal with drizzle as they took on this Scottish Fell adventure.

The first three boys, all of Wharfedale Harriers, were Robbie Johnstone, Logan Hargreaves-Madhas and Adam Gibson.

First girl home was Kate Gallagher of Central AC with Wharfedale Harriers’ Keera Nelson second.

The combined under-12s and under-nines had it comparatively easy as they raced first, and in the sun.

First boy was Kendal’s Fraser Sproul, followed by Settle Harriers’ Thomas Marshall and Wharfedale Harriers’ Jack Muir in third place. The first girl back to the arena was Lauryn Gregg of Rossendale Harriers and second was Wharfedale Harriers’ Mollie Smith.

The Wharfedale Harriers’ young runners did not disappoint at the Yorkshire Junior Fell Running Champs.

As a change of scenery, this year’s races were held at Kettlewell as part of the Wharfedale Track, Trail and Tussock series hosted by Bingley Harriers.

The weather was kinder to the junior runners than would be expected in the Yorkshire Dales.

Rain the previous evening had softened what could have been a very hard course underfoot, and then lifted during the morning to give a warm, cloud covered dale as a perfect setting for the 2014 series of county championship races.

James Hall won gold in the under-18 race. Charlotte Barret took silver in the under-12 race while bronze medals went to Thomas Nelson (under-14) and Jack Muir (under-12).

In the under-10 race, which is considered as “non-competitive,” Sam Smith was first Yorkshire boy and Alice Jones was first girl.

The race was the last of a series of seven as part of the much larger Fell Runners Association Junior Championship.

The races are held at picturesque fell-side locations all over the north of England and again, the Wharfedale juniors did well.

Over 60 clubs from all over England competed with Wharfedale Harriers finishing fifth overall in the club competition.

Other local clubs to compete were Ilkley Harriers (fourth), Bingley Harriers (seventh) and Keighley and Craven (eighth).

To qualify for individual prizes, club members of all ages had to complete a minimum of four from seven races.

Here, Thomas Nelson won bronze and other top ten positions went to under-12 girls Emily Jones (sixth) and Charlotte Barrett (seventh); and under-12 boys Jack Muir (seventh), William Thompson (eighth), and Alexander Thompson (tenth).

Other team members contributing to the overall position were Katie Handley Hannah Newbold, Ellie Lambert, Logan Hargreaves-Madhas, Keera Nelson and Tristain Nelson.