VICTORIA Wilkinson has rounded off a successful summer by retaining her English Ladies Fell Running Championship in record-breaking style.

The 37-year-old from Hebden needed to win Saturday's Langdale Horseshoe Race in the Lake District to top the standings and she did just that.

Wilkinson made the most of the pleasant conditions to knock 35 seconds off the course record which had stood for 24 years.

The Great Britain international powered home in 2hrs 22min 50sec to record her third win in this season's championship.

It capped a highly-successful 2016 for Wilkinson. which saw her follow up her victory in the Three Peaks Race in April with strong performances for Great Britain.

She was 14th in the World Long Distance Running Championships in Slovenia and 11th in the World Mountain Running Championships in Bulgaria.

Wilkinson was delighted to retain her title on the fells. She only competed in the required four events and recorded three wins and one second-place finish.

She said: "The Langdale Horseshoe is a long race of about 14 miles with 1,500 feet of ascent. It was good to have pleasant conditions and that helped me to set the record time.

"It was a good way to end the year. I have achieved the objectives I set for myself and I will just have a few low-key races before taking a rest.

"I don't know yet what my targets will be for 2017, but if I want to go for the Three Peaks again in April, I will need to be back in training at the start of the new year.

"Hopefully I can have another successful season.I think as you get older you get wiser and I am certain that has helped me to stop overdoing things and that has helped me steer clear of injury."