LANCASHIRE raider Chris Farrell won the Auld Lang Syne race for the second time at Haworth on Saturday.

The Horwich RMI Harrier clocked 41min 37sec to win by more than a minute from Chris Holdsworth of Clayton Le Moors who was celebrating his 26th birthday.

Third was 2013 winner Tom Addison before triathletes Lewis Byram and Jack Willis were chased home by first V40 Nick Leigh.

The leading runners took full advantage of the absence of Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee and his brother Jonny, winner of the silver medal in Rio.

Alistair, who was second in the BBC Sports Personality of the year, put his absence down to seasonal excess. He told race organiser Dave Woodhead: "I'm a right chubba at the moment after too much food over Christmas and not enough miles in the legs."

Jonny revealed: "My legs are trashed after the Chevin Chase race, I must be getting old."

Barlick Fell Runners' Luke Maude and Julian Hood were the best of the Craven runners in 15th and 16th respectively. Maude came home ten seconds ahead of his team-mate in 46:28.

They finished immediately behind Bingley Harriers' Matthew Merrick who was the first of the under-18 runners.

Horwich RMI Harriers Dave Milliken won the V50, Steve Jackson the V60 and Valley Strider Malcolm Coles the V70 categories, while Horwich RMI Harriers were the top team.

Katie Walshaw won the ladies race for the third time and goes into this weekend's Yorkshire Cross Country Championships full of confidence.

The Holmfirth Harrier was chased all the way by fell running newcomer Louisa Powell Smith of Clayton Le Moors who finished 35 seconds behind.

Stoop and Withins Skyline winner Nichola Jackson from Preston came in third, with Welsh international Bronwen Jenkinson in fourth place.

Fifth was Ilkley Harriers runner Jemima Elgood who was the first under-18 female finisher.

Her club colleague Pauline Munro finished seventh and took the FV40 honours while a third Ilkley runner, Alison Weston, was the first FV50. The top FV60 runner was Aileen Baldwin of Stainland Lions. Holmfirth Harriers took the team prize.