The Manx Harriers equalled their best ever medals haul with eight medals at the Lancashire Cross-Country Championships on Saturday.

Competing at Witton Park in Blackburn, the success was led by the Astin sisters, Sarah and Gemma, who won gold medals in the under 13 and under 15 girl races respectively.

Those two golds, coupled with five silvers and a bronze, made it a successful day all round for the Harriers team, up to eight of whose athletes now have a chance of being selected to represent Lancashire in the Inter Counties Cross-Country Championships.

The other medals on Saturday came in the under 15s girls team event with Gemma Astin, Rachel Franklin, Lauren Whelan and Bronwyn Kaneen taking silver.

Connor Delanbanque produced an excellent run to claim silver in the under 15s boys race.

At senior level, the ladies team took the bronze medal, with one of its members, Gail Griffiths, adding a silver of her own in the over 40 veterans.

There was also silver for the senior men in the team event and Andy Fox in the over 45s race.

Other notable performances included Keith Gerrard, recently returned from injury, who claimed fifth place overall, John Halligan 11th and Gianni Epifani 14th, in the biggest field of the day.