Records tumbled as the annual Jarrett’s Jaunt race put on by Cumberland Fell Runners attracted a large field.

The race is a good introduction to fell running and attracted support from local clubs with Netherhall, Derwent and Cumberland sending strong teams to challenge CFR.

The runners visit the summits of Flat Fell and Dent in a handicap race using results from local races over recent years to try to ensure runners finish as close to 2pm as possible.

The first person back should be the runner who has improved the most and while most runners were well handicapped and finished within a couple of minutes either side of 2pm, the race was won by the largest margin in its history.

Kevin Robinson beat the handicapper by some margin to be first back ahead of Bruce Hardy.

Both athletes run for Derwent and were tipped as potential winners following good recent form.

Third back was John Skelton, who also has shown a huge improvement to taking more than seven minutes off last year’s time.

The finish team were then kept busy with the next 100 runners all finishing in 10 minutes, with battling sprints along the final road section.

A quirky prizegiving saw 65 prizes given out with the first runner having the pick of the wine, whisky, chocolate and vouchers and the finish order repeating itself until the last chocolate rabbit had gone.

Dry conditions helped a good number of runners achieve personal bests and Keswick’s Carl Bell set the fastest time to knock around a minute-and-a-half off his own record for a new record time of 39:01.

CFR’s Mario Yeomans posted the second-fastest time, just under the 40-minute mark, while the fastest ladies time was posted by club-mate Sophie Noon, who also set a new ladies record by knocking a full minute off the previous best.

The youngest athlete to race was 16-year-old Mia Easthope, also for CFR, and she finished well up the ladies field, showing a clean pair of heels to many more experienced racers.

There were 32 CFR members racing and among the highlights were Mark Likeman continuing his good form to finish fourth with Tim Irlam just outside the top ten.

Claire Russell had another impressive race to be second lady home while in the veterans’ classes new member Mark Blackwell was well up the vet 40 class, Andrew Graham was third vet 50, Mark Wise third vet 55 and Paul Mason second over 60. It was a straight one-two-three in the vet 45 class for Claire Russell, Jennie Chatterley and Anita Barker and Ann Cummings took the honours in the competitive 55 class.

The first event in the CFR championships takes place at the start of March with the daunting Black Combe race.