Ben Rothery and Scarlet Dale took gold over the weekend at the Middle Distance Trail Running Championships as athletes faced dramatic conditions in the trial race for next month’s European Off Road Running Championships.

With two automatic qualifying spots available for the top two finishers in both the men’s and women’s 48km races, silver medalists Eve Pannone and Bertie Houghton also secured qualification alongside the winners for next month’s Championships.

Dramatic conditions defined the race, with high winds and snow on the summits, the men’s race was lead by tight lead pack with Sasha Chepelin (Carnethy) taking a narrow lead at the halfway mark.The lead group battled all the way to the finish, with Ben Rothery (Ilkley) crossing the line in 3:56:41, just 12 seconds ahead of Bertie Houghton (Kailas Fuga) in second. Sasha Chepelin came home 3rd in 3:58:26.

In the women’s race, England’s Scarlet Dale led from the gun, building a dominant advantage in the opening ten miles and extending it throughout. She crossed the line in 4:27:31, nine minutes ahead of Eve Pannone (Ambleside), who took 2nd in 4:36:08, with Emily Cooper‑Coles (Dark Peak) 3rd in 4:44:50.