Ian Holmes’ 15-year reign in the Soreen Stanbury Splash was ended by Chris Steele last Sunday.

The Keighley runner had won every race since 1996 but was finally forced to hand over his crown to the 29-year-old Steele from the Lake District.

The Cockermouth school teacher had pledged to return for the seven-mile event to gain revenge on Holmes after narrowly losing to him in the battle for third spot in the recent Auld Lang Syne race.

And Steele (Borrowdale) did just that by finishing first in 42min 30sec, with Stuart Bond (Dark Peak) second in 42:45 and Holmes third in 42:51.

Holmes, 44, said: said: “I set a true pace and Chris was the only one in the group who was willing to push it and keen to take it on.

“Around Ponden Kirk it was Chris and Stuart Bond following me. I tried several times to break them but the legs just didn’t want to work.”

Steele, who ran for England in the Snowdon Mountain race in 2009, said: “Ian tends to push off the top of any hills to break you, which he had done to me at the Auld Lang Syne race.

“Climbing out of Sladen Beck, through the steep fields, I put the hammer down on the track, pushing off the top, using Ian’s tactic on himself.

“Luckily, I got in first and he couldn’t respond.”

In the keenly-contested locals trophy challenge race, Wharfedale runner Paul Crabtree finally got his hands on the silverware, finishing 27th in 49:12. Last year, he trained newcomer and team-mate Christian Holmes to deny him the title!

Haworth GP Jo Buckley won the ladies race (finishing 44th overall) in 51:21, with Calder Valley team mate Helen Fines over one and a half minutes behind.

Buckley, who was fifth representing the North at the McCain Cross Challenge in Cardiff last week, said: “I set off far too fast and was struggling towards the end. I was really happy to win as I really wanted this one.”

Three-time Soreen winner Helen Glover could only manage third but did win the locals prize, while, in fourth, Yorkshire fells champion Aly Raw set a new Female Veteran 40 record of 55:42, beating Suzanne Budgett’s 2006 time of 55:53.

While Holmfirth won the men’s team race, Ilkley won the ladies’ event with Kelly Harrison, Sally Malir and Diane Haggar.

The only other record setter was in the MV70 category by the Bunny Run MV70 champion Peter Covey, who took nearly two minutes off Lawrence Sullivan’s 2006 record to finish in 64:18.

A record 410 competitors took part in the race, which starts from Penistone Hill, with a best-ever 182 juniors taking part in the Soreen Quarry Runs.

Soreen Stanbury Splash – Top Ten: 1 Chris Steele (Borrowdale) 42.30, 2 Stuart Bond (Dark Peak) 42.45, 3 Ian Holmes V40 (Bingley) 42.51, 4 Graham Pearce (Bingley) 42.51, 5 Tom Adams (Ilkley) 44.03, 6 Darren Kay V40 (P&B) 45.34, 7 Tom Brunt (Holmfirth) 46.07, 8 Jack Ross (Staffs Moorland) 46.19, 9 Nicholas Charlesworth V40 (Wharfedale) 46.53, 10 Sean Carey (Todmorden) 47.14.

Junior winners – Boys Under-16s: Sam Haggar (Wharfedale) 12.05; Girls Under-16s: Annabel Mason (Wakefield) 12.09. Boys Under-14s: Lewis Byram (Holmfirth) 6.22; Girls Under-14: Harmonie Waterman (Holmfirth) 7.01; Boys Under-12s: James Lund (Keighley & Craven) 7.02; Girls under-12s: Lucy Byram (Holmfirth) 7.28; Boys Under-10s: Jimmy Burke (Holmfirth) 7.07. Girls under-10s: Olivia Roper 9.17. Fun race winners – Boys: William Wigg (Todmorden) 3.22; Girls: Ella Atkins Girls (Pendle) 3.42.