LSARRC Press Report 10th January 2012

At the age of 49 Sue Samme of Lytham St Annes Road Runners has remarkably won her first Lancashire Cross Country Championship for 27 years. As all those years before Witton Park in Blackburn, the toughest course in the area, was the venue for her success on Saturday.

A three-lap race meant the dreaded “saucer”, a tough hill, had to be climbed three times. Never far from the lead, Sue took pole position on the second ascent of the saucer. In very muddy conditions Sue extended her lead to win from Blackpool’s Caroline Betmead by 34 seconds. This is a superb achievement by any standards and Sue adds this latest triumph to her five and ten mile Lancashire Championships of 2010. She was, of course, also awarded the FV45 gold medal.

Another success for the club was their only junior at the event, George Rowley, in the under 15 boys. Despite being at the lower end of his age group George ran very strongly to score an excellent result finishing fifth in a time of 15:07.

Like Sue, George qualifies to run for Lancashire at the Inter-Counties Championships in March. This will be the first time the Lytham have two athletes representing their county in the same competition and is a great honour for the club.

The senior ladies team finished ninth and the veterans fifth with Julia Rolfe and Pam Hardman making up both teams with Sue. The indomitable Dawn Lock was the last of the Lytham ladies but took the Lancashire FV65 silver medal in the process. In the senior mens’ race Andy Draper was the first back for Lytham but unfortunately the men were one finisher short of a full team in both the open and veteran competitions.

Lytham seniors results from Witton Park. Men: Andy Draper 54th, 42:52; Terry Hellings 72nd, 45:28; Tony Croft 78th, 46:20; Graham Webster 83rd, 46:33 and Colin Nelson 96th, 50:53.
Ladies: Sue Samme 1st and 1st vet, 29:04; Julia Rolfe 46th, 41:32; Pam Hardman 51st, 43:54 and Dawn Lock 55th, 58:42.

In the Garstang 10k on Sunday Peter Cruse had a good result coming twelfth and the first vet 45 from the 445 finishers. Sylvia Gittens, back in 280th overall, was the first vet 65 lady.

Lytham Results from Garstand: Peter Cruse 12th, 36:09; Trevor Willoughby 227th, 49:32; Sylvia Gittens 280th, 52:19 and Bec Willetts 316th, 54:52.