LSARRC News 28th August 2012

Joe Greenwood  and Simon Denye of Lytham St Annes Road Runners both performed well on Sunday in the Fleetwood half marathon. Despite the bracing breeze both finished in under one-and-a-half hours with Greenwood having the edge by just 41 seconds and two places. The two of them achieved top thirty places from a record entry of over 500.

Winning the vet 65 category for the second year was Lytham’s Sylvia Gittins. Sylvia ran nearly a minute faster than last year, so breaking the two hour barrier.

Lytham results from Fleetwood: Joe Greenwood 21^st, 1:24:30; Simon Denye 23^rd, 01:24:51; Trevor Willoughby 181^st, 1:47:23; Sylvia Gittins 290^th, 01:59:51; Louise Charnock 355^th, 02:16:33 and Dawn Lock 410^th, 02:50:51.

The Chipping Show Fell race was held on Saturday and the Lytham ladies performed exceptionally. Mel Koth was the second lady, Julia Rolfe won the ladies vet 50 category and both, with Debbie Cooper, won the Ladies’ team prize.

The race was also nominated as the final inter-club fell race of the season, where the six local clubs compete against each other. The ladies have high hopes of retaining the trophy for the third year running after their performance.

For the men Sam Banner came eighth, and Rob Goodall also completed this tough course in wet conditions. The main results have yet to be published.

Autumn is never far away when the final meet of the mid-Lancs track and field season takes place but the weather conditions this year suggested the two overlapped. In the medal meeting in Stanley Park on Saturday Graham Webster won bronze medals in the 1500m and 3000m in distinctly autumnal conditions. These were held at 2:30pm and 4pm, two taxing events relatively close. Despite this Webster was also in action that evening in the Lancaster 5k.

At that race Webster was 22^nd in 18:48 and, as is customary for him these days, was the first vet 60. Also there for Lytham were Tom Howarth, 20^th in 18:33, and Peter Cruse, 25^th in 19:16.

The Austrian branch of the club have again been in action with Emily Hargreaves taking part in the Ganghofer Trail in the Leutasch valley. In a 21.2k race over mixed terrains Emily was the 2^nd lady on a very hot afternoon.