LSARRC News 3rd March 2015

Joanna Goorney (Photo courtesy of Woodentops.org.uk)

There were two Stanley Park 10ks at Blackpool held over the weekend, the first on Saturday attracting 4 club members.  First home for LSARRC was Barbara Holmes in 50th place in 44:22.  Next was Sylvia Gittins in 188th place and 55:21.  Hannah McCandless running her first ever road race and making her debut for the club finished in 205th place with a time of 56:53 whilst her father, Jeremy, was not far behind in 215th place and 58:00.

Joanna Goorney headed over to Booth near Halifax on Saturday morning for the Midgley Moor Fell Race organised by Calder Valley Fell Runners.  The tough, muddy 5 mile course with 1250 foot of ascent was held under grey skies with the threatening rain just holding off.  Joanna was 49th and 3rd lady in a time of 50:12 with 191 finishers.

On Sunday, Graham Webster and Terry Hellings headed to Victoria Park, Warrington to compete in the Northern Vets Cross Country Championships.  In a competitive V60 race Graham completed the flat, relatively mud free 10k course in 40:59 for 16th place overall and 3rd V60.  Terry finished 4th V60 and 18th overall in a time off 42:15.

Peter Cruse made the journey up to the Lake District for the very popular Haweswater Half Marathon.  The race with over 500 finishers was won by James Buis of Border Harriers in 1:12:51.  Peter finished in 29th place and was 3rd vet 50 in 1:24:55.

Up in Lancaster, was the Glasson Dock Grizzly Half Marathon and 7 mile race which attracted Julia Rolfe.  The course followed the very muddy and slippy canal towpath with the route also including a few water hazards: crawling through low water tunnels at the side of some of the bridges and wading across a stream.  Good fun!  She finished 3rd lady and 1st female vet 50.

Becs Willetts and Dawn Bloor on registration at the
Fylde Primary Schools Cross Country Competition

On Sunday morning, Lytham St Annes RRC once again hosted a very successful Fylde Primary Schools Cross Country Competition at Queen Elizabeth II Park View Playing Fields in Lytham with over a hundred children taking part.

Sarah Hatton and Dave Dunn

Year 6 race

The club's February handicap on Thursday night was one of the quickest of the annual series with four runners achieving personal bests over the 3.45 miles course. The winner, WV65 Sylvia Gittins, surprised even herself with a first victory while a little further down the field Joe Greenwood, already the fastest regular competitor, nevertheless improved his previous PB set back in November 2013. The others to record PBs were newcomer Alex Everest and brothers Neil and Ian Tate who were each well ahead of their previous best times.

With just one race to go Neil Tate moves up to second on the annual table and is favourite to collect the runner-up medal but there are others who can pass his current total with a leading place in the final race. This year Jeremy McCandless has dominated the competition and has been assured of being the overall winner for some time.

FULL RESULTS: 1, Sylvia Gittins, 33.55, 30+2 points; 2, Ian Tate, 24.09 PB, 29+2; 3, Alex Everest, 28.12 PB, 28+2; 4, Neil Tate, 21.01 PB, 27+2; 5, Fiona Geldard, 27.06, 26+2; 6, Tom Howarth, 20.43, 25+2; 7, Joe Greenwood, 19.20 PB, 24+2; 8, Pam Binns, 35.47, 23; 9, Graham Webster, 22.11, 22; 10, Karen Lanigan, 34.14, 21: 11, Greg Oulton, 28.03, 20; 12, Alex Wiggins, 26.59, 19; 13, Jeremy McCandless, 32.36, 18; 14, Dawn Lock, 49.00, 17; N/C Joe Hansen , 30.32.

and finally

Happy 70th Birthday to Dawn Lock