LSARRC Press Report 28th February

The 23rd Great North West Half Marathon is one of the more popular races in the regional calendar and over 1000 eager competitors took part in it on Sunday.

Held again in Blackpool, the race started and finished opposite the Hilton Hotel, using the promenade walkways between Talbot Square and Anchorsholme. Cool and unseasonably calm weather made for excellent running conditions and there were several personal bests recorded.

Lytham St Annes Road Runners had nine members participating including Peter Cruse, who was the second M45. Also finishing in under ninety minutes was Joe Greenwood.

Further along marathon newcomer Kevin Ashworth ran much of the race with fellow member Steve Quarmby. Kevin enjoyed the experience and his good time has given him the confidence to try other races at this distance. Meanwhile rapidly improving Steve clocked up yet another pb.

Stuart Henderson and Rob Goodall also recorded pbs. Stuart found himself near the eight-minute mile pacemaker and managed to stay with him for twelve miles to knock over five minutes off his previous best.

Even in cool conditions hydration is essential for such a distance and several members of Lytham Road Runners unselfishly gave up a large chunk of their Sunday to man a water station. Handing out bottles of water to over 1000 people as they run past is not an easy task but the volunteers cheerfully added plenty of encouragement to boot.

Lytham Results from Great NW Half: Peter Cruse 12th and 2nd M45, 1:18:48; Joe Greenwood 109th, 01:29:39; Willie Richmond 230th, 01:37:04; Mark Willett 240th, 01:37:39; Steve Quarmby 305th, 01:40:13; Kevin Ashworth 307th, 01:40:14; Roy Stevens 332nd and 4th M60, 01:41:34; Stuart Henderson 472nd, 01:46:29 and Rob Goodall 914th, 02:11:32.


Rob Goodall, along with Debbie Copper, also ran in the unusually named “Mr Sparkle’s Dark ‘Un” fell race on Friday night. Held near Darwin at 19:30 this is not for the faint-hearted for, as it title suggests, it is held in darkness. It is only five miles but the climb is 702 feet. And what goes up has to come down, and in the dark that is not easy.

This race was Debbie’s first night race and Rob’s first fell race of any description and they finished ……… last! But it’s the taking part that counts and being last is of no matter to them; this was merely part of the training towards the forthcoming Lakeland 50 ultra marathon in July.

Some club members will travel far and wide to find a race to their liking. Pam Hardman popped over to Malta for a long weekend to run in the Malta half-marathon. Tough but someone has to do it. In warm conditions and with some hill climbs Pam did well to clock a time of approximately 01:55:00.

Finally in the club handicap on Thursday Andy Reid won with a personal best time while junior Nicole Hadlow had a fine run to finish second. After this, the penultimate race in the season, Tony Rudd moved up to second place in the table. However the March race will effectively be a run-off between leader Kevin Ashworth and third placed Rob Goodall for the title.

LSARRC Press Report 21st February 2012

Mel Koth has been relatively quiet on the road-racing front of late as she prepares for her assault on the London Marathon. But she is always one for a challenge so last week she tackled the Liversedge half-marathon in West Yorkshire. With a hilly course this has a reputation as a tough race and is definitely not one for personal bests.

The race also has a good quality field, and this year had a record entry of nearly 500. There were early concerns about the weather but these proved unfounded and the race took place in near perfect conditions; cold and dry.

The only competitor from Lytham St Annes Road Runners present, Mel excelled finishing first in the LV35 age category and the sixth lady from a large and strong field. Her time of 1:33:33 augurs well for London.

On Sunday Laura Ashworth was the third vet 35 lady in the Central Lancashire 5k, Bolton with a time of 23:13. Fellow Lytham club members Peter Cruse and vet 65 Jim Whitworth were 28th in 17:58 and 188th in 26:19 respectively.

Wigan Phoenix's twice annual Standish Hall Trail Race took place on Saturday. This is not an easy race as it is totally off-road with several long steep climbs. Out of nearly 250 entrants Lytham’s representative Kevin Ashworth did well to finish the 10k course 67th in 47:29.

LSARRC Press Report 14th February 2012

The penultimate cross-country race of the mid-Lancs league season took place in Barrow on Saturday and, yet again Sue Samme of Lytham St Annes Road Runners was the star of the race.

Sue is in scintillating form at the moment and she won the ladies race decisively, powering home in 19:45 on the five kilometre course. This win gives her the ladies, the ladies vet 35 and the ladies vet 45 championships with a race to spare.

This win also keeps the Lytham ladies vet 45 team at the top of their table; Julia Rolfe and Pam Hardman made up the winning trio. Vet 35 Laura Ashworth had her best run to date finishing 26th overall.

Andy Draper led the men home on their 10k course with a good 41st position. Tony Croft, Graham Webster, Terry Hellings and Joe Shaw made up the rest of the team and gave them five points in their division. As they are currently near the bottom this could prove very useful in staving off relegation.

Lytham Results from Barrow: Women: Sue Samme 1st, 19:45; Laura Ashworth 26th, 25:47; Julia Rolfe 30th, 26:56; Pam Hardman 31st, 27:22 and Dawn Lock 48th, 38:08.
Men: Andy Draper 41st, 34:48; Tony Croft 70th, 37:25; Graham Webster 73rd, 37:30; Terry Hellings 77th, 38:13; Steve Quarmby 104th, 40;46 and Joe Shaw 105th, 40:48.


Elsewhere over the weekend three other Lytham athletes took on challenging races. Firstly Louise Charnock was one of over 500 runners competing in the Parbold Hill Race on Saturday. The 6.7mile course was a mixture of steep hills, narrow tracks and muddy fields that soon got the heart rate up on a freezing cold afternoon. Louise had been warned about the lung-busting ascents and the obstacles to be clambered over and wasn’t disappointed.

It is was personal first for Louise to come inside the top 50 women finishers and she was also 19th out 41 in the category of Senior Women with a time of 1:09:53.

In the Lake District Peter Cruse tackled the Keswick Buttermere 34k. This is gruelling for any athlete and entry is restricted to experienced club runners. The first seven miles from Keswick are pleasant enough but then it gets tough at Honiston Pass. Straight up into a 25% ascent. and what goes up must come down; a real test for the body.

Further on is Newlands Pass which, with a 20% ascent and subsequent descent, could be considered easier than Honiston but after running over fifteen miles by this point it isn’t in practice.

Peter completed the race in 2:36:20 to finish eleventh overall and second vet 45, a superb achievement.

Finally in Llandudno Jim Whitworth, running his first race in a Lytham club vest, completed the Nick Beer 10k. This race includes a climb up the Great Orme, no easy feat. Jim did this in 01:01:48 and finished thirteenth vet 65.

LSARRC Press Report 7th February 2012

Ross Harte

George Rowley

Rock-hard ground and icy sleet were the demanding conditions facing young competitors in Saturday's Lancashire Schools Cross-Country Championships. Held for the first time at Worden Park, Leyland three junior members of Lytham St. Annes Road Runners braved the weather to represent the Fylde schools' team.

George Rowley excelled in the junior boys finishing in 16:34, just nine seconds behind the winner. As well as winning the individual silver medal George also earned selection for he Lancashire schools’ team.

Ross Hart did well in the year 7 boys with a time of 8:40 and 21st position out of a large field of 77.

Kirsty Fraser ran in the older Inter Girls' race finishing 15th in 18:37 and, as the third counter for Fylde, won a team gold.

The weather was the cause of several road race cancellations but this did not stop prolific racers Pam Hardman and Bec Willetts. Both travelled to Cheshire to enter the popular Alsager 5 mile road race. They joined over 500 others to run through snow and ice in what is billed as the UK’s top five-miler.

The race attracts a quality field and is normally good for personal bests. This wasn’t possible with all the snow but Bec and Pam both ran well to finish 77th and 81st respectively in the ladies results. 42:45 and 42:47 were good times for the conditions, and they also recorded 45th and 48th positions in the vet ladies.

LSARRC Press Report 31st January 2012

Dawn Lock, Terry Hellings and Graham Webster

The Northern Athletics Cross-country Championships were held in Pontefract, Yorkshire on Saturday. Amongst a high-class field were three athletes representing Lytham St Annes Road Runners

Held at Pontefract Park for the first time the course was of four kilometre laps around the inside of the famous race track. Missing were the step slopes of recent championships but with more rough grass, tiring the legs of the competitors.


Vet 55s Graham Webster and Terry Hellings competed in a large senior men’s field of nearly 700. Graham was the first back in 383rd place, completing the three laps in 53:16. Just over half a minute later Terry finished the 12K race in 406th.

Dawn Lock was Lytham’s sole runner in the Senior Women. Vet 65 Dawn ran 8K in 64:26 finishing 234th.

On Sunday in Preston the Chernobyl 10k, a race organised in aid of the victims of the 1986 nuclear accident, Pam Hardman won the FV55 category. Joe Shaw, in 94th, was the first back of the quartet of Lytham club runners.
Lytham Chernobyl results. Joe Shaw 94th, 42:57; Pam Hardman 299th and 1st FV50, 51:15 and Bec Willetts 347th, 53:14.

The juniors dominated the club monthly handicap on Thursday. Patrick Houghton won the race outright with a personal best time. The quickest of the night was another junior, George Rowley, who also notched up a pb. Kirsty Fraser still dominates the junior table with just two races left.
Senior table leader Kevin Ashworth scored another pb to win the seniors race, extending his overall lead in the process. Out of the twenty competitors seven scored pbs on a good night for racing.