LSARRC Press Report 24th April 2012

Nearly 36,000 competitors started the London Marathon this year, the third highest number ever. This is the highlight of the year for many athletes and fun-runners alike and they were helped over the 42.195 kilometres by good running conditions of cool weather with only a light breeze.

Andy & Gill

Nigel

Lytham St Annes Road Runners’ Nigel Thompson made a late decision to run here for the twelfth time. Plagued by injury over the last year he did well to finish within three hours. But he wasn’t the club’s fastest this time. That honour went to Andy Draper whose chip time was just eighteen seconds better.

Andy also achieved a “negative split”, that is he ran the second half of the race quicker than the first. Quite an achievement in a marathon but that was nothing compared to what he achieved later. That evening he proposed to his lovely girlfriend and fellow club member, Gill. And, of course, she accepted. Congratulations to both from all at the club

Mel

Someone else with a perfect day was Lytham’s first woman, Mel Koth. Mel smashed her personal best by over eight minutes to ensure automatic qualification for next year.


Seasoned marathon runner Roy Stevens was the 74th vet 60 while marathon debutant Lucinda Prothero also finished in well under four hours. Lucinda put in a massive amount of training in preparation for London but unfortunately contracted bronchitis two weeks ago. She recovered in just in time to thoroughly enjoy her day.

Also running for Lytham were Richard Storey (4:52:19) and ultra runners Mark Willett (3:18:46) and Rob Goodall (5:02:05).

Mark, Rob and Andy

The final mention of London is one of congratulations to Shelley Woods from all at Lytham St Annes Road Runners for her superb performance in the Ladies wheelchair marathon. Shelley won by a country mile; well-deserved after all her hard work, and the disappointments of the last couple of years.


Lytham results for London: Andy Draper 2:53:19, 669th; Nigel Thompson 2:53:37, 686th and 64th vet 45; Mel Koth 3:13:24, 2423rd and 194th woman; Mark Willett 3:18:46, 3033rd; Roy Stevens 3:45:02 , 7234th and 74th vet 60; Lucinda Prothero 3:52:55, 9000th; Richard Storey 4:52:08, 24161 and Rob Goodall 5:02:05, 26291st.


While everyone else was trudging around London Tony Croft was galloping around Garstang in the Garstang Gallop 10k. Tony was 10th overall and the second man over 50 in 39:33. Also there was Trevor Willoughby, a little further down the field in 68th.


Last but not least Sylvia Gittens was the first female vet 65 in 57:06 at the St George’s Day 10k in Great Langdale.

LSARRC Press Report 17th April 2012

Four senior men represented Lytham St Annes Road Runners at the first of the 2012 mid-Lancs track and field fixtures at Stanley Park on Saturday. Veterans Graham Webster and Terry Hellings toed the line with Tom Howarth for the first senior men's race of the day, the 800m. Tom was first across the line for Lytham in 2:28 for 9th place and 3 points for the club. Just four seconds and one place behind was Graham with Terry 12th.


An hour or so later the same three athletes lined up for the 1500m. Tom was again first home for Lytham in 4:58.2 and 5th place for 5 points, Graham 6th for 4 points with Terry 8th.

For the 3000m the trio were joined by Mark Willetts. This is a team event with the first three club members counting. Tom, and Mark won the team event picking up 7 points for Lytham in the process.

Finally the four competed in the 4x400m relay. Tom ran the first leg followed by Graham, Terry and Mark to take 4th place overall but first in the division for a further 7 points for Lytham.

The following day four of the junior members of the club competed in the Wigan Harriers open track and field meeting. The youngest of the quartet Tom Reid finished 6th in the 75m sprint with a time of 14.4 seconds and 6th in the 600m in 2:39.6. He then went on to jump 1.88m in the long jump to earn 7th place.


In the U11 boys long jump Joe Mason achieved a personal best of 2.98m to finish 9th while Ben Mason was one place behind with 2.94m. Rebecca Walker jumped 2.82m to finish 10th in the U11 girls competition.

In the U11 boys 75m Ben Reid finished 7th in 11.7 and Joe Mason 8th in 11.9. Rebecca was 13th in the 75m in 12.7. Ben Reid ran a superb 600m and with a very fast final 200m he cut his way through the field to take 2nd place in 2:01.8.




The outstanding performance of the cross-country season was by Lytham athlete Susan Samme who pulled off the amazing feat of winning three individual gold awards. These were presented to her on Friday at the awards evening. As well as the overall competition Sue won two different age categories, the first person to do this.


Sue was awarded gold in the Senior Women's category, the Vet 35 and, her true age category, the Vet 45. She was also part of the gold winning Lytham’s Women's Veteran 45 team, who won their division. Accompanying Sue to the rostrum this time were team captain Julia Rolfe, Linda Baxter, Pam Hardman, Sylvia Gittins, Fiona Geldard and Dawn Lock.


Bill and Dawn Lock took part in the fiftieth Isle of Man Easter Athletics Festival. This involves running three races in three days. Despite this Bill ran his best 10k for three years, and had the honour of being in the same team as former Olympian Ron Hill for the final race, a relay.

LSARRC Press report 10th April

Graham Webster

Happy birthday to Graham Webster. Graham is one of Lytham St Annes Road Runners’ longer serving members and he turned sixty last week. And he celebrated it in typical fashion by winning the vet 60 category of his first race at this age by nearly two minutes.







The race was the first of the annual inter-club series held at Stanley Park on Wednesday. Local athletes look forward to the start of this series as it usually marks the start of Spring and warmer weather. This year however the event was held in conditions that can only be described as perishing due to a bitterly cold wind.

The weather did encourage some good performances from several of Lytham’s 24 strong contingent. First back was junior man Sam Banner in nineteenth, with veteran Peter Cruse not far behind.


Louise Rudd had an excellent race to finish as the second lady, and there were good runs from fellow newer members Elini Bell and Felicity Wolohan. Laura Ashworth achieved a personal best to help the ladies team to forth place.

Mel Koth

After the race there was the presentation of last year’s trophies in the cricket club. Mel Koth won the ladies vet 35 category and she was also one of the successful women’s team who won the fell competition.


On Friday a high quality field of over 500 competitors took park in the Salford 10k. The cool conditions helped Andy Draper to a personal best of 35:53 to finish 72nd while vet 50 Tony Croft was 147th in his first road race for three years. Mel Koth also excelled, coming fifth in the ladies vet 35 category.

Sam Banner

The Pendle Fell Race on Saturday was where Sam Banner won the silver medal in the Lancashire Championships M23 category. The dry conditions made for a fast race apart from up the very steep hills. Unfamiliarity with the course meant that Oxford University student Sam missed out on the gold by a single second but he is determined to be back for that next year.


Friday was certainly Good Friday for husband and wife Kevin and Laura Ashworth at the Calder Vale 10 mile race. Laura had a fantastic run to finish five minutes quicker than in her previous run on this course and was the sixteenth woman in 79:43. Kevin finished in 72:18 to earn 58th place.

LSARRC Press Report 3rd April 2012

Saturday 31st March saw three Lytham members take part in the 31st running of the prestigious Coniston 14 road race. The hilly course does a lap of Coniston Water starting and finishing in Coniston. First home for Lytham in 41st place was Andy Draper in a time of 1:28:56. Mel Koth not satisfied with a tough 14 mile race used the race as a training run for London Marathon adding extra miles pre and post race but still finished in an excellent time of 1:43:32 for 237th place and 8th F35. Next home for Lytham was Richard Storey in a time of 1:50:28 for 431st place (66th m40).

Laura Ashworth

Katherine Hoyland

Felicity Woholan

Also on Saturday the Northern Athletics six-stage relay championship was held in Sefton Park, Liverpool and the team from Lytham St Annes Road Runners put in a good performance.

Four of the team made it back within 53 seconds of each other in excellent times of around 17 minutes for the 2.4 mile course. Thirty-nine teams lined up at the 11:35am start with team captain Laura Ashworth taking first leg. Laura finished in 36th place and was delighted with her sub 17 minute time.

Felicity Wolohan on second leg finished in 17:28 gaining two places before handing over to Liz Boon. LSARRC's latest recruit Katharine Hoyland, on her very first relay, put in the Club's fastest leg finishing in 16:48 to advance the team into 31st.

On the penultimate leg Bec Willetts showed herself to be fully back in form with a very good 17:41 and Dawn Lock brought the team home for a total time of 1:55:15 in 32nd. All round an excellent performance for Lytham all the team members had run at their peak.

Full Lytham Results: Leg 1. Laura Ashworth (36) 16:59; 2. Felicity Wolohan (34) 17:28; 3. Liz Boon (34) 20:23; 4. Katharine Hoyland (31) 16:48; 5. Rebecca Willetts (32) 17:41 and 6. Dawn Lock (32) 25:56.

On Thursday 29th Colin Nelson was Lytham’s sole representative in the Vera Hirst 5k in Littleborough, Colin finished in 67th place in a time of 20:53.

The 2011-12 handicap year finished on a high note with thirty starters for the first time and also a highest-ever average of 21.5 senior competitors each month.

On the night Andy Reid won his second consecutive handicap in a faster than usual race, being one of eight to record personal bests. Sam Banner once again improved his own junior men’s record with an excellent 19.58, the fastest time of the night, while Brad Robertson in 4th place overall was the leading junior boy with a fine PB of 23.01.

At the start of this final race there were two possible winners of the senior handicap championship, Kevin Ashworth and Rob Goodall, who have each run many PBs over the past year. In the end Kevin prevailed and is a worthy winner of the Roy Stevens trophy. Kirsty Fraser is the junior champion.