LSARRC Press Report 31st July 2012

The Lakeland 50 is one of the greatest ultra running and walking challenges in Europe. It is a huge challenge, requiring commitment, drive and mental as well as physical stamina. After months of preparation four members of Lytham St Annes Road Runners bravely competed in this event over the weekend.

Starting from the Northern end of Ullswater the route follows the lake’s Eastern shoreline to Howtown.  It continues through remote areas of the Lake District as well more popular parts such as Kentmere, Ambleside and Langdale before finishing at Coniston.

 

As would be expected in such terrain this includes about 10,000 feet of ascent and descent. Competitors are required to carry a substantial amount of supplies and equipment for safety reasons.

 After starting at midday Saturday Simon Denye and Mark Willett were delighted to finish within twelve hours, and in the top one hundred achieving equal 97^th place. They ran and jogged the fifty miles up and down hill, sometimes in the dark and with backpacks in 11:42:02.

 Debbie Cooper and Rob Goodall navigated the course as a team to finish 345^th. They were equally happy to complete the gruelling event, and well within the 24-hour cut-off in 17:04:58. This meant they crossed the finishing line just after 5am!

 

On Friday evening other Lytham members took part in the somewhat shorter annual Firemen's Relays. The club fielded four teams of which two finished in the top ten of the three leg relay on the 2.7 mile course skirting Heron’s Reach.

 

Joe Greenwood spearheaded the “Olympic Hopefuls” which finished third in 47:26. Rapidly improving Joe posted the evening’s fifth fastest time of 14:49. Teammates Tom Howarth and Graham Webster were 21^st and 22^nd overall respectively.

 Roy Upton, Willie Richmond and Dave Dunn made up the team who were eighth, completing the three legs in a total of 51:13. Mother and son Linda and 13 year-old Tom Holmes competed against each other in Lytham’s final two teams. Tom marginally took the honours in both team and individual positions. 

 Bec Willetts and Pam Hardman defied the heavy rain to take part in the Cliviger 6 mile road race on Sunday. Held on a hilly course near Burnley this was the 34^th year of this event. Finishing 96^th Bec’s time of 49:14 was over two minutes up on last year. Pam’s ran 51:06 to claim the second FV55 spot.

At the club’s monthly handicap on Thursday good conditions helped ten of the twenty-three running to earn bonus points for either personal bests or seasons bests. New member Catherine French finished first while Joe Greenwood’s ninth place was enough to maintain his overall lead in the table.