LSARRC News 11th September 2012

Simon Holt

Eight year old Simon Holt of Lytham St Annes Road Runners has clearly been inspired by the Olympics. On Sunday he added another three medals to his collection at Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde’s open track & field meeting.

The Heyhouses Schoolboy got off to a good start in the U9 boys Long jump with

a personal best of 2.85m. He then moved onto the track for the 600m and set off with intent from the gun, creating a lead of 40m by the 200m mark which he maintained to the finish to take gold with another PB of 2:06.1. In the 80m Sprint he was again a comfortable winner with a yet another PB of 12.9.

Twenty-six senior members of the club contested the last of the summer’s inter-club series at Worden Park on Wednesday. The best results on the night were in the vet 50s' and the women's categories where they took second places, excellent results for the club. Overall for the whole series Lytham's biggest success came in the vet 60's where they finished in second place.

The Lytham Team at Leyland

Run on three twisting and interesting loops of attractive Worden Park, competitors could compare their progress with the leaders as the loops intersected in the park centre.  After last year's torrential downpour, this year's race conditions of still evening sunshine could not have been more pleasant.   

First back for Lytham was rapidly-improving Joe Greenwood taking seventeenth place in 23.36, just three minutes behind the winner.  Next in and contributing to the open, women's and vet's teams was the winning woman, Lytham's second-claim member Louise Rudd who finished 26^th in a blistering 24:12, leaving her nearest competitor trailing by 30 seconds.  

Graham Webster was yet again the leading vet 60, finishing 36^th overall.

Together with Roy Stevens and Bill Lock the vet 60s finished third on the night with the well-deserved second place for the season.

Taking third place on the night was another successful team, the vet 50's. Together with Webster and Stevens were Peter Cruse, 46th in 25.15 and Steve Quarmby, 85th in 27.54.  In spite of their good showing at Leyland, the vet 50's were beaten into fourth place for the series by Red Rose who finished two points ahead.

Representatives from Lytham St Annes Road Runners Club were guests at the Town Hall last week to receive the “Community Club of the Year” award. This was given in recognition of the club’s work in the local community to foster the sport of athletics and in particular running for people of all ages and ability. The club, which boasts thriving senior, junior and beginners sections, stages three races each year and has also forged links with local schools and the YMCA. Tony Croft who accepted the award on behalf of the club said he was delighted that the club’s work in the local community had been recognised and he was sure that this award together with the Olympic legacy would undoubtedly result in greater participation at the club.

Julia Rolfe in the Autumn 5k

In the Autumn 5K in Stanley Park at the weekend Julia Rolfe set a new club FV50 record for the distance of exactly 24 minutes, and won the category to boot. Another first was Peter Cruse, the first MV50 in 18:59. Roy Upton also represented the club, finishing nineteenth overall.

Finally in Wales Sylvia Gittins continued her good run of form in the Lake Vrynwy half marathon. Gittins finished in 936^th position from nearly 1500 but won her vet 65 category by an amazing 26 minutes in 2:05:51.