North Shore had two large races in two days over the weekend
with the Hilton Blackpool Illuminations 10k on Saturday followed by their
half-marathon on Sunday. These are run in aid of the Hilton Foundation,
supporting local children’s charities and Lytham St Annes Road Runners featured
prominently in both.
In Saturday’s race Graham Webster took the honours,
finishing eighth overall from nearly 300 competitors. Webster was also the
first vet 60 by over seven minutes. Also doing well was Peter Cruse in eleventh.
Cruse is returning to racing from injury and was the first vet 50 on the day.
Mark Willett took part in both races and had one of his
slowest 10k races as he was kind enough to pace someone less experienced to a
personal best. His performance the following day, while nowhere near his best,
was more typical of him.
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| Simon Denye and Joe Greenwood at the Hilton half-marathon |
It was definitely a case of déjà vu on Sunday with Joe
Greenwood finishing two places in front of Simon Denye in a local half-marathon
for the second week running, and Sylvia Gittins claiming the first female vet
60 position. Greenwood and Denye were eighteenth and twentieth respectively in
the Hilton Blackpool Half Marathon. Both were back with a time of under 1:25
despite the usual breeze on the promenade.
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| Joe Greenwood with a fast finish |
Vet 65 Gittins again improved her half-marathon time to
finish an excellent eighteen minutes in front of the next lady over sixty.
Finishing 300th overall from over 500 was another tremendous
achievement by evergreen Sylvia.
Hilton
race results for Lytham. 10k: Graham Webster 8th, 39:37; Peter Cruse
11th, 40:21; Graham Young 135th, 54:49; Rob Goodall 141st,
55:20 and Mark Willett 162nd, 57:11.
Half-marathon:
Joe Greenwood 18th, 1:24:11; Simon Denye 20th, 01:24:59;
Mark Willett 45th, 01:31:50; Vicki Cummings 259th, 1:55:33 and
Sylvia Gittins 300th, 1:59:07.
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| Sylvia Gittins |
In the club’s
handicap on Thursday a remarkable fifteen of the twenty-four runners earned
bonus points for either personal or season’s best times in excellent running
conditions. Louise Charnock won on the night with the quickest being
table-topper Joe Greenwood.
Greenwood’s
performance might keep him at the top of the table but second-placed Rob
Goodall is closing rapidly after a run of good scores.
Over the border the
self-styled “Yorkshire Pudding” section of the club, Trevor Willoughby, flew
the flag for Lytham in the Ryedale 10 Mile race. Now a measured event along a
virtually flat course it is held annually in aid of Malton hospital. Veteran
Willoughby finished in 80:10.
On Saturday Andy
Sneddon was again taking on the tough trails of the lake district in the
Derwentwater 15k challenge. The 1475 feet climb with mud, rocks and bogs to
navigate was more of an assault course than a trail race so Sneddon did well to
come 343rd out of over 400.
Finally
Tom Howarth was fifth in the Great Eccleston Scouts Fast Four-miler in 24:54 on
Sunday. On a flat course Stuart Wharrier was back in 36th position
from the fifty finishers. Vet 65 Jim Whitworth was 45th.
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