LSARRC News 14/01/2013

The post-race survivors of the mens XC tean at Hyndburn! L-R:
Mark Selby, Thomas Howarth, Colin Laidlaw, Kev Ashworth,
Terry Hellings, Andy Draper, Graham Webster, Nigel Simpkin.

The Lytham Runners XC Team rose to a sticky, muddy challenge at the 4^th part of the Mid Lancs Cross Country Competition 2012 – ’13, this month staged at Wilson playing fields at Hyndburn. Weather conditions were favourable on the day, Saturday being crisp, bright and still. However a large extent of the course, which comprised playing fields and surrounding wooded areas, was reduced to viscous black mud underfoot, making the criss-cross course an ardent challenge for all competing. The Club once again produced a great turn-out, with 22 members running in signature green, including four Juniors, who were first out to race.

Lytham U11 Girl XC debutante,
Olivia Aberra.

Seven year old Olivia Aberra made her cross country debut in the U11 girls race and performed magnificently to finish 25^th in 11:45. Simon Holt and Harry Booth ran in the U11 boys race and both ran well over the challenging course with Simon finishing 24^th in 9:57 and Harry 41^stin 10:51. Ella Moulding, again produced a strong performance to finish 6^th in the U13 girls race in 11:02. In the senior ladies race, following a 6k course made up of a shorter and longer lap, the first 3 women back pulled out strong performances to score for the ‘A’ team: Mel Koth finished 28^th in 31.11, Katharine Hoyland – a relative newcomer to XC, made an impressive finish in 32.22 (37^th) and next home was Laura Ashworth, 72^nd in 37.02. In close succession came Fiona Geldard, 87^th, 39.46, Catherine French, 99^th, 43.57, Pamela Binns, 102^nd, 46.37, Sylvia Gittens, 104^th, 47.28 and Dawn Lock, 107^th, 50.53. It is looking good for the women to maintain their strong position in the league 1^st division, whilst for the men 1^st place in Division 4 makes for a healthy looking table. The senior men were faced with an even more gruelling 10k course comprising 3 unforgiving laps. Andy Draper was home first finishing in 45.57, 67^th overall, followed by Tom Haworth, 81^st, 46.56 and then Graham Webster 94^th in 47.50. Finishing the hard course in good times thereafter were Terry Hellings, 105^th, 48.46, Kev Ashworth, 133^rd, 51.56, Colin Laidlaw, 147^th, 53.10, Mark Selby 193^rd, 58.52 and Nigel Simpkin, 201^st, 1.00.59. The tricky and unpredictable course unfortunately forced Steve Quarmby and Stan Greenhalgh to pull out due to injury, however some great performances were testimony to all that mud being well worth it, and the team have another few weeks to recover until the next stage of the competition at Lancaster University on 9^th February.

At the Garstang 10k on Sunday, 5 Lytham runners ran the popular course - of whom an impressive 4 were out the day before competing in XC! The New Year’s race had 462 finishers, from which Club members Thomas Howarth came in 18^th in 37.31, followed by Peter Cruse in 20^th place, 37.35, Graham Webster, 30^th, 39.22, Fiona Geldard, 335^th, 54.58 and Dawn Lock, 461^st, 1.12.59.