LSARRC News 20th March 2013

The Haigh Hall Relay Squad: L-R:
Sylvia Gittens, Roy Stevens, Richard Storey, Willie Richmond,
Graham Webster, Jim Whitworth, Greg Oulton, Katharine Hoyland. 

 The Haigh Hall Relays on Saturday proved to be a tough test the Lytham competitors. Held under damp conditions and a scattering of hail, runners raced tough legs of 3.75 miles descending from the highest to the lowest level of the Park with a challenging upward return. However Haigh Hall's woodland setting is inspiring in all weathers and, once again, it was a satisfying day out for Lytham members. Competing in the Vet Men's Team were Roy Stevens, 30:40, Richard Storey, 32:29 and Willie Richmond, 27:34 with the fastest time coming from third-leg runner Graham Webster whose 25:15 was the fifth best time by a vet and an excellent performance for a Vet 60.  The team finished fourth vets' team and 13th overall. Really shinning in Lytham's squad was Katharine Hoyland.  Leading out the Mixed Team, Hoyland was not only good on the tough hill but came up with the second best Lytham time, a very creditable 27:30, on this her first attempt at this tough course.  Teammates Jim Whitworth, Sylvia Gittins and Greg Oulton finished in 38:16, 36:41 and 33:46 respectively for an accumulated 2:16:13 for 16th place. LSARRC was delighted and not a little surprised to take a prize of pear cider and wine for their team performances.

First Lytham gent in the St Annes 10 miler, Nigel Thompson.

Sunday morning saw 13 Lytham road runners racing in the Ultrafit St Annes 10 Mile road race. The race got underway from St Annes fire station and the clubs entrants produced a great set of finishing results. Nigel Thompson was first man home for the club, 18^th finisher in 1.00.22, and Fiona Geldard was first over the finish line for the Lytham ladies, 187th overall in 1.27.49. 255 entrants finished the race in total, the Lytham results as follows:

Men: Nigel Thompson, 18^th, 1.00.22, Joe Greenwood, 19^th, 1.00.31, 26^th, Pete Cruse, 1.01.29, Thomas Haworth, 31^st, 1.02.40, Graham Webster, 46^th, 1.06.16, Roy Upton, 78^th, 1.11.03, Mark Selby, 87^th, 1.12.19, Oliver Hirsh, 95^th, 1.14.00, Trevor Willoughby, 156^th, 1,22,53, Graham Young, 182^nd, 126.42, Gregory Oulton, 192^nd, 1.28.53. Women: Fiona Geldard, 187^th, 127.49, Slyvia Gittens, 213^th, 1.33.37.

Elsewhere on Sunday, more creditable performances were being notched up by club members at the Trimpell 20. Race HQ was the Lancaster and Morcambe AC building, and the course followed a flat, fast course. Andy Draper, Simon Denye, Rob Goodall and Mark Willett all raced in cold but near perfect running conditions. The course headed towards Morecambe and around Trimpell triangle, then headed back towards the historic city of Lancaster, with Lancaster Castle, Lancaster Priory and the Ashton Memorial in view. Once across the Millennium Bridge the route met the Quayside before stretching out along the cycle path away from the city, towards Caton. Scenic views awaited competitors in the Lune Valley, before the course turned at Bullbeck and looped back towards Lancaster. It concluded by heading back to the Salt Ayre sports centre, finishing on the track. Andy Draper, in his first road race of the year, came in a great 6^th with a PB of 2.02.50. Simon Denye, 30^th overall, finished in 2.14.10 – also a PB claimant, and Mark Willett was delighted with his time of 2.25.36, 70^th place and a considerable PB. Rob continued his rich vein of form and yet again blitzed his previous PB by over a quarter of an hour, with an excellent time of 3.13.32 (in 314^th).Inarguably a grand day for the Lytham Runners and excellent preparation all round for approaching spring marathons.

Proud Pam: 1st F50 in Cyprus Half Marathon.

Pamela Hardman entered the Cyprus Half Marathon 10^th March and won 1^st place F50 category. The warm weather made it a tough challenge but the great atmosphere made up for it.

LSARRC News 13th March 2013

The Lytham Road Runners have been out training and competing with their usual determination in multi-weather, multi-terrain conditions this week. Club activity has included road and fell racing as well as a residential training weekend. On Sunday Blackpool AC hosted 87 runners at the Stanley Park Spring 5k on a cold and blustery but sunny morning. Amongst Lytham representatives were Peter Cruse, first home for the Club in 16^th  place overall, clocking 18m 51s. Following closely was Graham Webster, winning the V60 category in a respectable 17th place, 19:12. Willie Richmond came in 27^th in a pleasing 20:31, and Lytham lady Fiona Geldard finished 50^th in 24:49: much improved and a seasons best.

Debbie Cooper competed in the Stan Bradshaw Pendle Round Fell Race on Saturday. The challenging course exceeded 10 miles and included 1936 feet of climb. The fog at top required a compass for navigation, however the weather cleared revealing beautiful views by the end. Cooper achieved a mighty PB by nearly 45 minutes, finishing the race in just under 1hr 50m. The event proved to have all the vital components of a good fell race: lots of tough climbs, deep bogs but stretches of scenic, runnable course also.

The Intrepid Malham Crew:
L-R Kev Ashworth, Laura Ashworth, Greg Oulton, Steve Quarmby,
Janice Cobley, Terry Hellings, Roy Upton, Catherine French, Pam Binns. 

Malham in Yorkshire was the site of activity for the first residential Club training weekend of 2013. The toughest conditions ever at such an event were endured by thirteen brave (or foolhardy) members of the club. During scheduled runs, attendees tackled a blizzard, sub-zero temperatures and a biting icy wind. Prior to the weekend organisers had issued warnings about severe conditions in the hills compared to the lower shelter of the village. How right this proved to be. Saturday’s long run led runners up and out of the village into the face of a strong blizzard. It proved to be a challenge worth pursuing however as the surroundings were indescribable in their beauty. On the Sunday long run, a 9.5 miler, 9 intrepid Club participants climbed even higher than the previous day, up and around the scenic and atmospheric Malham Tarn. Snow fall was light but still covered the ground and conditions were bitter. A strong Easterly wind made the temperature feel at least five degrees below the actual zero degrees. Some t-shirt weather over the weekend was observed however - inside the Lister Arms next to the YH where the log burners were scorching. The Buck Inn also proved to be a good site for rehydration, supplying a great standard of real ale for the thirsty sprinters.

Willie Richmond completed the Ballycotton 10 race near Cork last week. In chilly conditions he finished in a chip time of 1:09:11 just 12 seconds outside of gold standard time. Of 2591 runners he finished in 431st place and was 13th MV 50. Mark Willett ran race number 28 of his ‘40 half marathons before 40’ challenge. He completed the cold and hilly Newton's Fraction Half in Grantham in 1hr 33. Tom Haworth competed in the Trafford 10k on Sunday finishing in 38:01. 

LSARRC News 4th March 2013

Katharine Hoyland putting in the hard work
at Mid Lancs League XC.

On Saturday  at the sixth and final fixture of the Mid Lancs League Cross Country 2013, at Beacon Country Park, Skelmersdale runners were treated to the most favourable conditions of the season. This just a week after Sunderland's deep snow and icy conditions, the sun shone and spring really seemed to have arrived. Amongst the junior XC competitors Lytham had three running in the U11s. U11 girl Olivia Aberra finished 29th in 10:38.  U11 boys Simon Holt and James Nicholas ran the same 2k course finishing respectively in 19th place and 8:44 and 29th place and 9:32.  This marked a triumph for Simon by                earning him his first top twenty placing.  

In the Seniors' race the Women followed a small lap with one large lap while the men did a small lap and two large laps. Leading in the women's full team was Katharine Hoyland who has put some hard work in to keep Lytham's Senior Women in Division 1.  Hoyland, who finished in 23:18 to a winning time of 19:11, gained her highest position of the series, 22^nd, and having completed five of the six fixtures has finished in a well-deserved 20th place overall in the individual standings. Also scoring in the Senior Women's Division 1 team was Felicity Wolohan, 58th in 26:33, and Fiona Gelard, 70th in 28:46. Geldard together with Janice Cobley, 73rd in 29:22, and Pam Binns, 76th in 31:01 made up the WV35 team that came 13th and the WV45 team that came 13th. Another success for the Ladies came in the WV55 when Cobley and Binns teaming with Sylvia Gittins, 77th 31:20, finished second to the strong Southport Waterloo AC to take the first silver medal to be awarded in this age category for several years.  Dawn Lock, also a WV55, finished 85th in 38:51.

 The Senior Men scored a season success by taking second in the Senior Men's Division 4 and promotion to Division 3 for 2013 - 2014.  After a series of relegation slides they finally turned the tide. Running at Skelmersdale were Thomas Howarth, one of Lytham's strongest cross-country runners who finished 58th in 35:10 for an excellent 29th in the season's individual standings, his highest to date; Graham Webster, 82nd in 36:49, Colin Laidlaw, 128th in 40:30 and Colin Nelson, 137th in 42:14.  Webster, in his first year as a MV60, has run superbly.  Finishing 2nd WV60 at Skelmersdale to add to his four firsts and a second, he has easily taken the gold individual award scoring 4 to the next best competitor's 10.

The Northern Vets XC Championships were held at Victoria Park, Warrington on Sunday. This competition is open to men over 40 and women over 35 from the whole of the North of England. Lytham competitor Graham Webster finished the 10k course in 12th place overall. In the competitive Vet 60 category he finished 3rd MV60 in a time of 42.09.  Terry Hellings finished in 15th overall and 1st MV55 in a time of 42.46.

 

11 Lytham runners were amongst the 374 strong field of competitors at the Stanley Park 10k on Saturday, the course taking in 2 laps of the Blackpool park. Peter Cruse finished first for the club, crossing the line in 15^th position in 37.25. Oliver Hirsh, putting in an impressive performance for his debut 10k race, was next home in 44.26, for 88^th position. Neil Bayntun-Roberts finished in 47.22, 129^th followed by Adam Tostevin in 150^th place, 48.37. Rob Goodall’s stream of PB success charged on strong and unbroken in this race; his 52.17 time for 200^th place was his fastest by 1 minute. In close pursuit were Graham Young, 52.43, 205^th and Pippa Hughes, 52.59, 207^th.  Bec Willetts was 223^rd finisher overall in 53.43, Jeremy McCandless came in comfortably under his 55 min goal in 54.50 for 239^th place, James Whitworth finished 312^th in 1.01.25 and Paula Macandless, another 10k debutante, completed the race in a creditable 1.03.40.