LSARRC News 28th October 2013

Joe Greenwood making a spirited debut at the Burnley XC

None can fail to observe the distinct signs that Autumn has arrived, including wet and blustery weather and the changing landscape, and all to coincide perfectly with the start of Cross Country season for the running community. The Mid Lancs Cross Country League 2013 got underway at Towneley Park in Burnley on Saturday. This was the venue of the first monthly fixture in a series of six, which will continue through the winter, with juniors and seniors alike donning their running spikes and club colours for the occasion. A wet few days preceding the event had threatened to make the course a muddy challenge for competitors, however on the day the rain held off, conditions were fairly still and mild and for the most part the flat, grassy course was runnable. Lytham RRC produced a thirty strong team of entrants, including 16 seniors and 14 juniors. Clearly the Fylde collective are not fazed by the mud, cold and gruel of a typical mid lancs XC race!

The senior Ladies ran a 5.8k 2 lap course, and the Men ran 10k made up of 3 laps. The Ladies race was the first of the seniors at 2pm. Of a field of 148 finishers, 8 were LSARRC and Joanna Goorney was first Lytham lady to cross the line, finishing 13^th in 25.48. She was followed by Mel Koth, 43^rd in 28.52. Felicity Woolohan was third in, 70^th in 30.35, with these three making the 1^st ladies team who achieved 13^th position for the Club in the team competition.  The Men’s team was also 8 strong, with 235 male seniors competing in this race in total. Joe Greenwood, making his debut not only in this competition but his first ever XC event, did the Club proud by coming home first for Lytham in 69^th position, 38.34. Andy Draper followed in 143^rd place, 42.10 and in close pursuit, Graham Webster, 145^th clocking a time of 42.17. Webster also achieved 3^rd V60 with this performance.

Joanna Goorney, 1st Lytham Lady at the Mid Lancs
XC League 2013 Burnley Fixture.

The club’s junior section was represented by fourteen young athletes with more than half of them competing in their first cross country race for the club. In the U11girls race Hollie Winstanley was the first Lytham runner to cross the finish line finishing 10^th in 8:30, Rebecca Tate was 33^rd in 9:31, Olivia Aberra 48^th in 9:56 and Georgia Norman was 54^th in 10:11. In the U11boys race Simon Holt was 14^th in 8:01, Farron O’Higgins 18^th in 8:07, James Nicholas 22^nd in 8:22, Harry Booth 29^th in 8:43, Etienne Jones 41^st in 9:15 and Tobias Rogerson 51^st in 9:57. Two Lytham girls competed in the U13G race and Ella Moulding finished 6^th in 11:56 and Chloe Norman 43^rd in 14:19. Ross Hart was the only Lytham U15 boy and he ran a very creditable race to finish 27^th in 17:12.

A selection of the Junior Lytham St Annes RRC XC Team

Well away from the mud and toil of Cross Country, on Thursday evening LSARRC members gathered below the iconic glitter ball on Blackpool prom for the Club’s annual social Illuminations run. An enthusiastic group, exceeding 20, turned up for the hour’s run which concluded with a chip supper at Squires Gate.