LSARRC News 23rd June 2015

Joe Greenwood - 1st place - Great Hill Fell Race

The Great Hill Fell Race on Saturday afternoon was chosen as the 2nd race in the Inter-Club Fell Race series.  As a consequence, dominating the 47th running of this long-standing race were the sixty-two members of the seven competing ICGP clubs making up 60% of the race.  Persistent rain before the race and a low mist hiding the hill tops boded poorly for the race but promptly at 3pm, the race start, the rain cleared and a little later the sun came out.  Moist air and a light wind provided excellent running conditions.

Largest contingents came from Chorley Athletic and Red Rose Runners with the former uppermost in quality and the latter numerically.  Chorley took both the open and women's competition but there was real interest for Lytham St Annes whose Joe Greenwood was the outright winner by a clear margin and also his first ever win.

Joe Greenwood finished the 9.3km 480m fell race in impressive style in 38:23, 8 seconds ahead of second and led in the LSA open team that provisionally clinched third.  Filling the other places in the open were Mark Selby, 37th in 47:21, Terry Hellings, 38th in 47:23, Greg Oulton, 67th in 54:56 and Debbie Cooper, 85th in 1:01:09.

There was disappointment for the women with only two of the three runners necessary for a team.  Debbie Cooper was 10th woman and Dawn Lock, 98th in the race, was 19th woman in 1:24:30.  Completing LSARRC was Jeremy McCandless who, running his first fell race, came 87th in 1:02:44.

Roy Stevens and Felicity Wolohan

Sunday saw the 51st Freckleton Half Marathon.  This popular well organised race starting at Bush Lane playing fields in Freckleton takes in Wrea Green and Moss Side then the outskirts of Lytham before heading back into Freckleton.  Although fairly sunny, runners were still met with a stiff breeze.  With over 600 finishers, Ben Fish of Blackburn Harriers for the ninth consectutive year lead the field home in a time of 1:09:19.  First lady home was Michelle Nolan of Gateshead Harriers in 32nd place overall and in a time of 1:25:13.

Steve Quarmby followed by Roy Stevens

Lytham St Annes RRC was well represented with 15 finishers.  First home for the club, having an excellent run was Andy Draper in 1:21:54 and 19th place.  Not far behind was Tom Howarth in 42th place and 1:23:17.Neil Tate was next in 37th place and 1:27:09.  Joanna Goorney was first female home for LSA , 3rd female overall in the race, 1st  Freckleton resident and 1st Fylde resident.  She finished in a time of 1:29:54 in 63rd place.  Andy Unsworth was 69th in 1:31:00 just overtaking Graham Webster in the closing stages who finished in 70th place in 1:31:08 and was also 1st vet 60.  Mark Willett was 84th in 1:32:51, Justin Allitt was 106th in 1:36:25, Neil Baynton Roberts was 155th in 1:40:31, Roy Stevens was 232nd in 1:48:38, Steve Quarmby was 243rd in 1:49:19, Felicity Wolohan was 266th in 1:50:51, Alan Elstone was 270th in 1:50:51, Nigel Simpkin was 302nd in 1:53:41 and Ian Tate was 453rd in 2:11:07.

Joanna Goorney running into the finish

There was also interest in the Freckleton Fun Run which started 10 minutes after the half marathon  with Lytham St Annes junior members taking both first and second place.  The 2.3 mile race was won Harry ?? . with 9 year old George Denye only a second behind in 15:41  They ran the first mile and a half of the hlaf marathon course which was into the wind before turning back for the finish.

George Denye in the Fun Run

Barbara Holmes completed the St Annes Aquathlon on Wednesday night.  The event included a 300m swim followed by an 8.5 km run.  She came 10th (2nd lady after a 27 year old, less than half her age) in 42:55, pushing a 22 year old into 3rd.