LSARRC News 22nd September 2015

Ladies Team Captains Alex Everest

Stanley Park was the venue for the 2015 Northern Athletics road relays where athletes from clubs from the whole of the north of England congregated to compete.   Lytham St Anne’s athletes were out in force marshalling the junior events before the start of the senior men’s and women’s races.
 
The senior men’s race consisted of 6 legs of 6 kilometres.  Joe Greenwood ran the first leg for the Lytham A team finishing in a time of 23m 27s for 68th place.  Terry Hellings finishing in 106th place for the B team in 27m 56s. Joe handed over to Tom Howarth finishing in 24m 25s for 70th place.  Neil Tate struggling with a hamstring injury completed the 3rd leg in 27m 17s for 80th place followed by Andy Draper (25m 09s, 79th), Richard Storey (29m 18s, 81st) and Graham Webster (26m 03s, 478th) the team finishing 77th overall from 116 starters.

The women’s race was 4 legs of 5.2 kilometres and first leg runner for the Lytham women’s A  team was Melanie Koth who completed the 5.2k course in 21m 54s for 44th place with Dawn Lock running finishing in 38m 44s for 72nd place for the B team.  Team captain Alex Everest was next up for Lytham A team finishing in 24m 52s for 49th place followed by Fiona Geldard (24m 09s, 45th) and Louise Ruman 24m 52s, 46th).  The team finished in 45th place overall from 72 starters.

Tom Howarth at the relays

Neil Tate donned his Lytham Vest again on Sunday for the second running of the Lancaster Castle Half Marathon.  The route takes in the rural Luneside countryside and is fairly flat but has a sting in the tail with a punishing last quarter mile up to Lancaster Castle.  Neil completed the race in 1h 30m for 13th place.

Fiona Geldard was also competing again on Sunday.  Fiona is intending to compete in the 2016 Florida Iron Man (2.4m swim, 112m bike ride followed by a 26.2m run) and regularly takes part in triathlons as part of her training so competition just down the road in Fleetwood was an opportunity not to be missed.  Fiona completed the 400m swim in 11m 05s, the 12m bike ride in 46m 40s and the 5k run in 23m 03s for a total time of 1h 20m 46s, 18th female veteran, 29th female and 183rd overall from 364 finishers.

LSARRC News 15th September 2015

 With two athletics tracks, a few kilometres of paths, landscaped grounds and a up-to-the-minute sports centre only opened on 1st September, Ormskirk's Edge Hill University made for a grand setting to the 16th staging of the North West Counties Relay Championships on Saturday.

Proximity to Liverpool's and Manchester's many running clubs made for a large and particularly strong entry for 2015.   Liverpool Harriers took three of the top six spots in the Seniors' Races with Salford Harriers and Preston Harriers well up in the men's and Cheshire's Vale Royal AC clinching the women's championship.

Ten members of Lytham St. Annes RRC competed, finishing a full men's and women's team and a couple of incomplete teams.  The women's A team finished 40th out of 47 teams, 12th in Lancashire with a combined time of 1:13:57 against Vale Royal's 54:51 and the men were 51st overall in 1:19:11 verses Liverpool Harriers' 1:04:30 and 17th in Lancashire.

Our runners put in creditable performances for the 5k campus course.  Starting at 1:15pm Susan Hawitt gamely led off the team in her first relay finishing 14th Lancashire team in 25:18.  Claire England, another one new to relay running, put in the team's fastest leg in 23:23:46 gaining a place and anchor leg runner Alex Everest gained a further place with 24:53.  Silvia Gittins ran 27:53 and Rachel Scott, 29:49 in the B Team.

Sylvia Gittins at the Relays

Thomas Howarth led out the men at 2:30pm  finishing in 18:28 and handing over to second leg runner and team captain Joe Greenwood.  Greenwoods, 18:16, the club's fastest leg, pulled up two places to 14th in Lancashire and handed over to Richard Storey, 22:08.  Graham Webster put in a good run of 20:19 on fourth leg.  Terry Hellings ran 21:25.

Betws-y-Coed in North Wales hosted the World Masters Mountain Running Championships on Saturday.  Runners ran in age category races and Colin Laidlaw took part in the V60 race.  This was his 3rd World Masters Mountain Running Championships having run in Keswick 2005 and Dolni Morava in the Czech Republic in 2008.  He finished 29th out of 41 runners in a time of 53:06 on the 8.7 km course with 450m of ascent.

Joanna Goorney at Hodder Valley Fell Race

The Hodder Valley provided a beautiful setting for the Hodder Valley Fell Race organised by Bowland Fell Runners.  It was held as part of the Hodder Valley Show at Butts Farm, in between Slaidburn and Newton and covered 6.8 miles with 1083 ft of ascent taking in Dunsop Head.  The rain luckily stopped just before the start although the showground ended up very muddy.  The race was won by Paul Webb of Settle Harriers in a time of 51:33.  Joanna Goorney of LSARRC was 1st lady in 19th place in a time of 1:02:11.

Mark Willett and a hippo

Mark Willett was the sole representative from the club running  The Great North Run in Newcastle.  He was pleased with sub-7 minute miles and 1.31.25 overall for the half marathon distance but suffered in the middle in the heat.  He was also relieved not to have been beaten by George from Rainbow!


2 juniors from the club were also in action in Newcastle in the Morrisons Junior Great North Run 2015. George Denye was in the 9-10 boys race completing the 4km course in an excellent 18:11 for 38th place while Sydney Ramsden was 65th in 21:20 in the 9-10 girls race.

George Denye

Sydney Ramsden

Six LSARRC junior athletes competed at the open Track and Field meeting at Stanley Park on Sunday 13th.    Chloe Norman was first to compete for Lytham in the under 15 girls high jump jumping 1.40m equalling her pb and taking the bronze medal.  Straight from the high jump Chloe lined up for the 800m finishing in 3rd place for another bronze medal in a time of 2m 35.9s. Long jump was Chloe's final event of the day where she equalled her pb with a jump of 4.47m for 1st place and a gold medal.  Chloe's young brother Connor Norman, not to be outdone by his big sister, jumped a pb of 3.36m for first place and a gold medal in the under11 boys long jump.  Connor also took silver in the under11 boys 80m in a time of 13.00s.

Lucie McNally in her first competition did well in the under11 girls long jump taking 4th place with a jump of 2.72m just one place ahead of her team mate from Lytham Charlotte Thomson who jumped a pb of 2.64m.   Lucie and Charlotte both competed in the 80m, Lucie finishing 4th in her heat in a time of 14.8s with Charlotte taking 5th in her heat in 15s.  Charlotte also competed in the 600m finishing 9th in 2m 31.8s.

Simon Holt picked up two gold medals finishing 1st in the under 13 boys 800m in 2m 39.5s and also ran very well to finish first in the 200m in 29.8s.

Ellie McNally in her first outing for Lytham finished 4th in her heat of the 100m in 16.6s and 5th in her heat of the 200m in 35.8s.

LSARRC News 8th September 2015

LSARRC at Red Rose Inter Club

Wednesday night saw the final and 7th race in the Inter-Club Road Race Series from Worden Park, Leyland.  The usual 4 mile course around the park had to changed this year due to repairs to the main entrance to the park.  Instead, an excellent alternative 4.2 mile course was devised by the host club, Red Rose Runners.  It was a perfect evening for running attracting 243 runners.  An excellent buffet was then provided at Leyland Cricket Club by the host club.

LSARRC at Red Rose IC buffet

Terry Hellings

The race was won by Patrick Dever, a junior from Preston Harriers in a time of 22:22.  First lady was Nichola Jackson, also of Preston Harriers.  Lytham St Annes had a great turn out with 23 runners.  First home for the club was Joe Greenwood in 10th place in a time 24:16 whilst Joanna Goorney was the first female in 48th place and 2nd female overall in 27:21.  It was also great to see Rachael Wignall and Rachel Salt making their inter club debut for the club.

Ian Tate

Full results: Joe Greenwood 10th 24:16; Tom Howarth, 19th 25:09;Neil Tate 39th 26:29; Joanna Goorney 48th 27:21; Mark Willett 57th 27:37; Graham Webster 63rd 28:03; Terry Hellings 93rd 29:20; Mel Koth 108th 29:57; Alan Elstone 135th 31:53; Ian Tate 136th 31:58; Claire England 152nd 32:42; Des Heron 154th 32:48; Nigel Simpkin 168th 34:30; Hannah McCandless 175th 35:04; Julia Rolfe 183rd 35:42; Alex Everest 188th 36:13; Greg Oulton 199th 37:05; Debbie Cooper 200th 37:08; Sylvia Gittins 209th 38:50; Rachael Wignall 212th 39:05; Rachel Salt 224th 42:09; Bill Lock 230th 43:55; Dawn Lock 240th 50:31.

In the team event, in the open category, the club finished 6th, in the ladies, 4th, vets 6th, vet 50 6th, and vet 60 3rd.

In the overall series, the club finished 5th in the open category, 4th in the ladies, 6th in the vets, 6th in the vet 50s and just missed the top spot by 1 point finishing 2nd in the vet 60s.

Joanna Goorney at Blackshaw Head Fell Race

On Saturday morning, Joanna Goorney ran the Huddersfield Parkrun.  This is one of the largest Parkruns in the country and this weekend's run was no exception with 581 finishers.  The run is held in Greenhead Park and includes two large undulating loops around the park.  Joanna was pleased to complete the 5k in 19:09 and was 16th overall and 1st lady.

In the afternoon, she then headed over to Hebden Bridge for the 14th Blackshaw Head Fell Race.  The 5.5 mile course with 900 feet of ascent headed out along the Pennine Bridleway onto Heptonstall Moor and back along the Pennine Way.  Joanna was 25th overall and 1st lady in a time of 45:12.

Felicity Wolohan headed off to Lancaster for the Golden Ball 20 Mile Road Race.  The race starts & finishes at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre and using the network of paths the route head towards Lancaster Lancaster before returning back to Salt Ayre.  Martin Lalor of Barlick Fell Runners was first home of the 98 finishers in 1:59:12.  Felicity was 42nd in 2:49:15

A bright Sunday saw eight members of the Club awaiting the start of the ultimate Summer Run of the season organized by Richard Storey to take in the first five miles of the interesting Guild Wheel inaugurated at the 2012 twenty-year Preston Guild.  Participants were treated to the beauties of the River Ribble at Avenham Park, Fiswick Bottoms and a section through Brockholes Nature Reserve.

Summer run along the Guild Wheel

LSARRC News 1st September 2015

The perils of fell racing - Jeremy's sprained ankle

Hannah McCandless and Joanna Goorney

  Wednesday night saw the final race of 4 in the Harrock Hill Fell Race Series and also the final race in the club's fell race championship.  6 Lytham athletes were in action for this excellent 5.3 mile fell race and conditions were almost perfect with the threatening black clouds in the distance not materialising.  The race was won by Darren Kay of Pudsey and Bramley in 33.40 while Horwich's Lindsey Brindle was as dominant as ever for first lady in 38:20.

Joanna Goorney was first home for Lytham St Annes in 41st place and also 2nd lady in 40:59 and picked up the usual winnings for this race of a great veggie box..  Terry Hellings 72nd in 43:54.  Hannah McCandless had an excellent race for 153rd and was also 1st under 23 so also picking up a veggie box. She was followed not far behind by Pam Hardman in 163rd in 55:23 and Julia Rolfe in 170th in 56:03.  Jeremy McCandless limped in in 200th place in 74:22 after coming a cropper about a mile from the finish, spraining his ankle.

Julia Rolfe

Pam Hardman

The club's August Handicap was on Thursday night with some excellent times being produced with no less than five of the eighteen runners posting PBs and four more recording their best time of the summer.  There were encouraging PBs for newcomers Hannah McCandless, Rachael Wignall, Rachel Scott and Claire England plus a very notable one for Neil Tate, a veteran of many handicaps.

Race winner was Oliver Hirsh running only his second handicap after a long absence.  Quickest round the 4.35 miles course was Joe Greenwood in 24.39 while FV50 Claire England's 31.51 was the fastest by a lady.

Full results: 1 Oliver Hirsh 32:05 SB; 2 Debbie Cooper 37:22 SB; 3 Hannah McCandless 36:08 PB; 4 Rachel Scott 40:30 PB; 5 Roy Stevens 32:17 SB; 6 Rachael Wignall 38:00 PB; 7 Roy Upton 30.58 SB; 8 Neil Tate 22:23 PB; 9 Ian Tate 32:44; 10 Graham Webster 28:32; 11 Claire England 31:51 PB; 12 Alex Everest 35:23; Joe Greenwood 24:39; 14 Nigel Simpkin 34:38; 15 Tom Howarth 26:24; 16 Dawn Lock 61:35; 17 Justin Allitt 36:36; 18 Fiona Geldard 44:01;

Simon Holt

The final fixture of the Mid Lancs. Track and Field league took place at Stanley Park on Saturday afternoon. and 6 athletes from Lytham St Anne's RRC made the short trip.  This was also the Medal Meet where to qualify, athletes need to have competed in at least 2 other Mid Lancs meets this summer.  First to compete for Lytham was Chloe Norman in the under 15 girls long jump with a best jump of 4.25m for 10th place. Unable to compete in her usual 800m due to a late change in the running order of events Chloe switched to the 200m and was rewarded with first place in her heat and a pb of 30.2s.  Final event of the day for Chloe was the high jump where she equalled her pb of 1.40m for 3rd place and a bronze medal.

Under 13 girl Georgia Norman ran well in the 100m finishing in 15.2s but again because of the amended order of events had to go immediately to the long jump where she jumped 3.56m for 10th place.  Georgia's final event of the day was the 200m where she ran well to finish in 32s.

Chloe Norman

Simon was next up for Lytham in the under 13 boys 800m and ran his second pb in as many races finishing in 2m 33.2s for 3rd place and a bronze medal.  Simon also competed in his first long jump competition for over a year and jumped well to come close to his pb jumping 3.74m for 8th place.  Simon also ran well in the under 13 boys 200m.

James Nicholas, returning from injury, ran 14.6s in the under 13 boys 100m for 5th place.

Lytham's only senior woman was Hannah McCandless who in her first ever long jump competition jumped 3.24m for a bronze medal and also achieved a pb of 5.80m in the shot.

Graham Webster

Any opportunity to compete locally will see Lytham's Graham Webster toeing the line.  This Mid Lancs. meeting was no exception with Graham taking the gold medal in the senior men's 1500m in 5m 25.4s and bronze in the 3000m in a time of 11m 34.3s.

The Lancaster 5k Summer Series was up to its 4th race out of 5 on Saturday night in beautiful weather (sunny and only a slight breeze)   The race was won by Matt Whitfield of Bristol and West AC.  Tom Howarth and Mark Willett were in action for the club, both having superb runs to record PBs.  Tom was 20th in 17:20 just holding off the 2 leading ladies Carolyne Baxter of Lancaster and Morcambe and Mhairi Duff of Dumfries RC who finished within a second of each other battling it out for top. Tom is currently in heavy training for the Chester Marathon at the start of October and looking in great shape.  Mark Willett was 54th and a little disappointed to just miss out on dipping under 19 minutes with 19:02 .  This was also after having run the Preston Parkrun in the morning where he recorded a time of 30:28 for 210th place after accompanying his 11 year soon-to-be niece around the course.

Hannah McCandless