LSARRC News 19th September 2017

On Sunday 10th September Rebecca Willetts took part in the Fleetwood Sprint Triathlon, in very bad conditions she achieved a good time, 1:34:15.  The winner of the whole trilogy series was a LSARRC member Andy Unsworth.

The 2017 Northern Athletics Road Relay championships were held at Sports City, Manchester on Saturday 16th September.  The event attracts teams from the strongest clubs in the North of England and it was left to the senior men to fly the flag for Lytham St Anne’s Road Runners.  The men’s race consisted of six legs of approximately 4 miles and a below strength Lytham men’s team nevertheless represented the club well.  First off for Lytham and quickest of the day was Paul Veevers who completed the course 22: 52.  Completing the 6-man team were Terry Hellings (28: 30), Greg Oulton (34: 12), Thomas Howarth (24: 25), Mark Hughes (27: 28) with Graham Webster (26: 46) bringing the team home in 92nd place from 127 entered.

At the Blackpool park run there were 11 runners from Lytham.  Darran Ames achieved a personal best of 21:20 and Gil Draper also achieved a personal best of 21:35 and was the second female.  Other results included Andrew Draper (23:13), Kev Murray (23:14 pb), Roy Stevens (25:15 first timer), Robert Parker (25:35, first timer), Ian Balshaw (26:33 pb), Jacqui Murray (28:59), Laura Byrne (29:23 first timer) and Michelle Sheridan (33:34 first timer).  Julia Rolfe attended the Preston Parkrun and achieved a time of 25:44 and was the 9th female to finish.

Ian Tate ran the Warrington park run and achieved a time of 20:28 which was a new pb.
On Sunday 17th September, it was the English Half Marathon in Warrington Cheshire.  The English Half Marathon is part of EHM’s Festival of Run, there was also a 5k and 10 k run.  The runners in the EHM set off from Victoria Park and head towards the southern communities of South Warrington taking in some rural parts, on traffic free roads on a mainly flat, but in parts undulating course, finishing at the new athletics track back in the park.
 
Lytham had several members competing and there were some excellent achievements.  Neil Tate of Lytham ran the 5k and Michelle Hook, Jennifer Hill and Catherine Carrudus the 10 k.
Many Lytham members completed the EHM, Andy Draper, Neil Tate, Thomas Howarth, Alex Tate, John Bertenshaw, Ian Tate, Kevin Murray, Jacqui Murray, Kirsten Burnett, Robert Parker and Paul Veevers.  Andy Draper completed the EHM in 1:15:15 which was 15 seconds’ shy of the current Senior Men’s record time held by Nigel Thompson achieved in March 2006 in Liverpool.  The results for the EHM, 5k and 10 k are not yet available.

The Northern Veterans track and field championships is open to the best Veteran athletes in the north of England were hosted by Bury AC on Sunday 17th September and just three Lytham athletes (Graham Webster, Russ Chew and Terry Hellings) made the trip.   The 800m was the first event to feature Lytham athletes and all three toed the line.  All three picked up medals with Graham Webster taking M65 silver in 2:46:7, Terry Hellings M60 bronze in 3m 2s.

Less than an hour later Webster and Hellings were again in action in the 3000m with Hellings going one better than his 800m performance to take M60 silver in 12:42 and Webster picking up another silver in 12:14. The 1500m was the next event featuring Lytham athletes where Hellings and Webster ran their third race of the day in just a few hours.   Webster again picked up M65 silver in 5:48 and Hellings going one better again to take M60 gold in 6:13. The final track event of the day was the 400m, Webster took his fourth M65 silver in 75s and Russ Chew finished 5th M55 in 82s.  A successful day for LSARRC picking up 8 medals form 9 races.

Felicity Wolohan

Felicity Wolohan ran the Belfast City Half Marathon on Sunday 17th.  Brilliant weather conditions for the race resulted in Wolohan getting a pb of 1:27:47 and was 168th overall out of 3000 runners and 6th female.

9 junior Lytham members completed the Park view Lytham Junior Park run.  Morgan Pritchard was the first home in 7:49 and Amara Thorpe (9:16) was the first female and Charlotte Thomson second female in (9:17 (pb).  Other runners included, Finlay Hughes (8:12), Clemmie Tierney (9:24), Billy Breakell (9:29), Holly Anderson (9:30), Jayden Richardson (9:35), Charlotte Fisher (10.50), and Rebecca Fisher (10:53).
At the Avenham junior parkrun in Preston Eric Wrigley was the second male home in a time of 8:47.

Report by Vanessa Thomson (Press Secretary)