LSARRC News 6th March 2018

Promotion for Lytham men’s and vet’s team, who top the division 2 leader board in the Mid-Lancashire cross country league.  This is the second year running that the team has been promoted in this league, a great achievement.

LSARRC men at Ulverston

The final fixture of the Mid- Lancashire cross country league took place on Saturday 3rd March 2018 and was hosted by Glaxo Road Hill Harriers and held at Ulverston.

In the senior men’s race the first team for Lytham didn’t disappoint, coming 3rd overall, and the second team came 16th overall.  Mike Toft and Joe Greenwood led the way, in the cold conditions, coming in the top ten and top 20, respectively. Just outside the top 20, in 21st was Andrew Draper.  This was the final race of the league, and the great performances throughout the season means the men’s team will be promoted next year.  Full Results:  Mike Toft (9th, 34:31), Joe Greenwood (18th, 35:43), Andrew Draper (21st, 36:25), Neil Tate (32nd, 37:25), Paul Veevers (37th, 37:43),  Thomas Howarth (49th, 38:41), Jonathon Tuck (65th, 39:46), Graham Webster (110th, 43:20), Terry Hellings (114th, 43:38), Chris Bowker (146th, 47:41), Jason Sheridan (155th, 51:54), Roy Stevens (160th, 54:08), and Greg Oulton (161st, 54:18).

Senior Ladies at Ulverston

In the ladies’ race 4 Lytham members competed.  Julia Rolfe ran the course in 35:40 for 63rd, closely followed by Pamela Hardman in 35:59 for 65th, Kirsten Burnett was 78th with a time of 39:50 and Dawn Lock managed to finish in 55:42 for 95th.  Overall, the team of Rolfe, Hardman and Burnett was 18th.

A depleted team of thirteen juniors from Lytham St Anne’s Road Runners made the trip.

Under 11 girls

In the Under 11 girls race Lytham were represented by five athletes.  First to finish the 2.2k race for Lytham was Jessica Ramsden finishing 29thin a time of 10.23, closely followed by Clemmie Tierney (32nd in 10.37).  Isabel Tuck (40th in 11.05), Leoma Gill (50th in 12.40) and the youngest member of the team eight-year-old Rosa Gill 54th in 14.12 completed the Lytham contingent who finished as 9th team.  The under 11 boys were next running the same course as the girls and the team of Lewis Bentley (18th in 9.14), Finlay Hughes (30th in 9.49) and Oliver Thomson (33rd in 10.20) finished 5th.

Under 13 girls

In the under 13 girls Sophie Bohannon ran her best race of the season to finish 2nd in a time 10.05 for the 2.6k race.  Brogan Murphy in her first season with Lytham has improved with every race and finished 21st in 11.09.

Under 13 boy Francis Ball in only his second race for Lytham ran an excellent race to finish 12th in a time of 11.21 for the 2.8k race.

The under 15 girls 2.8k race was next and representing Lytham well, were Laura Bremner (19th in 12.47) and Lucy Bohannon (23rd in 14.42).

Saturday saw the final event in the 315 Winter Series with 6 Lytham runners making the trip to freezing Lancaster.  In the 5k race Gill Draper had another excellent run in tough racing conditions and came home first Lady in 20.17.

First home for the men was Ross McKelvie in 4th place overall and a time of 18.03. Neil Baynton Roberts finished in 21.10, followed by Ian Balshaw in 24.25. Jake Balshaw braved the cold, windy morning and ran well representing the club juniors and crossed the line in 29.35.

In the 2 lap 10k event, Kirsten Burnett added to her impressive competitive mileage tally and ran strongly again and came in as a fantastic 5th lady in 53:50.

Across the UK, there were 409 cancellations for parkrun including Lytham Hall and Cuerden Valley.  Thankfully Blackpool went ahead and eight Lytham members attended the parkrun held at Stanley Park.  Jennifer Hill continued her good form, was the first female to finish and achieved a new personal best time.  Darran Ames was just 12 seconds short of achieving a personal best time, he managed to come 15th overall.  He was closely followed by first timer on this course Neil Bayntun-Roberts who came 18th.  James Buckley was 20th and managed a personal best time of 21:56 on his 70th parkrun.  G Browne also achieved a personal best time of 23:49 for 34th, as did Gillian Oliver who ran 29:53 for 114th.  Michelle Sheridan was 50th female and Ruth Bye completed her first Blackpool parkrun in 39:22.

Full Results:  Jennifer Hill (21:12, 12th), Darran Ames (21:32, 15th), Neil Bayntun-Roberts (21:39, 18th), James Buckley (21:56, 20th), G Browne (23:49, 34th), Gillian Oliver (29:53, 114th), Michelle Sheridan (34:20, 149th), and Ruth Bye (39:22, 168th).

Chris McCarthy ran the Big Half Marathon in London on Sunday, good conditions after the threat of cancellation due to snow. Race started at Tower Bridge and went around the city finishing at Cutty Sark.  McCarthy finished in 1:16:57 for 175th out of 11504.

Heidi Haigh

Further a field Heidi Haigh completed a marathon in Paphos, Cyprus in preparation for the ironman event in Lanzarote in May 2018.  The weather was warm but a little cloudy for the first 30K.  The event was very well organised, and Haigh said there was a great atmosphere.  On her 8th marathon Haigh finished in 4:05:30 knocking 20 minutes off her personal best time

The junior parkrun took place in Lytham on Sunday 5th March.  Four Lytham juniors braved the weather, Frankie Ball was first overall with a time of 7:48.  Finlay Hughes ran 8:39 for 3rd place.  Jayden Richardson was 5th in 9:28 and Blair Selbie ran 10:23 for 14th.