LSARRC News 16th February 2022

Lytham Ladies at Leigh XC

Cross-Country lived up to its name with Lytham’s runners facing a muddy challenge at the penultimate fixture of the season.

And it was the women who continue to impress in the Mid-Lancs league, sealing two veteran titles with one race to go.

Strong performances on Saturday at Leigh Sports Village from Joanna Goorney, Mel Koth and Barbara Holmes mean Lytham will be crowned V35 and V45 team champions. The trio finished 5th on Saturday, putting the club 3rd in the women’s overall league going into the final race.  Holmes is also part of the club’s V55 team with Julia Rolfe and Sylvia Gittins, who finished 5th on the day to guarantee a top two finish for the season.  Goorney (12th in 23:09) also has a shot at individual glory, her time saw her finish 1st FV50 in Leigh and she sits 2nd FV35 and FV45 for the season.  Koth ran 24:42 (24th) and Holmes is guaranteed 1st FV55 for the season after finishing in 25:20 for 32nd place.  Also running for Lytham were Catherine Carrdus (34th 25:31), Maddy Markham (47th overall and 8th under 20 female in 26:47), Claire Markham (68th 28:52), Kirsten Burnett (86th 30:42), Julia Rolfe (98th 31:43) and (Sylvia Gittins 119th 38:46).

Joanna Goorney at Leigh XC

The men were also in action on a three lap 10km course, with Ross McKelvie the club’s first finisher - 52nd in 43:16 - closely followed by Jonathon Tuck (61st 43:55).  Next across the finish line were Mark Hughes (150th, 51:23) and Dan Gregson (151st, 51:23), followed by Peter Thomson (187th, 1:02:11) and Greg Oulton (1:08:02).  All the men counted for the team, who finished 15th overall on the day and sit 7th in division one for the season. The men’s vet 40 team of Tuck, Hughes, Gregson and Thomson finished 12th in the category and are currently 3rd in Division 2.  

The juniors also competed in Leigh, with an impressive display from Georgina Andrews first up, as she finished 12th in 7:30 for the 2k course.  The under 11 boys ran the same 2k course and first home for Lytham was Archie Belfield (ninth in 6:46), with team mate Reuben May in his first cross country race finishing 29th in 7:42.  Also representing Lytham juniors were Freddie Markham in the under 13 boys finishing 28th in 14:28 for the 3k course and Oliver Thomson who completed the 4k under 15 boys course in 15:16 for 17th position.

Also facing tough conditions on Saturday was Pamela Hardman, who completed the Anglezarke Amble 17 miler - a race from Rivington taking in the Tower, Winter Hill and Darwen Tower before finishing at White Coppice.  Hardman battled the windy weather and boggy terrain to finish in four hours.

Away from the mud there was a road race and a club gold standard for Sue Hawitt, who ran the Valentines Day 10km in Lancaster.  She finished in 52:44 for first FV55.

At Lytham Hall parkrun, three of the club’s juniors joined the seniors for the 5km run, and all produced personal best performances.  Jayden Richardson was 5th overall with a 2nd consecutive PB of 20:13, Joe Alker ran 23:19 (24th) and Evie Alker took 1:38 off her previous PB to finish in 27:07.  Also running were Alex Tate (3rd 19:15), Mark Selby (21:30), Chris Cottam (21:58), Gill Draper (24:14), Jennifer Hill (24:17), Stephen Wise (26:21), Elizabeth Canavan (27:41), Vicki Richardson (29:22), Pamela Binns (29:58), Stephen Tate (32:30), Ruth Bye (33:09) and Michelle Sheridan (34:41).

At junior parkrun there was a club 1-2 for Jayden Richardson (7:24) and Joe Alker (8:39), with Evie Alker first girl in 9:37.  Kiefer Richardson (9:55) and Joshua McAfee (10:18) also represented the club.