LSARRC at Christmas - December What's On

LSARRC News 30 October - 1 November 2014

Lytham's Men's Team at the ECCA Cross-Country Relays,
Berry Hill Park, Mansfield - 1st November 20014
Will Richmond, Nigel Simpkin, Grahnam Webster & Greg Oulton

ECCA NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY RELAYS - SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2014

It was left to the men of Lytham St Annes RRC to fly the flag for the Fylde coast in the National Cross Country Relays at Berry Park, Mansfield on Saturday 1st November. 

On an unseasonably warm day and on a course in excellent condition for some fast times the event attracted some of the best athletes in the country including British and European champions.

Toeing the line for Lytham on the first leg was team captain Graham Webster, clocking the fastest time of the day for Lytham Webster completed the two lap 5k course in 20m 40.35s for 151st place.  Will Richmond was second leg runner for Lytham finishing in 21m 47.8s and moving the team up to 147th. Richmond handed over to Greg Oulton who ran his best time for the course of 26m 2.65s.  Final leg runner for Lytham was Nigel Simpkin who moved the team up to 139th from 172 starters in a time of 25m 21.70s.

Pumpkin lantern competition entries

THE OCTOBER HANDICAP & HALLOWEEN  - THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER 2014

The Club celebrated Halloween in its own inimitable way on Thursday 30th with seasonal foods and a pumpkin lantern competition to round off its 3.45 mile October Handicap.

A personal best of 26m 08s for Alex Wiggins gave him a well–deserved victory just 16 seconds ahead of runner-up Kev Ashworth in a very close-fought race.  Ashworth, a stalwart of the handicap and 2012 champion, is moving away from the Fylde shortly so was determined to make his mark in his final race but still needed to make a resolute charge for the finish line to hold off the twin challenges of veteran Graham Webster and overall points leader Jeremy McCandless. The race also saw an encouraging debut for new member Ruth Wheatley whose 27m 55 holds the promise of good future performances.

With a substantial tally of 200 points Jeremy McCandless continues to dominate the scoring for the year-long handicap championship and, since his closest rival Kev Ashworth is leaving, effectively holds a lead of more than 50 points over his nearest rivals.

October Handicap Winners: Kevin Ashworth, 2nd, Alex Wiggins, 1st and Graham Webster, 3rd. Full October Results: 1, Alex Wiggins, 26.08 PB; 2, Kev Ashworth, 23.39; 3, Graham Webster, 22.01; 4, Jeremy McCandless, 31.35 PB; 5, Debbie Cooper, 28.08; 6, Roy Stevens, 26.58; 7, Richard Storey, 25.13; 8, Joe Greenwood, 19.45; 9, Fiona Geldard, 27.35; 10, Karen Lanigan, 34.31; 11, Greg Oulton, 29.23; 12, Dawn Lock, 47.46; Ruth Wheatley(n/c), 27.55; Tim Armit (n/c), 26.53; Willie Richmond (n/c), 23.23; Mark Selby (n/c), 23.34; Paul McCallister (n/c), 28.27; Derek Caborn (n/c), 31.33.

Leading Points Totals: Jeremy McCandless 200; Kev Ashworth 154; Alex Wiggins 144; Joe Greenwood 143; Graham Webster 139; Karen Lanigan & Fiona Geldard 132.

OTHER RACES 

Roving further afield, two Lytham members did the Cheshire 10K and one, the well-established Derwent 10 Miles last weekend.

 

On a rural one-lap course won by Mohammed Abu-Rezeq of Altrincham And District AC in an impressive time 29:11 ahead of 1,147,  Russ Chew, MV50, finished 319th in 47:16, just 8 seconds short of his season's best and Felicity Wolohan, slowed by a crowded start, was 384th in a chip time of 46.54.

Felicity Wolohan
running the Cheshire 10K

Peter Cruse, also an MV50, travelled north to complete the 55th Derwent Ten.  This tough scenic race circles Derwentwater and attracts many annual returnees.  Cruse finished 44th out of 386 in 1:04:11, second in his age group, in a race won by Russ Best of New Marske Harriers in 52:13.

LSARRC News 25th October 2014

MID LANCS. LEAGUE CROSS-COUNTRY (1) HYNDBURN - SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER 2014

U11 Girls ready to go

The new Mid-Lancashire Cross-Country League season opened with a well-attended meeting at Hyndburn where more than 800 runners competed over interesting courses that mixed open terrain with meandering woodland trails. Many Lytham St Anne’s Road Runners had eagerly awaited a return to off-road racing and the club was well-represented with competitors in many age categories. 

LSARRC's runners at Hyndburn: Dawn Lock, Graham Webster,
Greg Oulton, Joe Greenwood, Willie Richmond, Sylvia Gittins,
Barbara Holmes, Felicity Wolohan & Joanna Goorney

In the Senior Men’s 10k race Lytham came 5^th in division 3.  Joe Greenwood in 57^th place was the club’s leading finisher and Graham Webster performed strongly to finish 139^th and 3^rd MV60.  Further counters for the team were Willie Richmond 161^st, Mark Selby 189^th, Nigel Simpkin 260^th, and Greg Oulton 244^th.  Webster, Richmond, Simpkin and Oulton also combined to finish 3^rd team in MV40 division 3 while Webster, Richmond and Simpkin featured again in the team that finished 7^th in the MV50 division.

Joe Greenwood, first Lytham finisher in the Senior Men's race.

In the Senior Women’s 6k race Jo Goorney, 11^th overall and 2^nd LV45, led the Lytham team with good support from Mel Koth, LV35, and Barbara Holmes, LV55, finishing together in 55^th and 56^th places were the club’s leading trio and the same three finished 4^th in both Senior division 2 and  the WV35 division.  The Lytham ladies’ greatest success of the day came in the WV45 division where Jo Goorney, Barbara Holmes and Fiona Geldard, 107^th, finished in top spot.  The WV55 team of Holmes, Sylvia Gittins and Dawn Lock also finished strongly for a hard-earned 2^nd place.  In the seniors’ race Felicity Wolohan ran well to finish 109^th and 5^th for Lytham.

Harry Fellows, U15B

U11 Boys struggle up the muddy bank

In the junior races Lytham was delighted to field an under-13 girls’ team for the first time and Holly Winstanley, 29^th; Rosie Taylor, 30^th and , Isla Gordon, 44^th finished very creditably as 7^th team.  Other juniors were Georgia Norman, 37^th , under-11girls, and under-11 boys Zane Seddon, 6^th; Aaron Forshaw 20^th and Daniel Forshaw 38^th.  For the under-15s Chloe Norman was 21^st girl and Harry Fellows 40^th boy.

Seven seniors participated in the Fairclough 5 Miles from Wyre Country Park.  Top finisher for Lytham was outstanding veteran Graham Webster, 13^th overall and 1^st MV60 in an excellent time of 32:17 while MV40 Mark Willett was 19^th in 33:19.   FV50 Fiona Geldard was 47^th in 39:13; MV40 Greg Oulton 54^th in 40:12 and FV50 Julia Rolfe 58^th in 40:47.  Although now a WV65, Sylvia Gittins nonetheless achieved a 5 miles PB of 43:12 for 73^rd while fellow WV65 Dawn Lock came 98^th in 65:05.

Bill Lock, press report- writer, officiating on the finish 

Senior Men's race winners

LSARRC News 19th October 2014

GREEN DRIVE FIVE - SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER

 

Start of the 15th Green Drive Five - 11am Sunday 19th October 2014

Green Drive provided a lovely setting for the fifteenth running of the Green Drive Five held Sunday in bright autumn sunshine and attracting many participants from the local clubs.  Doubling as the Lancashire AA 5 Mile Championship it was an important race for the area's serious runners.

Race Winners: Rob Danson, 3rd, Rob Webb,
1st, and  David Rigby, 2nd on the start line. 

Race winner and Lancashire Champion was Rob Webb of Rossendale Harriers in a time of 26:17 with Preston Harriers David Rigby second in 26:24 and Wesham RR's Rob Danson in third place another 10 seconds back.

Joanna Goorney, first woman and Lancs
AA Women's 5 mile Champion with
presenter and club benefactor Bill White

Joanna Goorney of Lytham comfortably took the woman's prize in

31:31, 31st overall and with it the Lancahire Woman's 5 Mile Championship.  Catherine Carrdus of Wesham was second, 37th overall in 32:06 and Caroline Betmead of Blackpool Wyre & Fylde AC, third, 40th overall in 32:19.

With such a high proportion involved in helping and marshalling, organizers Lytham St. Annes Road Runners Club did well to field twelve runners who achieved the pleasing results of fourth men's team and third women's team. 

First back for Lytham was Joe Greenwood who finished in 29:09, running at under 6 minutes per mile for 13th place.  Completing the fourth-placed team and finishing close on each others' heels were Thomas Howarth, 33rd and Neil Tate, 34th.   Both averaged 6.24 per mile for 32:01 and 32:02 respectively.  The team accumulated 80 points against Lancashire Team Champions Blackpool Wyre & Fylde's 35. 

Other Lytham men competing were Mark Willette, 60th in 34:14, Russ Chew, 105th in 38:41 and Alan Elstone who managed 42:30 for 156th in his first 5 mile race.

 

LSARRC at the GD5: Neil Tate, Joanna Gourney, Joe Greenwood,
Ruth Wheatley, Fiona Geldard, Felicity Wolohan, Mark Willett,
Russ Chew and Alan Elstone

The six Lytham women won three prizes and medals between them and were third team.  Joanna Goorney with Barbara Holmes, 97th in 37:55, and Felicity Wolohan, 99th in 38:00, made up the team scoring 28 points to the Wesham leader's 16 points, a very good result for the Club.  Holmes together with Fiona Geldhard, 113th in 39:15, won their age category prizes and Lancashire gold medals in the FV55 and FV50 categories.  Wearing green for the first time, new recruit Ruth Wheatley put in a good performance to set a 5 mile PB 144th in 41:47.  Julia Rolfe finished 160th in 42:38.

 

Blackpool Wyre & Fylde bother and sister
winners: Jessica and Jamie Jackson

Twenty-six of the Club's Junior Section ran the Green Drive Mile putting in sparkling performances that would be the envy of many of their elders.

 

Simon Holt, 4th and first Lytham
member home

Simon Holt, aged 10, led home the contingent of the Lytham runners in 4th place running the mile in 6:16.  A trio of Lytham runners followed in 10th, 11th and 12th places all given 6:37: Chloe Norman, 14, was third girl, Harry Fellows, 13, and Louis Eunson, 9, were 8th and 9th boy across the line. 

Other results for LSARRC members at the Green Drive Mile: 14th

LSARRC's first girl Chloe Norman

Hollie Winstanley, 11, 6:39; 15th Aaron Forshaw, 10, 6:43; 16th George Winstanley, 9, 6:44; 17th Rosie Taylor, 11, 6:48; 19th Wade Agar, 13, 6:52; 21st Louisa Hart, 13, 7:03; 22nd George Denye, 8, 7:04; 23rd Spencer Unsworth, 10, 7:04; 24th Danny Forshaw, 8, 7:07; 26th Francis Morrison, 9, 7:13; 27th Isla Gordon, 11, 7:15; 30th Natasha Hart, 9, 7:20; 31st Rebecca Tate, 11, 7:21; 34th Emma Savidge, 10, 7:42; 35th Georgia Norman, 11, 7:43; 36th Olivia Aberra, 9, 7:46; 38th Charlotte Thompson, 8, 7:53; 42nd Jessica Addy, 8, 7:58; 48th Sydney Ramsden, 9, 8:13; 50th Eliza Booth, 9, 8:21; 56th Hollie Whiteside, 8, 9:15; 58th Leah Dawson, 10, 9:25.    

OTHER RACES 
Elsewhere Greg Oulton preferring the hillier challenges to the flat Green Drive Five ran at Littleborough in the White House Fell Race, his 38th race of the year.  He finished the 4.5 miles in 48:35.  Further afield Graham Webster returned to home territory to run the massive the Great West Run in Exeter.  Completing the half marathon in an excellent time for his age, he was 99th out of 2663 finishers and first MV60 in 1:30:34.

LSARRC News 14th October 2014

Ella at the Leigh Cross Country

The highlight of the weekend belonged to 13 year old Ella Moulding who commenced her 2014/2015 cross country campaign in fine style on Saturday. In uncharacteristically sunny and calm weather conditions, the meeting, staged at Leigh Sports Village, was the first in the Red Rose League series of races and the U15 girls 4K race followed a varied course of trails, woodland paths and fields. Ella was off to a good start from the gun and soon moved into second place following close behind the leading girl until the final 50m where she produced a turn of pace that was just enough to get her across the line in first place in 15:26.




Also on Saturday, was the Lea Town 10k.  Lytham had 2 representatives.  Peter Cruse finished 9th overall and 1st vet 50 in a time of 38:00 while Sylvia Gittins finished 79th and 2nd vet 65 in 55:37.  There were 89 runners overall with Rob Danson of Wesham being first home.

Sylvia Gittins

On Sunday, 2 LSARRC runners competed in the Nothern Vets AC 10,000 metres track championships at Leigh Sport Village.  Conditions were ideal over the 25 laps . First home from a field of 13 runners and leading the race from the gun was Wesham's Alex Rowe winning in a credible time of 35.39 minutes, a convincing win and taking the V55 gold medal.  Lytham's Graham Webster was 3rd overall and  who took V60 gold  in a time of 39.32 and for the ladies, Fiona Geldard, making her track debut, was 11 overall taking V50 gold and a 2 and half minute 10k PB in a time 0f 47.20.

Joe Greenwood

Neil Tate

Lytham St Annes RRC were well represented at the Autumn Breaker 10k starting and finishing on the running track at Stanley Park, Blackpool.  Joe Greenwood broke the 36 minute barrier for the first time to finish in 35:53 and an excellent 4th place.  Also, getting a PB was Neil Tate who produced his first sub 40 minute 10k to finish in 39:33 and 17th place.  Brian Porter was 131st in 50:35 closely followed by new member to LSARRC, Ruth Wheatley in 50:57 and 139th place.

Ruth Wheatley and Brian Porter

Laura & Kevin

Come and say "Goodbye" to Kevin and Laura 

at Wetherspoons' Railway Hotel, Station Road in Lytham on Friday 7th November from 7:15pm onward.

LSARRC Christmas "What's on"