LSARRC News 4th May 2022

Ross McKelvie

PERSONAL bests and first place finishes capped a great week of running for Lytham St Annes Road Runners.

Chris Cottam

Ross McKelvie stormed to victory in the Avenham Park 5km, finishing in an impressive 16:58.  It was a good Bank Holiday Monday for Chris Cottam who secured himself a new personal best of 20:36 in the same race, with Mel Koth just behind him - her time of 20:42 was enough for 3rd lady.

Mel Koth

And Lytham also led the way in the junior 2km race, with Jayden Richardson taking first place overall in 4:50 and Georgina Andrews first girl (4th overall) in 5:47.  Joe Alker was 2nd in 5:21, Evie Alker 10th (3rd girl) in 6:24, Kiefer Richardson 11th in 6:29 and Eve Selby 14th (5th girl) in 6:57.

 

Earlier in the week there was success for Louise Cox, who finally secured a sub-45 minute 10km run, running 44:02 at the Run Media City event in Salford, first in her V50 category.

Mick Widdop took part in the Morecambe Half Marathon on Sunday, running 1:59 on a difficult course, which took in the beach.

The McAfee family travelled to Liverpool to take part in the John West Running Festival.  Juniors James and Joshua - who also set a new 5km parkrun PB of 27:03 at Lytham Hall on Saturday - took part in the 2km race, finishing in 8:59 and 9:19 respectively.  Dad Lewis ran the 10km race, finishing in 51:07.

There was very different terrain for Joanna Goorney, who took part in 67th Peaks Fell Race on Saturday.  The race took in Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, across the 23.3mile course, which includes 5279km of ascent.  Joanna finished in 4:34:12 for 195th place.

Also taking on the fells were Claire Markham and Julia Rolfe, who took part in Sunday’s six mile Hambledon Hill run.  Claire - in her first fell race - finished in 1:03:51 and Julia in 1:05:01.  

Earlier in the week, there was a club outing to the Ripley Supper Run, a four mile run in Lancaster ending with pie and peas.  Neil Tate finished first of the club’s 16 runners in 27:36.  Also running were Mark Hughes (28:24), Graham Webster (29:02), Dan Gregson (29:07), Lewis McAfee (29:52), Kate price Edwards (30:47), Pamela Hardman (33:06), Barry Broughton (33:40), Sue Hawitt (34:23), Greg Oulton (35:19), Julia Rolfe (35:27), Ruth Williams (35:44), Catherine MacLachlan (35:57), Liz Canavan (36:13), Kat Fawcett (41:19) and Richard Storey (41:21).

LSARRC News 27th April 2022

Lytham Ladies at the Wray Scarecrow 10k

 There aren’t many rural 10k races which feature minions, Her Majesty and Boris Johnson in the crowd…all made of straw of course.  They were just some of scarecrows on display at Wray’s annual scarecrow festival, where Lytham St Annes Road Runners ladies headed for Saturday’s 10km run.  A team of six from the club tackled the undulating course around the outskirts of the rural village, with Mel Koth running well to snatch 3rd lady in a time of 43:07.  Claire Markham finished in 50:42, Kirsten Burnett in 01:00:06 and Liz Canavan in 01:00:19.  Pam Binns ran 01:03:34 and Sylvia Gittins completed the team in 01:04:32.

With flatter terrain back on the Fylde Coast, three of the club’s runners took part in Blackpool’s Festival of Running.  Dan Gregson ran Saturday’s 10km race, which takes runners north along the promenade, and ran well to finish 25th in 47:04.

Junior Reuben May took part in the 2km race on the lower and middle walk at North Shore, and finished an impressive 3rd in 8:27.

Sue Henry

The following day Sue Henry ran her first half marathon, the route taking runners between North Shore and Squires Gate.  She finished 377th overall in 2:20:36.

There was a challenge for three of the club’s runners, who took to Preston’s Guild Wheel as part of UCLAN School of Justice’s monthly fundraising challenge in aid of the Shingwa School in Zambia.nnLinda Chadderton and Emma Johnston ran the first 11.5 miles of the loop, before passing the baton to fellow club member Mark Johnston to complete the loop.

At Lytham Hall parkrun, Joe Greenwood was the club’s first finisher, 3rd overall in 18:47, with junior Jayden Richardson 6th in 20:11.  Gill Draper ran 20:31 for first lady, with James Whittle and Chris Cottam hot on her heels - both setting new PBs of 20:32 and 20:39 respectively.  Mark Selby (21:21) and Andrew Draper (21:48) both finished inside the top 20, followed by Maddy Markham (22:29), Jennifer Hill (22:39) and Neil Tate (24:21).  Also running were Peter Reid (24:32), Joe Alker (24:59), Barry Broughton (25:12), Freddie Markham (25:17), Peter Thomson (25:54), Stephen Wise (26:24), Kev Murray (27:03), Greg Oulton (27:16), Jen Trohear (29:32), Jacqui Murray (30:57) and Adrian Sargent (34:26).

Emma Johnston and Linda Chadderton running the Guild Wheel

Lytham were represented by eight of their juniors at Sunday’s Park View junior parkrun, and filled the first four places.  Jayden Richardson, in his second parkrun of the weekend, was the first to cross the finish line for the eleventh consecutive time in 7:16 with club mate Jack McNiven second in 8:09.  With identical times of 8:27 Reuben May and Georgina Andrews were third and fourth with Georgina also first girl.  Also representing Lytham were Jessica McNiven (7th in 8:51), Kiefer Richardson (11th in 9:28), Evie Alker (12th in 9:42) and Joshua McAfee (18th in 10:30).

LSARRC News 20th April 2022

LSARRC News 13th April 2022

Lytham's ladies made a sensational return to Interclub as they secured top spot on the leaderboard after the season’s first race.

Back for the first time since 2019, the Interclub series brings together runners from Lytham St Annes Road Runners (LSARR), Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde, Thornton-Cleveleys, Wesham, Preston Harriers, Red Rose and Chorley Harriers running clubs over a seven fixture season, with clubs competing for the series title across a host of categories.

And after Blackpool hosted the season’s first fixture at Stanley Park last Wednesday, it’s LSARR leading the way in both the senior ladies and FV40 categories.  The ladies team was made up of Jo Goorney (4th lady, 26:40), Mel Koth (5th, 26:52), Catherine Carrdus (6th, 27:15), Louise Cox (11th, 28:45) and Helen Rennie (23rd, 30:44).  Jo, Mel, Catherine and Louise also counted for the vet 40 team, where they were joined by Claire Markham who finished in 31:38.  

The top 10 men and women score for the team overall, and Lytham currently sit 5th.  Mike Toft was first home for the club, 5th overall in 21:25, followed by Ross McKelvie (8th, 21:56), Joe Greenwood (29th, 23:43), Jonathan Tuck (34, 24:08) and Stephen Wilde (51, 25:24).  Next to count was Dom Kirby (64, 26:07), Thomas Howarth (70, 26:37), followed by Joanna Goorney, Chris Cottam (79, 26:50) and Mel Koth.  Also running for Lytham were James Whittle (26:53), Mark Hughes (28:46), Graham Webster (28:59), Dan Gregson (29:06), John Bertenshaw (29:11), Maddy Markham (30:47), Jennifer Hill (30:56), Peter Reid (31:58), Pam Hardman (32:05), Steve Wise (32:15), Mick Widdop (32:27), Paul McAllister (34:15), Peter Thomson (34:28), Alex Wiggins (34:32), Ian Tate (34:45), Julia Rolfe (34:51), Barry Broughton (34:55), Ruth Williams (35:05), Catherine MacLachlan (35:49), Roy Stevens (36:43), Linda Chadderton (37:03), Greg Oulton (37:16), Julie Wiseman (38:40), Emma Johnston (38:44) and Pam Binns (38:45).  In the other categories Lytham sit 6th in the vets, 5th in the vet 50s and 3rd in the vet 60s.

At Saturday’s Lytham Hall parkrun there was a big turn out for the club, with 31 runners taking part.  The club’s first finisher was Andy Unsworth in 18:49 for 3rd place, with Catherine Carrdus 10th overall - and 2nd lady - in 20:59.  Junior member Jacob Wilson ran a new PB of 22:46, while Terry Hellings ran his 100th parkrun in 39:30.

At Sunday’s junior parkrun it was back to the summer course across the playing field at Park View.  Junior Jayden Richardson was the first runner home in 7:28, with team-mates Joe Alker and Reuben May taking 2nd and 3rd respectively in 8:09 and 8:24.  Jessica McNiven was first girl in 8:54 - 6th overall -with Kiefer Richardson 7th in 8:59.  Evie Alker finished in 9:20 as 3rd girl, Joshua McAfee was 17th in 10:08 and Jack McNiven 20th in 11:00.

LSARRC News 6th April 2022

Kate Price Edwards and Lewis McAfee at Manchester Marathon

From the streets of the North West to the banks of the Seine, April means one thing for Lytham St Annes Road Runners - it’s marathon time.

Gill Draper at Manchester Marathon

The 26.2 miles of Manchester and Paris were on the agenda for five of the club’s runners, and while London may have delayed the city marathon until the autumn, there were 13.1 miles on offer for the capital’s Landmarks Half.

In Manchester, Gill Draper racked up the first personal best of the day as she ran 3:14:22 to secure the club’s diamond standard and a Good For Age place at next year’s London Marathon.  Kate Price Edwards was next to finish, also securing herself a personal best and a shot at London 2023 with 3:43:18. And it was the same story for Clare Taylor, whose PB of 3:48:33 will also see on her on the streets of the capital next year. Lewis McAfee also ran well to finish under four hours, clocking 3:58:56.

Across the Channel in Paris, Kirsten Burnett took the green jersey international as she took on the city’s marathon, which takes runners past iconic landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower.  Kirsten ran well to finish in 4:51:50.

Kirsten Burnett at Paris Marathon

In England’s capital city, Sue Hawitt and Michelle Sheridan lined up for the London Landmarks Half Marathon. Soaking up the atmosphere on crisp, clear day, both runners described the event as “fantastic”, with a well-supported route.  Sue finished in 1:56:57 while Michelle “jeffed” 30 secs running to 30 secs walking to finish in 2:55:54.

Closer to home there was more success over shorter distances.

Chris Cottam was the club’s sole representative in the Fleetwood 10km, coming away with a new PB of 42:50 over the distance.

On the fells, Leanne Nield took on a tough 4.5 mile race on Pendle Hill, finishing in 53:32.

And Ross McKelvie came out on top of a tactical 3000m on the track at the Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Athletic Club Winter Warmer, winning the race in 9mins 51secs.

Under 11 boys at the BW&F Winter Warmer

He was joined on the track by five of the club’s junior athletes, with Jack McNiven, Jacob Wilson and Reuben May all making their track debut in the under-11 boys 600m race.  All three made an excellent debut to track racing finishing first, second and fifth respectively in 1:55.8, 1:59.2 and 2:13.5.

And there was also a winning track debut for Georgina Andrews, who finished first in the under-11 girls 600m in 2:7.7.

Jessica McNiven ran a personal best of 15secs in the 100m for second place in her heat and 32.1 secs in the 200m for fifth place.

LSARRC News 30th March 2022

It was a busy weekend of racing for Lytham St Annes Road Runners, with hills, mountains and continental marathons all on the agenda.

Pam Hardman headed to Rome to tackle the Italian city’s marathon, taking on the 26.2 mile course alongside her son.  The first spring marathon in the city for three years was held in warm conditions, and Hardman finished in 4hrs 45mins.

Closer to home were half marathons for senior runners in both Sheffield and Liverpool.

And over in Yorkshire an exceptionally hilly course greeted Ross McKelvie at the Sheffield City Half Marathon, which heads out of the city centre and into the Peaks.  Despite the testing elevation, McKelvie ran well to finish 15th in 1hr 17mins.

Meanwhile in Liverpool, Mick Widdop completed the city’s half marathon course in 1hr 58mins.

Going one mile further in the Lakes on Saturday were Catherine Carrdus and John Bertenshaw.  Taking on the Coniston 14, Bertenshaw finished in 1hr 54 with Carrdus just behind in 1hr 55mins.

Back in the Peaks, Jo Goorney raced her first long distance fell race since March 2019, tackling the Don Morrison Edale Skyline Fell Race.  The 21-mile race involves a difficult 4300feet of ascent, taking in some of the area’s classic hills, and Goorney completed the challenge in 4hrs 15mins.

For the juniors there were some excellent performances at Lytham’s junior parkrun on Sunday.  Jayden Richardson finished first in 7:20 with Reuben May running his third personal best in four weeks to finish second in 8:22.  Georgina Andrews finished third overall and as first girl in 8:25.  Evie Alker finished seventh overall in 9:528 with club  mates Joshua and James McAfee just behind in eighth and ninth both achieving personal bests of 9:41 and 9:43 respectively.  Lewis Ames (17th in 12:07) was Lytham’s final representative.

For some of the juniors it was their second parkrun of the weekend, having already joined the senior runners at Lytham Hall’s 5k event on Saturday.  Ross McKelvie led the club home with a first place 17:32 finish, with junior Jayden Richardson 7th in 19:40 - a new personal best for the youngster.  Reuben May ran his first 5km parkrun and finished in 24:36.

LSARRC News 23rd March 2022

Juniors at the Mad March Hare

MAD March hares had nothing on Lytham St Annes Road Runners’ athletes’ speed this weekend.

A packed racing schedule saw a strong squad of runners take on the Mad March Hare 5km, 10km and fun runs in Preston’s Moor Park, a mother-daughter duo racing in Pilling and 13.1 miles over in Wilmslow.

Claire and Maddy at Pilling

The first race of the weekend was Saturday’s Pilling 10km, which saw Claire Markham and daughter Maddy running in green.  The pair ran the fast, flat course together, finishing in 52:22.

The following day it was the turn of the runners in Preston, with a mix of seniors and juniors making the short journey for the Mad March Hare.

Sue Hawitt (24:31), Roy Stevens (27:15) and Juli Wiseman (31:06) all took on the 5km distance, while Mark Selby completed the 10km course in 44:43 for fourth place overall.

There was a strong showing from the club’s youngsters, with the fun run forming part of junior road race championship.  Seven runners took part and filled the first seven places, with Jayden Richardson leading the way in 4:14.  Just a few seconds separated Joe Alker (4:48), Reuben May (4:53) and Kiefer Richardson (4:57) in second, third and fourth respectively.  Next two home in fifth and sixth were Evie Alker (5:31) and Eve Selby (6:14) finishing as first and second girls.  Arthur May was seventh in 6:25.

Mel Koth at Wilmslow HM

The prize for the weekend’s longest competitive run went to Mel Koth, who headed to Wilmslow Half Marathon.  The well-supported race takes runners through the beautiful surroundings of Wilmslow, and Koth ran well to finish strongly in 1:31:32 - sixth V45 out of 163 and 35th lady overall.

Despite Sunday’s junior parkrun taking place just a few hours before the juniors’ Mad March Hare race, Jayden Richardson finished first at Park View in 7:25 while Reuben May (8:25) and Kiefer Richardson (8:40) ran new personal bests for third and fourth.  Jack McNiven also ran a personal best of 8:09 for second, while Georgina Andrews (8:42) was first girl. Jessica McNiven (9:02), Joshua McAfee (10:03) and Lewis Ames (12:04) also represented the club.

At Saturday’s Lytham Hall parkrun the club filled the first three places with Rosa McKelvie first in 17:37, followed by Alistair Leivers (17:37) and Joe Greenwood (18:08).  There were new PBs for G Cunliffe (22:58) and Evie Alker (26:38).  Also running were Mark Selby (21:31), Chris Cottam (21:42), Chris Bowker (23:13), Freddie Markham (23:39), Andrew Draper (23:53), Stephen Wise (24:25), Peter Reid (24:57), Barry Broughton (25:49), Kirsten Burnett (26:53), Joe Alker (26:57), Archie Belfield (27:48), Jennifer Hill (28:21), Pamela Binns (29:28), Sue Hawitt (33:57), Michelle Sheridan (34:49), Sarah Cook (36:00), Terry Hellings (43:24), Juli Wiseman (53:08) and Laura Byrne (53:10).