LSARRC News 28th July 2014

On Friday night, Sylvia Gittins ran the 35th Wedding Day 7k which was a multi terrain race run within the bounds of Bushy Park in Twickenham over an out and back course starting and finishing on the Hampton Hill side of the park.  She finished in 40:10 in 359th over all.

Junior and senior LSARRC athletes at the Preston Mid Lancs Track and Field Meet

It was the 4th Mid Lancs Track and Field Meet of the year at Preston's Uclan Arena on Saturday.  In heatwave conditions, track athletes found the going tough resulting in slightly slower times.

Lytham St Annes RRC were well represented in both the junior and senior races.  Chloe Norman was in action firstly in the under 15s 800m finishing 13th in a time of 2:41.90.  In the Long Jump, she finished 10th  recording 3.80m and 6th in her heat in a time of 30.70 in the 200m.  Hollie Winstanley ran 6:00.40 to finish an excellent 2nd in the under 13 girls 1500m.

Terry Hellings in the 3000m

In the seniors races, Graham Webster finished 12th in the 800m in a time of 2:34.00 while Joanna Goorney was 1st in the 800m in a time of 2:36.50.  In the 1500m, Graham finished 9th in a time of 5:16:00 whilst in the ladies race, Joanna finished 1st in at time of 5:16.00.  The final event of the day, was the 3000m with had three LSARRC athletes in it.  Graham Webster was 3rd male in a time of 11:24.00, Terry Hellings was 4th male in a time of 12:15.70 whilst Joanna Goorney was 2nd female in a time of 11:35.40.

Tony Norman throwing the javelin

Tony Norman was busy in the field events.  In the shot putt, he was 3rd throwing 9.28m.  In the discus, he was 5th throwing 24.00m and in the Javelin recorded 24.76m to finish 9th.

On Saturday night, Simon Denye was in action in the Lancaster 5k to finish 10th in a time of 17:44.

LSARRC News 21st July 2014

This week saw members from Lytham St Anne’s Road Runners compete on road, fells and track from Lancaster to Perth, Australia.

LSARRC at Caldervale Supper Run

Thursday evening saw 6 members from Lytham head to Caldervale.

A lovely evening with the countryside looking at its best attracted the largest turnout for many years and some quality runners to the Calder Vale Supper Run held on a mid-week evening in this pretty
traditional Lancashire village.

Nominally a fun run, its four-mile length and hilly nature makes this by no means an easy race.  From the village centre there's an unrelenting climb for the first two miles, stiff at first; levelling somewhat before climbing steeply once again to reach the high point from where tail-enders are treated to distant views of race leaders climbing the hill beyond Oakenclough Mill.

Numbers at this year's race surprised even the organizers with supper pies nearly running out.  Winner, Lancaster & Morecambe AC's Raymond Edgar, crossed the finishing line in 20:53. 

Six LSARRC members ran with Graham Webster first back and first MV60.  Webster overtook next placed Lytham runner Neil Tate to finish 15th in 24:40, to Tate's 18th in 25:03. Fiona Geldard was 64th in 33:42 and Jeremy McCandless and Bill Lock in adjacent places 87th and 88th, took
36:21 and 36:28.  Dawn lock finished 116th in 48:29.

Warton Crag fell race (3rd of 4 in the Lytham fell race championship) was held on Saturday 19th.  Greg Oulton was first home for Lytham covering the 6 miles with 180m of climbing in a time of 61:14 for 48th place clinching the Lytham fell race championship with one race still to go.  Colin Laidlaw also represented Lytham but took a wrong turn and eventually finished in 1:31:24 for 62nd position.

Felicity Wolohan

Sunday 21st saw Felicity Wolohan toe the line in the Penny lane Striders 10k in Liverpool.  Disappointed with her performance but still recovering from a chest infection Felicity ran well to complete race in 48:09 for 131st place (23rd female). 

Graham Webster

Meanwhile 100 or so miles south at Tudor Grange leisure Centre, Solihul Lytham’s Vet 60 Graham Webster had been selected to represent Northern Vets to compete in an inter region track and field meeting.  The best veteran athletes from the whole of England compete for their region scoring points to decide eventual top region.

In scorching heat Graham ran in three events finishing 4th in the 800m in 2m 34.3s and 4th again in 3000m 11m 21.30s.  Graham donned his spikes again to compete, in a rare event for him, the v60 4*100m relay.

On the other side of the world Pam Hardman, Debbie Cooper and Bec Willets have been flying the Lytham flag.

On the 14th Pam and Debbie ran The Swan River 14k race, a lovely course running the length of the Swan River then through Kings Park with views of all of the city, beautiful, and a nice medal to finish. Debbie & Pamela finished in 1h 17m 17s and 1h 17m 18s respectively.

Rockingham Perth was the venue for a 5k race for Pamela Hardman, Debbie Cooper & Rebecca Willetts.  The race includes running along the Rockingham promenade overlooking the Indian Ocean. Debbie Cooper finished 24.50 5th in age category (V35-39), Pamela Hardman 25.30 (1st V55-59).  Rebecca Willetts jogged round with a sling on her sore shoulder.

LSARRC News 14th July 2014

Wesham's BNFL, Salwick race marks the over half-way point of the Inter-Club Grand Prix road series and already trends are evident.  Preston Harriers is the dominant club leading in the Open, Vets and V50 categories; Wesham has a clear lead in the Vet 60s and Blackpool Wyre & Fylde AC has edged ahead of Wesham in the ladies results.  LSARRC's highest position is third in the Vet60s and is lying fourth in the other veteran categories and the women's and fifth overall.

Wesham's ICGP takes an undulating course around the rural lanes west of Kirkham and while there are no steep climbs, there are several long inclines, exposed and sapping in hot or windy conditions.  Against recent weather trends, the evening of Monday 14th was mildly wet throughout the race luckily missing the heavy downpour soon after the finish.  A high-class field of 211 runners from the six clubs competed.  True to form, Preston further consolidated their place at the top of the table with runners in 1st and 2nd positions.  David Rigby, second at Blackpool and Lytham, bested club-mate and winner at Preston, Rob Affleck by 8 seconds, 23:05 to 23:13.  Next best was Blackpool who was second in the Open and won the Ladies.  Host club Wesham was third overall and second in the Ladies.

Lytham's twenty-strong team came fifth in the Open and Ladies.  Leading for the Club was Joe Greenwood in one of his best ICGP finishes, 11th in 25:20.  Ten competitors make up the open team and following Greenwood for LSARRC they were Peter Cruse, also counting in the Vets' and Vet 50s' in 33rd in 27:32; Graham Webster, the best Vet 60, 47th in 28:37; Neil Tate, 58th in 29:32; Mark Selby, finishing 67th in 30:12; new-comer Justin Allitt, 71st in 30:28; Terry Hellings and Oliver Hirsh, neck-and-neck 84th and 85th in 31:10 and 31:12 respectively; Dave Dunn, 103rd in 32:35 and Richard Storey 116th in 33:37.  A strong team of Webster, Hellings and Roy Stevens, 133rd in 34:49, scored well for the Vet 60s for Lytham's highest placing of the evening, 3rd.  Laura Ashworth headed the five-strong ladies team in 134th position and 34:50.  Completing the team were Julia Rolfe, 148th in 36:04, marginally ahead of Dawn Bloor, 149th in 36:08; Fiona Geldard , 165th in 38:14 and Karen Lanigan, 196th in 43:35.

 

Other members of the Lytham contingent were Alex Wiggins, 126th, narrowly beating Greg Oulton, 127th in 34:22 by a couple of seconds with a finishing sprint, Jeremy McCandless, 189th in 41:35 and Dawn Lock, 209th in 55:56.    

Greg Oulton continued in his quest to add as many fell races to his tally as possible travelling mid week to the evening 8.8km and 335m climb Bull Hill Fell Race.  Slowed by narrow section preventing passing and encountering a varied terrain of mud, tracks, thick heather, tall grass and rocks, Oulton nevertheless passed several to finish 167th in 58:17, two places and a few seconds ahead of team-mate Julia Rolfe, 169th in 58:36.

Sunday saw the third running for the Windmill Half Marathon from Fairhaven Lake in clear sunshine tempered by sea breezes.  A field of 481, including three Lytham runners, attempted this flat course encompassing several rounds of the lake in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions interspaced with two trips to the far end of Lytham Green.  Delighted to make an under 1 hour 30 minute finish for the first time and notching up a several minutes' improvement on previously, Neil Tate finished in a high 34th place in 1:29:51.  Felicity Wolohan has been training hard for her half marathons and managed 1:44:51 and 134th position. Sylvia Gittins finished  353rd in 2:09:24 to take the first FV60 prize.

Another Lytham prize-winner was Peter Cruse, MV50, taking third place in the Pilling 10K in an excellent 37:11 in this relatively new race held on Sunday 13th.

LSARRC's Mini-Fun Run held annually in Ashton Gardens as part of the St. Annes Carnival attracted over 200 under-fourteens.  The course incorporates incorporates jumps, slalom, climbing a grassy slope and balancing an egg and spoon and the fastest club time was achieved by nine-year old Simon Holt. 

LSARRC News 7th July 2014

Sue Samme donned her Great Britain track suit to present the awards at the club’s junior presentation evening last Thursday night. Sue, who it still a prolific club runner, ran at the highest level as a junior herself, holding junior national records and competing for Great Britain in 1986 at the World Road Relay Championships in Japan. Hollie Winstanley, Rosie Taylor, Rebecca Tate, Georgia Norman, Olivia Aberra, Simon Holt, Farron O’Higgins, Harry Booth, Ella Moulding and Chloe Norman were all presented with Mid Lancs Cross Country League Badges. Cross Country Club Champions were; U11B Simon Holt, U11G Hollie Winstanley and U13G Ella Moulding. Track & Field Club Champions were; U11B Simon Holt, U11G Georgia Norman, U13B James Nicholas, U13G Hollie Winstanley, U15G Chloe Norman and U20G Layla Foley. Winner of the Junior Handicap Trophy was Spencer Unsworth with Charlotte Thomson in 2nd and Kallum Illingworth 3rd. The Coaches Cup, awarded by the club’s coaches to the athlete who has shown outstanding dedication to athletics during the year, was presented to Chloe Norman.

On Saturday night, Simon Denye ran the 2nd race in the Catforth 5k series. After a tiring week of training, Simon completed the course in 18:36 for 13th place. The winner was Stuart Robinson of Salford Harriers in a time of 15:30 and there were 70 runners.

Start of the St Annes Carnival 5k

The big event of the weekend was the eighth running of the St. Anne's Carnival 5K and 1500m Fun Run, held under peerless blue skies with bright sunshine enhancing the colourful holiday scene. Host club Lytham St. Annes RRC had ten members running in the 5k, nearly half of them members of the Junior Section under the age of twenty and fifteen of the younger junior members in the Fun Run.

Andy Draper in the Carnival 5k

Neighbouring clubs provided the winners. Wesham's impressive Rob Danson took first place sixteen seconds ahead of second and Blackpool Wyre & Fylde had a clean sweep of the women's competition and the team prizes. Emily Japp finished a clear winner in 16th overall and a good 18:45.

Andrew Draper was Lytham's first finisher in 11th place putting in a strong run to finish in 18:17. Next in and second team member, rapidly climbing through the results lists, was Neil Tate nearly achieving his aim of an under 19 minute finish with 19:06 and 23rd place. Three places back was Lytham's exceptional sixty-year old Graham Webster, 26th in 19:34 who also took the MV60 prize. Draper, Tate and Webster made up Lytham's team that was third.

Arriving at the line in a storming finish was LSARRC's fourth finisher Mark Selby in 30th place and 20:38. Second sixty-year old was Terry Hellings, 37th in 21:52, who was followed in by two MV50s Steve Quarmby, 39th in 22:04 and Russ Chew, 41st in 22:15. Also running well were Greg Oulton, pleased with his continuing improvement, 22:44 in 46th place, Richard Stanier, 51st in 23:04 and Jeremy McCandless, 84th with a PB of 27:15, cutting 1:14 from his previous best.

Most remarkable about this race was the prominence of young talent. A very young Lytham team consisting of thirteen-year old Ella Moulding, seventeen-year old Layla Foley and eighteen-year old Phillipa Wood finished second team to BWFAC. Ella Moulding finished stylishly after an excellent race in a good-for-age time of 20:47, 32nd. Layla Foley, took the U20 prize in 40th position and 22:15. Phillipa Wood St Annes Carnival 1500m Fun Run had 69 finishers and was also well represented with Juniors from LSARR. Simon Holt was the first home for the club in 5th place with a time of 5:49, closely followed by Lius Eunson in 6th place in 5:42 and Harry Fellows in 7th place in 5:55. First junior female home for LSARR was Chloe Norman in 10 place and a time of 6:01. Rebecca Tate was 12th in 6:01, Georgia Norman 15th in 6:56, Isla Gordon 16th in 6:51, Olivia Aberra 18th in 6:53, Luke Tate 19th in 6:55, Redford Boulton-Baines 20th in 7:12, Carmen Cole 23rd in7:26, Sydney Ramsden 25th in 7:28, Connor Norman 27th in 7:40, Stuart Wharrier 36th in 8:15 and Charlotte Thompson 41st in 8:28.

Also on Sunday, was the Southport Half Marathon which attracted nearly 900 runners. Sylvia Gittins had a good run finishing in 553rd place in a time of 2:00:30.

LSARRC News 30th June 2014

On Wednesday, it was the 2nd race in the Harrock Hill Fell Race series. Greg Oulton completed the 5.2 mile course with 900ft of climb in 51:49, almost one minute faster than he did last month and finishing in 129th place. The course was a lot less muddy and it was much warmer than the previous month.

Thursday night saw the club's monthly handicap run over a 4.35 mile rural course around Lytham. It was the third successive win for Jeremy McCandless in the June race and is the first time someone has won three successive races in the history of the club's handicap.

McCandless’s notable run was the only personal best recorded but there were further good times for third-placed Kevin Ashworth, who moves up to second behind McCandless in the overall competition, and fourth finisher Debbie Cooper who had her quickest run of the year.
June Handicap results: 1, Jeremy McCandless 39.43; 2, Brian Porter 35.02; 3, Kevin Ashworth 30.06; 4, Debbie Cooper 34.57; 5, Neil Tate 27.32; 6, Karen Lanigan 41.09; 7, Joe Greenwood 24.25; 8, Tom Howarth 26.18; 9, Greg Oulton 34.42; 10, Jennifer Waterworth 37.46; 11, Fiona Geldard 34.09; 12, Dawn Lock 54.25; 13, Graham Webster 28.54; 14, Laura Ashworth 34.26; 15, Alex Wiggins 36.03. Non-competitors: Joanna Allitt 40.12; Justin Allitt 34.57.

The 3rd Mid Lancs Track and Field Meet of the year was held at Litherland on Saturday afternoon. Chloe Norman was the only junior athlete competing but made an excellent show of herself coming 3rd in her heat in the Under 15s 800m with a time of 2:34.5 and a PB, 2nd in her heat in the 300m in a time of 49.3 and 11th in the Long Jump recording 3.58m. Joanna Goorney was 3rd in the 800m in 2:35.4, 2nd in the1500m in 5:12.9 and 6th in the Long Jump recording 3:54m.

Jeremy McCandless, Greg Oulton and Tony Norman at Litherland

LSARR men were very active in the throwing events. Tony Norman, making his debut for the club, threw 8.68 m (5th) in the shot putt while Jeremy McCandless threw 5.84m (7th) and Greg Oulton threw 5.68m (8th). In the Javelin, Jeremy threw 13.98m for 11th place and Greg 13.56m for 12th place and in the discus Jeremy threw 16.43m for 10th place and Greg threw 15.05m for 12th place.

Graham Webster was also in Liverpool at the Corporate Games where he competed in the 5k, He was 14th overall and 2nd vet 60 in a time of 19:18. Laura and Kevin Ashworth headed up to Lancaster on Saturday night for the second race in the Lancaster 5series. Kevin finished in a time of 19:40 while Laura making an excellent return from injury in 23:21. Adding to the evening's race, was the free bottle of beer & crisps at the end.

Sunday was a busy morning for LSARR athletes, with both Juniors and Seniors heading over to Fleetwood for the Soto's 10k and Soto's 2k Fun Run. There were 5 LSARR juniors in the in the Fun Run. Simon Holt was 3rd, Louis Eunson 4th, Hollie Winstanley 5th, Rebecca Tate 6th & George Winstanley 8th.

Neil Tate at the Soto's 10k

In the 10k, Joanna Goorney was on fine form and finished first lady in a time of 38:59 and in 23rd place. Peter Cruse was first home for the LSARR and 1st Vet 50 in a time of 38:05 and 17th place. The ever improving Neil Tate just missed out on breaking the 40 minute barrier in 40:25 and 42nd place. Graham Webster followed in 41:08 and 49th place. Fiona Geldard was 136th in 49:56, Pamela Hardman ran 51:44 for 154th place, Rebecca Willetts 55:56 for 193rd place and Jeremy McCandless was 204th in 57:38.

LSARRC News 23rd June 2014

LSARRC runners at Aggies Staircase Fell Race

Six members of Lytham St. Annes RRC contested the second round of the Inter-Club Fell Series at Aggies Staircase on a glorious sunny evening.  A third of the 145 runners were competing in the Inter-Club making for an interesting fight between the six clubs.

Competitors faced a challenging three climbs to Darwen Tower.  Bunching on the narrow start slowed runners but once on the widening lanes, winner Joe Mercer of Horwich powered away to finish in 28:17, nearly a minute ahead of second.  Best Inter-Club runner Jon Green of Preston Harriers came in fifth in 30:37.  The notorious Aggies Staircase of the race title is encountered in the latter stages of the race and precedes an easy final sprint back to the finish.

First counter for Lytham was Joanna Goorney, second women both in the race and the Inter-Club in a good 36:20, 43rd overall and 14th in the Series.  Next was experienced fell racer Debbie Cooper, 101st and 28th in 43:58.  Julia Rolfe, finishing 116th and 34th in 46:54, completed Lytham's most successful team; just one place short of winning the women's competition.  Fast-improving and enthusiastic fell runner Greg Oulton was 104th and 30th in 44:43.  Richard Storey was 130th and 39th in 52:10 and Dawn Lock, 142nd and 46th in 65:02, took first FV60 prize.

At the halfway stage LSARRC retains second in the women's and Vet50s; good results for the Club.     

The popular Freckleton Half Marathon celebrated it's fiftieth anniversary this year with a huge entry including a fourteen-strong contingent of Lytham runners.  Local celebrity Ben Fish notch up a record eighth win equalling his 2013 time of 1:10:30.  First woman was Salford Harriers' Tessa Walker, 22nd overall in 1:23:41

Two Lytham winners made their mark.  Joanna Goorney maintained her excellent record taking the Stephen Garratt Trophy for first Fylde women for the second time and the Joe Beck Trophy for the fist Freckleton resident for the twelfth time in thirteen years with a time 1:28:50, 38th overall.  Fourth club member back was the Club's second prize-winner Graham Webster, first MV60, 49th in 1:31:34.

First Lytham member in was Joe Greenwood with 1:21:36 and a great 15th place in a field of 660.  Five places later Simon Denye managed 1:22:39. Fiona Geldard was third in her FV50 class in 2:00:24, 317th overall.
Other Results: 55th Neil Tate, 1:32:41: 133rd Oliver Hirsh, 1:43:28; 151st Mark Willett, 1:44:16;  229th Roy Stevens, 1:52:15; 257th Willie Richmond, 1:54:31; 196th Nigel Simpkin, 1:58:16; 315th Greg Oulton, 2:00:00; 318th Felicity Wolohan,2:00:24; 408th Louisa Ruman, 2:06:38.

The previous weekend saw Melanie Koth compete in the Keswick TriHard Triathlon, a 400m open water swim in Derwent Water followed by a scenic bike ride around the Lake and a 5k run with low lake water levels resulting in an uncomfortable bare foot run to the transition point. Koth finished very creditably in 1:28:08, 13th woman, 6th FV40, and 67th out of 210.

LSARRC News 16th June 2014

Preston Inter-Club

 It was the third race in the inter-club series on Wednesday night.  Preston Harriers hosted the 4 mile race starting at Vernon's social club in Penwortham, Preston, taking in 2 laps of Avenham Park.  Lytham St Annes had a fantastic turnout with 39 runners.  Notable performances were Joe Greenwood who was first man home for LSARR in 13th place and a time of 22:53 and Joanna Goorney who was first lady in 36th place and a time of 24:47.  There were many PBs including ones for Greg Oulton and Jeremy McCandless.  It was also great to see the return of former international Sue Samme in her first road race after being out through long term injury.  There were 239 runners.
LSARR results: Joe Greenwood 13th 22:53; Andy Draper 28th 24:12; Joanna Goorney 36th 24:47; Peter Cruse 37th 24:51; Simon Denye 50th 25:50; Neil Tate 52nd 25:53; Graham Webster 53rd 25:56; Oliver Hirsh 61st 26:20; Kevin Ashworth 71st 26:59; Willie Richmond 76th 27:06; Terry Hellings 79th 27:14; Mark Selby 84th 27:27; Sue Samme 94th 27:56; Mel Koth 105th 28:30; Richard Storey 111th 29:11; Dave Dunn 114th 29:16; Chris Blackburn 117th 29:20; Greg Oulton 138th 31:00; Roy Stevens 143rd 31:21; Laura Ashworth 146th 31:29; Nigel Simpkin 148th 31:47; Fiona Geldard 149th 31:51; Alex Wiggins 153rd 32:06; Julia Rolfe 154th 32:07; Des Heron 157th 32:17; Pamela Hardman 159th 32:27; Debbie Cooper 161st 32:39; Jennifer Anderson 171st 33:13; Brian Porter 172nd 33:15; Rebecca Willetts 186th 34:36; Louisa Ruman 188th 34:44; Jen Waterworth 196th 35:26; Pam Binns 198th 35:34; Sylvia Gittins 199th 35:36; Louise Charnock 206th 36:54; Bill Lock 211th 37:42; Jeremy McCandless 212th 38:14; Tony Holt 222nd 40:22; Dawn Lock 235th 46:24.

Preston Parkrun attracted 2 LSARR runners on Saturday morning.  Sue Samme in her first ever Parkrun was 32nd overall and  2nd lady in 21.21.  Mark Willett was 38th in 21:43.  There were 193 runners.

Blue Light 5 mile

On Sunday morning, Lytham St Annes runners were out again in force at the Blue Light 5 mile race organised by Lancashire Fire A.C and run along the promenade around Bispham.  Although there was no wind, conditions were very close in the sea mist.  First home for LSARR was Joe Greenwood who was 3rd overall in a time of 29:22.  Peter Cruise was next in 8th   place in 30:56 and was 1st vet50.  Joanna Goorney was 9th in 31:09,2nd lady and 1st female vet45 followed by Graham Webster in 14th  place,31:45 and 1st vet60.  Kevin Ashworth was 18th in 32:40, Russ Chew 40th in 37:45, Greg Oulton 43rd in 38:10, Laura Ashworth 55th in 39:13, Julia Rolfe 60th in 40:22 and Sylvia Gittins 67th in 43:08 and 1st female vet65.