Wesham Road Runners

The week offered a rest from cross country but there was still variety to be had for athletes on the road and trail as February eased into some better weather.

The Blackburn Winter Warmer 10k took place on Sunday with a start and finish with a lap of the track in Witton Park and then headed up and out of the park onto the renowned Bunser Lane with a big climb up onto Billinge Hill. Adam Wilding finished 4^th in 35:19 with Tom Crabtree placing 35^th in 40:32 and Steve Myerscough in 54^th with 42:54, placing 4^th M50. Lee Barlow was 71^st and 5^th M50 in 43:57 with Ian Nichols Hogg 100^th in 45:34. Carmel Sullivan was the 9^th woman and 1^st W55 in 48:00, 125^th overall. Bev Wilding came in 2^nd W60 and 42^nd woman in 53:47, placing 232^nd overall. Peter Rooney finished 279^th and 8^th M60 in 57:02, and Paul Carter was 352^nd in 1:00:36 for 26^th M50. There were no team results despite the race having 515 finishers and an entry of 570.

Kirsty Holland completed the Montane Grizedale Forest Trail 13 Half Marathon in the Lake District in 66^th female place and 198^th overall with her time of 2:48:19 (2:47:42 chip time). Helen Greenhalgh ran the Trail 26 Marathon and she finished 34^th female and 9^th W40 with an excellent run in 5:46:16 (5:44:31 chip time), placing 135^th overall.

There were 20 Wesham runners taking part in a parkrun at 9am on Saturday morning in reasonable conditions, if a little chilly and breezy in some parts. The parkrun tourists revisited the Birkenhead parkrun where Dan Bolton took 17:03 for an age graded performance of 75.66% for a First Timer recording. David Taylor was 10^th fastest in 18:32 for an M35 grade of 72.03%. Steven Gore ran 19:09 for M40 72.32% with Carl Groome on 20:16 for M55 75.82%. Vicky Gore returned 24:00 for W45 68.19%; Elliot Costello ran 25:51 and an age graded 50.16%; and Andy Moore clocked 28:20 for M60 57.59%. Michelle Pitt ran 49:46 for W40 31.38%; Tracy Clare 49:58 and 29.75%; and Sue Rigby 49:59 for W50 33.54%. At the Lytham Hall parkrun Jonathan Lawson recorded a time of 22:50 for an M55 grade of 67.88%. Ian Nichols Hogg ran 24:35 for 52.88% and Colin Smy clocked 24:50 for M40 56.64%. Anne Berry ran 32:24 giving her a W60 grade of 60.75%. In Blackpool’s Stanley Park Jamie Houghton ran the second fastest time of 18:17 for a new persona; best and an age grade of 70.56%. On Fleetwood Promenade Sharon Cooper ran 24:53 for W50 67.38%, and in Avenham and Miller Park in Preston Steve Abbott clocked 18:57 for an M45 75.99%. Further afield in the Keswick run in Fitz Park Jo McCaffery timed in at 28:58 for W45 55.35% and Martin Allison was on 36:44 for M40 37.16%, and in the Talkin Tarn Country Park in Brampton in Cumbria Mike Eyre ran 31:23 for M60 51.57% and Helen Eyre clocked 31:24 for W55 60.08%. Emma Brook was at home in Chester-Le-Street for the Riverside parkrun which she completed in 27:45 for W40 55.44%, while Alona Versinina was in Guernsey and ran the parkrun at Pembroke Bay in Vale in 26:22 for 5^th female and a W35 age grade of 56.89%.