With true spring weather it had been very wet and cooler all week but abated for the weekend for some fine conditions, and there were some events for Northwest athletes while the focus is on cross country and indoor athletics. Of note was the cancellation of the English National Cross Country to have been staged at a new venue Weston Park a few miles northeast of Telford, which was called off because the planed car parking area was flooded. It is considered postponed but finding an alternative date this late in the season will be a challenge for the organisers.
Mick Edge ran the Lostock 6 race on Sunday, and he finished 104th in this popular club race in a time of 43:41 for 6th Over-60 runner. Carmel Sullivan was 108th in 43:49, 1st W55 and 10th woman.
The Blackpool 10k in Stanley Park on sundae saw several Wesham members taking part. Carl Groome was the first Wesham finisher in 15th place in a time of 40:58, coming in 2nd M55. Martin Bates was 59th in 48:21 and placed 2nd M65, running in with Richard Jones of Garstang. Helen Greenhalgh finished 7th woman and 61st overall in 48:28, securing the 1st W45. Andy MacDonald came in 76th in 50:45 6th M55. Stuart Mulrooney paced Bev Wilding to her diamond standard in the Wesham ratings, with the pair coming in 88th and 89th in 51:50 and 51:51, with Bev 14th woman and 2nd W60. Finlay McCalman was 102nd in 52:28 placing 10th M55. Peter Rooney finished 116th in 54:31 for 3rd M65. Long time Wesham member Kath Hoyer in her first race for some while was 33rd female in 55:57 to take 4th W60. Helen Dutton finished 39th woman and 6th W40 in 57:47 and taking 142nd place overall. There were exactly 300 runners in this race. Also present was former Wesham chair and long-time member Dave Waywell.
There were 29 Wesham members out running a parkrun on Saturday morning at 9am, with the largest contingent in Blackpool’s Stanley Park to celebrate Martin Bates’ 250th parkrun. Jamie Houghton ran the 3rd fastest time of the day with 18:26 for an age graded percentage of 69.98%. Steve Myerscough clocked 21:39 for an M50 age graded 68.13% with fellow Prestonian Nigel Shepherd recording 22:28 for an M65 74.63%. Martin Bates himself timed in at 24:35 for his celebration and M65 age grade of 69.49%. Rob Wallace ran 25:22 for a grade of 50.99%; Finlay McCalman returned 27:24 with M55 58.03%; and Dave Young came in with 32:43 for M75 58.94%. Anne Berry and Pauline Eccleston ran 34:33 and 34:34 for W60 56.97% and W50 50.39% respectively. Kerry Eccles returned 34:37 for W60 56.86%; and Alex Rowe had a swift walk round in 45:18 for M65 37.38%. In Lytham Hall parkrun Jonathan Lawson ran 22:45 for M55 68.13%; Agness Woods clocked 29:18 for a W55 grade of 61.77%; and Phil Leaver was recovering well from his operation to fast walk 46:48 for M70 37.68%. On Fleetwood Promenade in perfect weather conditions Adam Wilding produced the fastest time of the day with 16:16 for an age graded 79.92% and Ian Nichols Hogg ran 21:11 for 61.37%. Vicky Gore was 5th fastest female with 23:49 for W45 68.72%; and Alan Hudson recorded 25:19 for an M70 grade of 73.60%. Along Morecambe Prom Dan Eyre clocked 19:32 for M45 73.12%, and in Worden Park Mike Eyre was on 27:02 for M60 59.86% and Helen Eyre ran 34:45 with a W55 54.29%. In Manchester Daniel Bolton ran the Heaton parkrun in 17:17 for 74.64% and his 20th run here, and up the road in Tameside in the Hyde run Carl Groome was 8th fastest in 21:20 for M55 72.03%. In tandem Alona Versinina was 8th female in 27:12 for a W35 grade of 55.15%. Andy Moore recorded 29:29 for M60 55.34% and Sue Rigby ran 39:20 for W50 42.63%. Ryan Azzopardi was in Princes parkrun in Liverpool to run 26:49 for M40 52.45% and on home ground in Chester-Le-Street Emma Brook ran her local Riverside parkrun in 27:48 for W40 55.34%. Emma Lund was in south London and ran in Crystal Palace Park for the 6th fastest time of 23:51 and a W40 graded 64.15%.