The Easter weekend offered a good variety of running events for Fylde athletes.
There were three runners inside the 60-minute mark at this year’s Calder Vale 10-mile race on Good Friday, and four Wesham members took part over the challenging hilly course, a circular route from the centre of the village up hill and down dale on a good morning for running. John Naylor was 75th in 1:19:50 for 13th M40. Finlay McCalman finished 127th in 1:32:45 for 13th M60 after his recent birthday. Jen Salt was 156th and 59th woman in 1:39:10, 14th W45. Paul carter was just behind in 165th place with his time 1:42:43.
Martin Bates was in the Isle of Man for the Easter Festival of Running over the weekend. He finished 228th overall in the Port Erin 10K on Friday in a time of 50:37 to take 2nd M65. On Saturday morning at 9am he was out for the Nobles parkrun in Douglas to run 27:26 for an M65 age graded percentage of 62.27% and earn himself a personal best for the course. He then went on to run the second stage of the Festival, the Peel Hill Race where he clocked 43:58 to come in 186th overall and 3rd M65. On Sunday he ran the concluding stage in the Douglas 5k in 24:42 for 198th this time winning the M65 age category. He thus placed 131st overall in the festival in a cumulative time of 1:59:15, securing the 1st M65 age place having won out over Edward Collier who clocked 2:05:10, and seeing off Kevin Vondy (Northern), Peter Duchars and Ribbie Lambie (Western) along the way.
There were 645 runners in the popular Salford 10k but there were only a few club members from the Preston and Fylde region. The winner was Alex Ediker of City of Sheffield in 31:42 with the women’s winner Sarah Potter of Leeds City in 35:03.
The Rivington Pike race in Horwich celebrated its centenary on Saturday, a traditional 3.25-mile run up and down the hill with 800ft of climb. It was established by the Horwich Railway Mechanic Institute and the burgeoning Harriers club as a challenge on the Pike which stands proud over the town. This year’s race was won by Joe Steward (Salford AC) in 16:37 and Sara Willhoit (Mercia Fell Runners) in 20:28. The race attracted 396 runners, none from the Fylde area and just four members of Preston Harriers.
There were 36 Wesham members running a parkrun on Saturday morning at 9am over a 5km distance. On home ground at the Lytham Hall parkrun there were eight members, led by Ian Nichols Hogg in 22:09 for an age graded performance of 58.69%. Jonathan Lawson ran 23:28 for an M55 graded 66.05% with Bev Wilding on 26:00 for a W60 75.71%. Sharon Cooper clocked 26:43 for W50 62.76% with Stephen Twist on 27:09 for M55 57.58% and Emma Wright recording 31:04 for a W45 grade of 51.61%. John Bradley ran 44:05 with an M55 35.77% and Phil Leaver upped his time in his recovery to 45:53 for M70 38.43%. In Blackpool’s Stanley Park Lee Barlow returned 22:18 for an M50 graded 67.19%, and Anne Berry ran 33:50 for W60 58.18% with Kerry Eccles on 34:50 for a W60 56.51%. There were good numbers at the Fleetwood Promenade parkrun in great conditions for running, where Jamie Houghton clocked another personal best in 17:47 for the fourth fastest time of the day with an age graded 72.54%. Nigel Shepherd turned in a fast time of 20:50 for M65 80.48% and Damian Ings ran 21:43 for M50 67.92% in a new age category. George Kennedy returned to the fold to clock 25:04 for M65 67.55% and Tom Nicholson ran 26:52 for 48.26%. Dave Young produced 30:44 for an M75 62.74% and Martin Allison clocked 37:05 for M40 36.81%. In the Preston parkrun Steve Myerscough ran 21:03 for M50 70.07% and Andy Moore was on 28:39 for M60 56.95%. Adam Wilding was the third fastest runner in the Lancaster parkrun. In Williamson Park with a time of 18:15 for 71.23%, and Will Parkinson ran 22:22 for M35 58.94%. On Morecambe Prom Emma Lund was eighth fastest female in 23:01 for a W40 graded 66.84% and in the Tawd Valley parkrun in Skelmersdale Chris Banks ran the fastest time of 18:59 for M35 71.38% and a new personal best time. In Longford Park in Stretford Tracey Hulme ran 25:16 for W60 76.78% and Martin Bates clocked a personal best in the Nobles run in Douglas Isle of Man in 27:26 for M65 62.27%. The Wesham parkrun Tourists went to the Widnes run in Victoria Park where David Taylor had the second fastest time of 17:38 for an M35 75.71%. Vicky Gore ran the 7th fastest female time of 23:24 for W45 69.94% with Ryan Azzopardi on 23:58 for M40 58.69%. Mike Eyre returned 24:20 for M60 66.51%; Alona Versinina and Steven Gore clocked 25:39 for W35 58.67% and M40 54.00%, and Helen Eyre ran 31:50 for a W55 59.27%. Emma Brook was joined in the Riverside parkrun by Carl Groome and Sue Rigby where she ran 28:09 for W40 54.65%. Carl clocked 20:19 for M55 75.64% and Sue ran 37:19 with a W50 44.93%.