Alex’s Newspaper Report – 20th July

The Wesham Inter Club Fell team at the Hameldon Quarry race; Martin Bates; Chris Banks; Steve Myerscough; Ian Nichols Hogg; Kay Twist; Dan Hounslea

The next fixture of the Inter Club Fell series and the Wesham Trail and Fell Running Championship was held at the Hameldon Quarry Fell Race from Hapton east of Accrington on Tuesday evening over a 4-mile out-and-back route with 1312ft of climb to the trig point on the top of Hameldon Hill. Chris Banks finished 11th overall in 36:05 with Dan Hounslea 32nd in 39:37. Steve Myerscough was 5th M50 and 37th overall in 40:52 and Ian Nichols Hogg 50th in 44:44. Kay Twist was Wesham’s only lady runner and she came in 12th woman and 2nd W50 in 49:54, 63rd overall. Martin Bates completed the Wesham team in 85th place for 3rd M65 in a time of 62:46. The Wesham team was 6th overall with Preston the winners and Chorley AC third.

Finlay McCalman ran the Ilkley Half Marathon in 1:57:57 (1:57:02 chip time) for 1003rd place in this very popular race and placing 49th M60 as he continues to celebrate his new age category. There were 10 runners under 1hor 15minutes in a fairly high-quality race with the winning time 1:06:25.

Agnes Woods finished 14th in the Blackpool 5km Music Run along the Promenade in a time of 26:18 (25:49 chip time) to place 4th female. Andrew Taylor was 5th in 19:54, a great performance by this new recruit to the club. In the accompanying 10km race Alan Edgar finished 44th in 46:21 with Carly Edgar 49th woman and 168th overall in 58:25 (57:19 chip time). Sarah Walls finished 50th woman and 170th overall with a time of 58:29 (57:23 chip time).

Martin Bates finished 16th Over-60 in the Lakeland Trails Ambleside Ultra, where he ran the 14k (9 miles) course in 2:01:40, on a circular route 338 finishers in this popular event that also included 23km, 55km and 100km challenge.

In further results from the Endure 24 in Bramham Park on the weekend of June 23rd Sharlan Butcher and Dawn Biggs completed 9 laps of 8km in 24:47:57 with their fastest lap time being 1:09:49 and 1:07:24 respectively. Kirsty Holland completed 6 laps and had to retire after 1:09:41 and a total distance of 48km having a recurring niggle after her recent triumph in the Ironman..

There were 29 Wesham members who ran a 5km parkrun at many venues throughout the north of England. In the Preston parkrun in Avenham and Miller parks David Taylor ran the third fastest time of the day in 18:26 for an M35 age graded performance of 72.42% of world record time for his age. Dan Eyre reached the finish in 20:25 for an M45 graded 69.96% with Steve Myerscough running 20:51 for M50 70.74%. Nigel Shepherd clocked 21:36 for an M65 age graded 78.40% with Mike Eyre on 24:24 for M60 66.87% and Helen Eyre recording 31:46 for W60 60.23%. John Naylor was in Liverpool’s Princes Park adjacent to Sefton Park to run 23:38 for M40 59.10%. Emma Brook was at home in Chester-Le-Street in the Riverside to run 26:32 for a W40 graded 57.98% while in the Crichton run in Dumfries George Kennedy was away from home although on his national ground to record 23:24 and an M65 graded 72.36%. In Lytham Hall six Wesham members were led by Chris Hastwell with the 6th fastest time of 20:57 for M40 65.63% with Ian Nichols Hogg on 22:23 for an age graded 58.08%. Jonathan Lawson ran 23:06 with M55 67.10%; Agnes Woods clocked 27:22 for W55 67.05%; Jo McCaffery returned 28:28 for a W45 grade of 56.32%; and Anne Berry ran 31:21 for W60 62.79% with Kerry Eccles in at 38:51 with W60 50.66%. Nearby in Blackpool’s Stanley Park Adam Wilding had the fastest time with 17:02 for an age graded 76.61% with Lee Barlow on fire to run an excellent 20:41 for M50 with the week’s second highest age grading for Wesham of 72.44%. Carl Groome recorded 21:42 for M55 70.81%; Will Parkinson ran 22:21 with M35 59.36%; Rob Wallace finished in 23:14 for 55.81%; Andy Moore came in with 27:45 for M60 58.80%; Alona Versinina returned 27:57 for W35 53.85%; and Sue Rigby ran 51:34 for W50 32.51%. On Fleetwood Promenade Tom Nicholson clocked 24:52 for 52.14%; and Alex Rowe improved his walk-jog to 32:07 for an M65 graded 53.19%. Notching another First Timer visit at The Pastures in the Northumberland town of Alnwick Steven Gore was the 6th fastest of the day in 19:55 for an M40 grade of 70.13% with Vicky Gore 9th female in 27:00 for W45 60.62%. Martin Bates kicked off his Lakeland weekend with a time of in the Rothay Park parkrun in Keswick with a time of 27:11 for an M65 grade of 62.84%.