It was a tough week across the region as it started with a hefty dump of snow and a cold snap that lasted eight days and initially caused chaos although it was good for snowmen.
By Sunday conditions had eases and there was a good turnout from Wesham at the Garstang 10km on Sunday, one of the main athletics events in the local calendar, especially at this time of the year, and the event proves a popular kick-off for the new year for runners. There was a classy group running under 37 minutes, with local runner Ben Brassington from Lancaster pulling away to win in 34:10 over the undulating course in still fairly inclement weather after the real cold snap of the week before that had cancelled all of the parkruns and cross country league fixtures the previous day. Wesham’s Tom Crabtree was in this lead group, finishing 8th in 36:52. He had early company from Jamie Houghton, who came in 13th in 38:06 with a good run just over a minute outside his best. Dann Eyre finished 35th in 41:28 for 3rd M45 with Carl Groome 38th in 41:41, 2nd M55 just ahead of the leading W55 Karen Bridge from Eden. Lee Barlow was right behind in 40th place and 4th M50 in 41:46. Jordan Doddemeade came in 50th in 42:43 with Bradley Flat just 7 seconds behind in 42:50 for 52nd place two minutes short of his current best from the faster course at last year’s Salford 10k. Stuart Mulrooney was 3rd in this interesting Wesham group in 56th place in 43:08 for 9th M40. Andrew Wilkinson finished 122nd in 50:22 for 10th M55, with Des Cleary 128th in 51:32, 7th M60. Alan Hudson was second Over-70 and first M70 in 55:39, 161st overall. Peter Rooney finished 171st and 6th M65 in 57:05 with Paul Carter 179th in 57:57. Sharlan Butcher was 50th woman and 187th in 59:12, followed by Emma Wright 52nd and 189th in 59:13. Johnny Knight finished 196th in 59:47 to round off the Wesham squad. If there had been a team competition the Wesham men would have won ahead of Lancaster and Garstang.
The weather was so extreme on Saturday morning with freezing temperatures and snow and ice still lingering that virtually all of the parkruns and cross country league fixtures in the North-West were cancelled, many more than 24 hours in advance. Three Wesham members did manage to get to a parkrun for 9am on Saturday, with Martin Bates getting to Heaton Park in north Manchester to run 37:10 over the 2-lap undulating course finishing at the highest point on the course outside the manor house. John Naylor was in Leeds and the Roundhay event took place, where he clocked 29:37 over the figure-of-eight course of two laps. Emma Brook found her local run at Riverside in Chester-Le-Street was on, and she ran 27:48 for her best run in three weeks having not missed a run here for a succession of eight weeks.