Alex’s Newspaper Report – 15th June

Three in a row as Lee Barlow and Ian Nichols Hogg finish the Preston Inter Club race

The third round of the Inter Club race series took place on Wednesday evening hosted by Preston Harriers a new accurately measured 4-mile course around Moor Park. It was a fine and warm evening for running and the 2.5-lap course took in an undulating path and the best views of the park and was expertly organised by the Harriers with a generous reception after the race in the nearby Deepdale Labour Club. Wesham had a good turnout of runners and supporters, and the full results will be in next week’s report.

Emma Brook ran the world-famous Blaydon Races along the Scotswood Road in Newcastle to finish 923rd female in in 58:51 with a chip time of 54:21 for 911th. She was 154th W40 and 2839th overall in a field of 4339 finishers for the 5.8 miles from the quayside at the City Marina on the bank of the Tyne to the playing fields at the Blaydon Youth and Community centre. First staged in 1981 it was conceived from the words of the 1862 hit song ‘The Blaydon Races’ “Gannin alang the Scotswood Road, to see the Blaydon Races” sung by Geordie Ridley.

Dan Hounslea ran the Inglewhite Green Man Trail 10k and he finished 2nd in a time of 1:02:51. Beckie Ingham was first lady in 1:04:30 for 6th place overall. Alistair Morris finished 17th in 1:28:41. The 15k attracted more runners but there were no Wesham finishers.

Martin Bates had a tour of the fells starting out with the Leo Pollard Memorial Fell Race on Thursday evening, over a 10km course over 1378ft of climb from the Rivington Upper Barn up to the Pigeon Tower, Rivington Pike and up to the Winter Hill mast over the Two Lads. Martin finished 46th and 3rd M65 1:21:52. He then went on for a double weekend in the Lakeland Trails, where on Saturday he ran the Lakeland Trails 10k in Coniston with an ascent of 1,111ft to time in at 1:27:21 to finish 203rd and 21st Over-60 out of 298 runners. On Sunday he took in a second 10k of the weekend, when he ran the mini-Marathon 10k of the second day itinerary of the Lakeland Trail Series and he finished 1:22:10 for 78th place overall and 10th Over-60, as an M65. This course had a climb of 2065ft. This completed his fifth trail or fell race in 8 days.

In this month’s Wesham Handicap David Taylor had the fastest time of 28:37 over the 4.6-mile course through Treales with Jamie Houghton second with 28:51 and Frazer Swindells third in 29:53. Natalie Mulrooney ran the quickest ladies’ tine of 37:26 with Bev Wilding second in 43:03. Alona Versinina was third in 44:32. Alek Walker clocked 31:08; Tom Crabtree ripped 31:12 and Dan Eyre 31:43. Brad Flatt recorded 32:14 with Stuart Mulrooney on 32:56, Andy Taylor running 33:47, Jordan Doddy 33:57, Mick Edge 35:06, Nigel Shepherd on 35:17, Rob Wallace 35:50 and John Naylor 35:53. Alan Edgar returned 37:16,  Elliott Costello 40:11, Stephen Twist 40:25, Tom Nicholson 40:44 and Ryan Azzapardi 41:42. Peter Rooney came in with 41:47, Roy Glendinning ran 44:28, Ian Garrod clocked 45:37, Vron Walker  46:47, and Andy Moore 47:12.

There were 30 Wesham members running a parkrun on Saturday spread up and down the country. In the Preston parkrun Nigel Shepherd clocked 21:25 for an M65 age graded performance of 79.07%. Vicky Gore was also there, and she ran 25:02 for a W45 age graded 65.38%. Over the water in the grounds of Queen’s University Sport at Upper Malone in South Belfast Mike Eyre ran 23:46 for M60 68.65% and Helen Eyre 30:20 to achieve W55 62.20%. In Longford Park in Stretford Manchester Tracey Hulme returned 25:28 for a W60 graded 76.18% and on home ground in Lytham Hall there were nine Wesham members with Dan Bolton running the second fastest time of the day with 17:38 for an SM25 73.16%. Steve Myerscough was 9th fastest with a time of 20:39 for an M50 age graded 71.43% with Ian Nichols Hogg on 21:39 for 60.05%. Alan Edgar returned 23:20 for M40 59.86%; Ian Garrod a good turn of heels with 23:24 for M60 69.73%; Carly Edgar ran 29:03 for W40 53.36% with Peter Cooke a welcome return with 31:42 for M65 52.89% in his new age category. Mary Lois Cortes ran 38:55 for W35 38.89% and Phil Leaver was on 44:06 for M70 39.98%. Up the road in Blackpool in Stanley Park Rob Wallace clocked 22:21 for 58.02%; Finlay McCalman ran 26:51 for M60 59.71%; and Agness Woods recorded 28:49 for W55 63.68%. In the Northwich Marbury Park Carl Groome finished 9th fastest in 21:05 for M55 72.89% as the Wesham parkrun Tourists were made up of Ryan Azzopardi who ran 25:55 for M40 54.28%; Andy Moore on 28:15 for M60 57.76%; Michelle Pitt recording 37:34 for W40 41.57%; and Sue Rigby running 46:44 with W50 35.88%. Back in the Fylde along Fleetwood Promenade George Kennedy was in contention with 24:06 for M65 70.26% and Alex Rowe was on a fast walk with Lytham’s Graham Cunliffe for a time of 40:24 with an M65 graded 42.29%. At Kew Woods, Southport’s “other” parkrun Emma Wright ran 30:51 for a W45 graded 51.97% as a First Timer, and Jo McCaffery was in Rothay Park in Keswick to clock 28:12 for W45 56.86% with Martin Allison on 46:21 for M40 29.45%. Over in Roberts Park in Saltaire, Shipley John Naylor recorded 22:56 for an M40 age graded 60.90% also as a First Timer, and the parkrun score increased for Steven Gore as he clocked up the day’s fastest time with 19:39 for M40 71.08% at the Epworth Equestrian parkrun near Hatfield in Hertfordshire. Alona Versinina was 4th fastest female in 27:02 for W35 55.67%.