Fylde clubs are looking ahead to the start of this year’s Inter Club Grand Prix between Blackpool, Chorley, Lytham, Preston, Red Rose, Thornton and Wesham, kicking off in Stanley Park in Blackpool on Wednesday evening 2nd April. This week the British Masters Cross Country Championships took place in Tollcross Park in Glasgow to round off the winter season with a good international field from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, but there was only one Fylde athlete present, representing Salford Harriers, Trevor Rayner in the M60 category. The ex-Garstang runner Mike Whyatt, a former fell champion and now resident in Wales and running for Eryri Harriers finished in silver medal position in the same age group.
Des Cleary ran the Garstang Gallop 7-Mile road race on the undulating route from the Royal Oak in the town centre on a undulating loop to finish on the old railway track at the Sports and Social Club, finishing 55th in 56:58 and 4th M60. Peter Rooney placed 82nd with 1:03:44, 9th M65 in a very strong age category, and Julie Rooney was 55th female in 1:19:59, 120th overall and 115th W50.
With 28 Wesham members at 12 parkrun venues for 9am on Saturday morning they were spread far and wide as well as with a good representation across the Fylde region. Dan Bolton placed 3rd fastest of the day at the Heaton parkrun in Manchester to run a time of 16:59. There were eight members at the Preston run in Avenham Park, where Carl Groome clocked 20:14, with Steve Myerscough coming in at 20:39, Jordan Doddemeade 20:58, Vicky Gore was 18th female in 25:10, Andy Moore ran 27:49, Alice Deacon 28:25, Sue Rigby 35:02 and Michelle Pitt 39:00. International globetrotters Mike Eyre was 4th finisher in the Vejen parkrun in Denmark in 24:38 with Helen Eyre 3rd female with 31:26, and Rob Wallace was in the Pineto park in Rome to run 25:37. Martin Bates recorded 33:12 this week while Alex Rowe walked the undulating Tollcross parkrun in Glasgow in 43:44. David Taylor was 3rd fastest in the Crosby event along the beach north of Liverpool past Anthony Gormley’s iconic Iron Men in 18:18. There were four Wesham members in Lytham Hall where Ian Nichols Hogg was 11th fastest in 21:11, Jonathan Lawson ran 22:53, Alona Versinina 27:20 and Phil Leaver walked 58:52. In Blackpool n Stanley Park Lee Barlow was 6th with 21:08, Adam Wilding taking it easier in 11th with 21:59, and Bev Wilding 10th female in 26:03. On Fleetwood Promenade Jonny Heathcote was 7th in 19:40, Des Cleary ran 23:50, Alan Hudson 26:18 and Dave Young 28:46. Ryan Azzopardi ran the Sutton Manor parkrun on the old colliery site in St Helens in 26:48 and John Naylor was in Worden Park to record 27:24.