Alex’s Newspaper Report – 29th June

Mick Edge and Nigel Shepherd in the Thornton Inter Club on Tuesday.

There were plenty of athletic races on in the North o England but with the unfortunate cancellation of the Catforth 10k and 5k races there was nothing locally to tempt Wesham members. In quick succession after the Preston race two weeks ago the fourth stage of the Inter Club series was hosted by Thornton Cleveleys on the Bispham cliff top with its 5-mile circuit to Gynn Square and back along the bottom to Anchorsholme and back up onto the cliff. With the second England game on in the Euros the results and a full will be available next week.

Kirsty Holland completed her Ironman at the IM Austria event, completing her 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim, 112-mile (180.2 km) bike ride and marathon of 26.22-mile (42.2 km) in 17:03:24 for the total 140.6 miles (226.3 km). Mick Edge had swim/biked/run the Mini Lakesman event in Keswick the previous week, with a 2k swim in Derwentwater followed by a hilly 56-mile cycle race with 3500ft of climb and windy conditions. He came in first M65 and qualified for Great Britain team again.

Last week Wesham had staged their annual predictor race where runners have o guess their finish time over an announced distance but a course new to all entrants. This year’s 4-mile took in the canal from the hand and Dagger and into a loop of country lanes towards Treales, finishing back at the pub. The results re not to hand at present.

There were 33 Wesham members running a parkrun on Saturday morning over a 5km course, up and down the country. In the Preston parkrun in Avenham and Miller Parks Steve Myerscough ran 20:40 for an M50 age graded performance of 71.37%. Vicky Gore clocked 25:12 for a W45 percentage of 64.95% with Andy Moore running 27:35 for M60 59.15%. At the Riverside run at home in Chester-Le-Street Emma Brook returned 27:21 for a new personal; best performance with W40 56.25% taking PB 12 seconds off her previous best time. In Perry Hall Park in Birmingham Steven Gore ran the fifth fastest time of the day with 20:06 for M40 69.49%. Alona Versinina was sixth quickest female in 26:36 for a W35 graded 56.58%. Tracey Hulme ran the Stretford parkrun in Manchester’s Longford Park for a time of 25:09 and a W60 age graded 77.14%. With the cancellation of the Lytham Hall event to the Lytham Club Day the biggest show of Wesham members was at the Blackpool run in Stanley Park where 11 men and 7 ladies ran with Dan Bolton 2nd fastest overall in 17:46 for SM25 72.61% with Jamie Houghton fifth in 18:13 for 70.81%. David Taylor was 7th fastest in 19:19 for an M35 graded 69.11% and Chris Haines ninth in 19:53 with an M35 68.15%. Carl Groome ran 21:02 for M55 73.06% with Lee Barlow on 21:26 for M50 69.91%. Chris Hastwell came in with 22:22 and an M40 61.48% and Stephen Twist clocked 24:58 for M55 62.62%. Tom Crabtree ran 26:34 for 48.81% and Agness Woods returned 27:24 for a W55 66.97%. Peter Rooney ran 27:46 with M65 60.38%; Carly Edgar 27:47 for W40 55.79%; Alan Edgar recorded 27:47 for M40 50.27%, and then Sharon Cooper ran 31:09 for W50 53.83%; Emma Davies 32:36 with 45.40%; Michelle Pitt ran 38:07 for W40 40.97%; then Julie Rooney 40:18 with a W50 41.60%; and Sue Rigby clocked 43:18 for W50 38.72%. Along Fleetwood Promenade George Kennedy ran 23:23 for M65 72.42%. On holiday in North Devon Jo McCaffery and Martin Allison ran the Woolacombe Dunes parkrun, with Jo completing the sand and trail course in 33:56 for a W45 age graded 47.25% and Martin on 45:52 for M40 29.76%. In Roberts Park in Baildon at Saltaire in Shipley Mike Eyre ran 24:10 for M60 67.52% and Helen Eyre clocked 30:40 with a W55 61.52%. There were three Wesham members at the Worden parkrun in Leyland where Ian Nichols Hogg recorded 20:47 for an age graded 62.55%; Tom Nicholson returned 25:51 for 50.16%; and Mary Lois Cortes clocked 38:34 with W35 39.24%.