The Cheshire Elite 10k sited on “The Magic Triangle” between Chester and Wrexham was opened up as the Pulford 10k this year although with a cutoff time of 50 minutes. It attracted 426 runners and saw impressive performances with 15 finishers inside 30 minutes and winning times of 28:38 (men) and 31:18 (women), with 164 runners inside 35 minutes and 325 under 40 minutes. This is branded as one of the fastest courses in the UK s well worth athletes putting this in the diary for next year.
The Pennine Trails Leighton Hall and AONB 10k and Half Marathon Trail Races took place on Saturday afternoon at Leighton Hall near Carnforth. There were two Wesham ladies running the half marathon, and Jo McCaffery finished 41st woman and 12th W40 in 3:11:09, 132nd overall. Anne Berry was 42nd and 5th W60 in 3:11:11 placing 133rd overall.
In the Inskip Half Marathon on Saturday morning Dan Bolton was running 4th over the first half but was then taken ill and dropped back to 14th to come in with a time of 1:29:50. It was a glorious spring morning for running with a slight easterly wind over the circular course through Wharles, eaves and Great Eccleston finishing at the Boot and Shoe. Amdrew Wilkinson finished 63rd in 2:11:18, with Dawn Biggs 68th in 2:19:58 (23rd woman and 1st W55) and Sharlan Butcher 69th with 2:22:43 (24th and 4th W50), finding it too warm for running.
There were 30 Wesham members running in non parkruns on Saturday morning at 9am. There were two members on holiday in Copenhagen and took in the Amager Fælled parkrun in the large central area. Finlay McCalman ran 27:13 and Martin Bates clocked 29:35. Much nearer home Steve Myerscough completed the Preston parkrun in 20:53 and John Naylor recorded 28:51. David Taylor was 3rd fastest in the Southport run in Hesketh Park for 17:29 with Mike Eyre on 22:55, Vicky Gore 8th female in 24:04 and Helen Eyre coming in with a time of 30:25. In the Ormskirk parkrun Chris Banks was 3rd fastest in 17:25, while there were seven Wesham runners in the Lytham Hall run. Ian Nichols Hogg was 10th in 21:33, Jonathan Lawson ran 22:48, Alan Edgar 24:56, Mark Holton 25:01, Carly Edgar returned 30:16, Mary Lois Cortes 35:17 and Phil Leaver 55:41. Ryan Azzopardi clocked the Sale Water parkrun in south Manchester in 25:05 and the biggest showing of Wesham members was at home in Blackpool’s Stanley Park. Jamie Houghton was 3rd fastest with 19:19, Jordan Doddemeade 11th in 20:33, Carl Groome 12th with 20:48 and Lee Barlow 16th in 22:10. Rob Wallace ran 24:08, Andy Moore 27:58, Sally Deacon 30:24, Sue Rigby 35:23 and Michelle Pitt 39:58. On Fleetwood Promenade parkrun former Wesham member Rob Danson was the fastest of the day in 16:16 but Sue Coulthurst was the fastest for Wesham and also first woman on the day with 21:16, an excellent performance for the W55. Des Cleary ran 23:51 and James Danson clocked 28:10. In the Doddington Hall parkrun in Lincoln Bradley Flatt ran 20:13.