There were 61 finishers in the popular Alsager 5-Mile road race of 1079 athletes but there were no competitors from the Fylde in this race that used to boast winning times in the 23 minute zone. Similarly, across the Pennines, there were 2650 runners in the Dewsbury 10k where there were 32 runners under 33 minutes and 473 finishers inside 40 minutes. Today sees the third Mid lancs Cross Country in Townley Park, and results next week, with the season reduced to four fixtures with the finale in Beacon Park in Skelmersdale on 1st March.
There were six Wesham members taking part in the Blackburn Winter Warmer 10k from Witton Park with its initial climb up the notoriously steep Bunser Lane hill, a mile of a lung burster out of the park. Tom Crabtree was on good form, and he finished 8th in 37:59, a good time for this challenging course. Mick Edge came in 110th and 8th M60 in 47:54, with Carmel Sullivan finishing 14th woman and 2nd W55 in 48:32, 123rd overall. Paul Carter crossed the finish line in 298th in 58:08, 16th M55, with Roy Glendinning coming in 321st with 59:17, 18th M55. Liz Sharrocks finished 138th woman in 1:04:13, 406th overall and 12th W60.
There were 37 Wesham members running a 5km parkrun at 9am on Saturday morning at 10 venues across the UK. Ryan Azzopardi travelled to the venue of the very first parkrun some 15 years ago at Bushey in Middlesex and he ran a time of 24:10. There were two Wesham members in the Preston parkrun, Steve Myerscough clocked 21:05 and Nigel Shepherd ran 21:54. In the run in Roundhay Park in Leeds Mike Eyre recorded 24:38 and Helen Eyre 32:35, and on her home patch Emma Brook ran the Riverside parkrun in Chester-Le-Street in 28:19. The Wesham Tourists went to the Burnage run in Varley Park in Stockport where David Taylor ran the 2nd fastest time of 18:29 and Carl Groome returned 21:01. Vicky Gore was 8th fastest female in 26:00 with Alona Versinina running 28:57, Michelle Pitt 40:57 and Sue Rigby on 40:59. Anne Berry was in Ellesmere Port to clock 35:03 for 10th female, and there were nine members at the Lytham Hall run, back on after the recent stormy conditions, where Ian Nichols Hogg was 6th fastest in 20:18 followed by Jonathan Lawson who ran 23:17. Mark Holton clocked 29:03, Veronica Walker 34:23, Mary Lois Cortes 39:39, Emma Davies 49:34, and Tom Crabtree and Alek Walker sharing support in 51:25 and 51:29. Phil Leaver jog/walked to 53:49. Daniel Bolton had the fastest time in the Blackpool parkrun in Stanley Park to record 17:55 with Elliot Costello on 27:24. Andy Moore returned a time of 28:44 with Tracy Clare on 33:40 and Kim McGuire 34:32. John Naylor was in Macclesfield and he ran 27:40 while there was another good Wesham presence on Fleetwood Promenade where Sue Coulthurst produced the fastest female time of 21:27 followed by Andrew Taylor in 22:03. Des Cleary ran 23:56 and Alan Edgar 24:55 while Lisa Minns was 9th fastest woman in 26:07. James Danson returned a time of 27:41, Duncan Carter 27:42, Carly Edgar 28:40 and Martin Bates 31:33.