Conditions Were Fine for the Preston 10 Mile Race on Sunday, Two Laps Through Longton From

Jenn Thompson tackles the steep descent in the barrow Mid Lancs Cross Country

It was a busier weekend for athletics and also good weather for running. At the Mid Lancs cross country fixture at Thorncliffe in Barrow Wesham had a good turnout of 8 women but just 6 men. Catherine Carrdus was the head of the Wesham Ladies team finishing 3rd W35 and 10th overall in 21:10 for the 3-lap 6km course. Emma Pass was 26th in 23:00 and Helen Lawrenson 5th W35 and 35th in 23:56. Jenn Thompson was 16th W35 and 58th with 26:33 and Diane Blagden muddying up a bright new pair of cross country spikes finishing 17th W45 and 76th overall in 28:20. Kerry Eccles was 19th W45 and 85th in 30:25 and Karen Davies 21st W45 and 89th with 30:55; Sally Deacon 22nd and 90th in 31:06. The Ladies Open team finished an excellent 5th overall and a ‘B’ team 19th with the W35 team 3rd and a ‘B’ team 11th. The W45s were 6th, altogether a great performance form the Ladies with 8 runners. The men were a little more modest; Rob Danson was saving himself for the Preston 10 the following day and after leading the opening lap dropped back into 5th place clocking 30:50 for the 4- lap 8.6km and only 1min 28 sec off the winning time. Alex Rowe was the next Wesham finisher in 41st place with 34:36 and 5th M50; John Collier was 1st M60 in 36:55, 74th overall. John Bertenshaw was 28th M50 and 132nd in 41:08; Alan Glasgow 7th M60 and 135th with 41:17 and Phil Leaver 11th M60 and 155th in 43:55. Consequently the Wesham men were 12th team overall with no ‘B’ team; the M40 team was 10th. The M50 team fared better in 3rd place, a good result, and the M60 team was 1st with 22 points. Generally the meeting was poorly attended which was a shame as it is a great spot for running although the course is being pressed into a smaller area and it was a good day with good underfoot conditions.

Karl Lee and Alex Rowe pitched up for the Leeds Abbey Dash on Sunday, this year swelled with the national 10k Championships and an enlarged fun entry to 12,000 runners. Getting a good start Karl moved through the field finishing 335th in 35:30. his chip time and place was 35:18 and 333rd. Alex Rowe secured his 5th age category win in this event finishing 1st M55 in 36:31 in 406th place; his chip time and position being 36:23 and 423rd. After a pea-soup fog conditions cleared to overcast grey with a fine drizzle but otherwise excellent for the run.

Conditions were fine for the Preston 10 Mile race on Sunday, two laps through Longton from the Hutton Grammar School on a traditionally fast course. The race times were generally slower than expected with the overall winners clocking only 52:14 (Tom Charles of Trafford) and 1:02:28 (Hannah Oldroyd of UK Net Runner). Wesham had a modest turnout with 5 women and 12 men, the ladies outrunning the men with a second placed team result compared to the men 4th on a 3-man team score (3rd team with 4 men). Carmel Sullivan was Wesham’s first woman finisher with a 7- minutes improvement on her season’s best performance with 1:06:53 to finish 5th woman and 2nd W45, 83rd overall. Nicola Unsworth was 20th woman and 6th W40 in 1:15:45 in 193rd place, and Sara Ward was 29th woman, 6th W45 and 240th overall with a time of 1:19:39. Nicky Omar finished 65th in 1:27:54, 14th W40 and 330th; Karen Davies came in 93rd woman, 11th W50 and 377th overall with 1:34:00. In the men’s race Rob Danson was up with the lead group of Preston runners but the eventual winner was away from the start and although scoring a new personal best of 55:30 Rob let the chasing group get way and while his 9th placing was good he has much more in the tank yet. Toying with the idea or running the London Marathon again in 2015 as he now has a Championship Entry Rob will contest the Wesham 10k and the Ribble Valley before deciding. Lee Barlow had a good run finishing 24th but admitted some disappointment with his time of 1:00:24 looking for two minutes on that and coming in 9th M40. Garry Barnett continues to improve and he finished 51st and 8th M45 in 1:03:32, and Paul Gregory back on track with plans for next year having finished building work and decorating on his house, finishing 54th with 1:04:20. Alan Hudson was 2nd M65 behind Mick Fairs of Wilmslow who had nearly a minute but Alan was 86th in 1:07:04. David Taylor was 110th with 1:09:27, and Mick Edge coming back to form with 1:10:55 finishing 17th M50 and 140th overall. Nigel Shepherd is also one coming back from injury and he was 12th M55 and 233rd overall in 1:19:22. Brian Jones was 238th in 1:19:37; Stephen Wilkinson 8th M60 and 294th in 1:24:26 with Dave Young 7th M65 and 326th overall in 1:27:25. Finlay McCalman was 345th and 41st M50 in 1:29:21. The Preston 10 continues to be a race of high quality with good facilities and a good course.

Kath Hoyer ran the Arnside Knott Fell Race for the FRA, finishing 99th and 5th W50 in a quality race with a time of 52:40 for the 5.5 miles and 919 ft ascent.