On a sunny January afternoon 24 Red Rose Runners took to Wilson Playing Fields of Hyndburn for the latest leg of the Mid Lancs Cross Country.
Despite the sunshine the course was a true test of cross country running with plenty of climbing and mud to keep everybody happy.
14 ladies competed in the field of 112 ladies in the Senior Ladies race with Clare Bunce once again being first home. She finished in 42nd place with a time of 27.29. Yet again there was close competition from Alison John Haslam who came home in 45th place 27.48. Making up the first 3 and scoring for the A team was Debbie Kirkman in 59th place 29.12, giving them 14th team place.
The ladies B team was made up of a closely packed group of Julie Palmer 75th, Anne Wallworth 77th and Joan Gouldthorpe in 79th place.
Other ladies enjoying the afternoon out were Viv Sherry 81st, Karen Ashton 88th, Sal Cape, making a return to the country after a broken ankle last year, 90th, Karen Clarke 97th, Sue Harrison 99th, Debbie Wood 104th, Adela Nuttall 107th and Janet Saynor 111th. Paula Plowman also ran but does not appear in the provisional results.
In the men’s field of 288 including 11 club members, Ken Addison just made the top 100 in 98th place in 41.04. John Shepherd 126th 42.47 Phil Butler 137th 43.21, Shane Cliffe 152nd 44.21, the improving Barry Wheeler 169th 44.21 and Ben Donoghue 219th 48.51 were the scorers for the A team giving them 22nd team place.
We were 1 short of making up a B team with Phil Dean 222nd, the experienced Stu Cann 226th, John Wiseman 240th, Gavin Beetham 275th and Roger Johnson 278th.
It is good to see new club members turning up for the cross country.
This was the first event on the Grand Prix calendar for 2012 under a new handicapping scoring system which should give all club members an equal chance at winning this competition. It gives new members and old a good target for the year.