Red Rose enjoyed a rewarding cross country season, with the highlight being the men’s Vet 40 team finishing second in division 2, and therefore gaining promotion to the 1st. The men’s senior team also performed admirably to preserve their status in a competitive division 3. The ladies team were just piped to promotion, finishing third in division 3, with the ‘B’ team not far behind them in 6th. The Vet 45’s had another successful year, finishing 3rd overall.
The standout performer of the season was Clare Bunce who was first lady back for the club in all races, narrowly holding off Alison John-Haslam, and finishing an excellent 17th overall. Her best performances came towards the end of the season, finishing 10th at Barrow, and 18th at Leyland in a much stronger field.
For the men, Ken Addison was the clubs best performer, coming home first for the club in 3 races, and finishing 9th in the Vet 50 category (57th overall). Good performances were also put in by John Shepherd (68th), Joe Swarbrick (72nd) and Phil Butler (87th), resulting in the strong Vet 40 team, as well as Stuart Roberts.
Astley Park, Chorley, will go down as the best race of the season. On a mild December afternoon, it had nearly everything you would expect from a cross country race; mud, forestry, a steep hill and even running through a stream. The only thing that was missing was a log jump. It also saw the introduction of Ben Donoghue, who managed to beat Stuart Cann home in the final strait. A friendly rivalry developed between the pair, with Stuart beating Ben by a place in the final standings.
2012 saw the return of ladies captain Sally Cape, having missed most of 2011 with an injury. She was delighted by the performances of her girls, and will be rearing to go next season.
The final race of the season saw us, along with Preston Harries, holding the event at Worden Park, Leyland. The weather was not on our side, but there was plenty of support from club members. Hopefully they will be encouraged to join us in the fields next season. Katie Wiseman put in a spirited performance during her first race in the under 11’s category, and was the only junior to represent the club during the season.
In total 44 members took part (22 men, 21 women and a junior), with a special mention to Clare Bunce, Ken Addison, Phil Butler, Barry Wheeler and Stuart Cann who represented the club in all 6 events. The club managed to put out a full male and female teams in all races, including the long trip to Barrow, so a thank you to all that took part.
The presentation evening will take place on the Friday 13th April at Bamber Bridge & CCM Club, Aspden Street, Bamber Bridge, PR5 6TL. A buffet is available from 20:00 with the ceremony starting at 20:30. Ticket are available for £5. Please let us know if you wish to attend.
It all starts again next October. Please remember to clean your trainers before then, otherwise they will get a bit smelly over the summer.