Red Rose Road Runners continued their Preston Guild celebrations with over 90 doing the marathon and half marathon races and a further 30 volunteering to marshall the course. All the runners have acknowledged the fantastic, selfless role the marshalls played in the success of the races. Many marshalls spent over 6 hours out on the course in the worst weather of the autumn so far.
There were so many brilliant performances from runners, many of whom were running their first marathon, that there isn’t enough space here to detail them all. An amazing run from Clare Bunce saw her run 3 hours and 56 seconds to finish in 28th place overall and 2nd lady. Another first timer, Ben Donoghue, showed his potential with a fantastic finishing position of 35th and a time of 3.05.08. Andrew Pendergast impressed everyone with an excellent 3.09.48. Mike Hall’s 3.13.40 earned him 6th V45. Jill Jefferson took the FV 50 prize with a brilliant time of 3.40.42 and Debbie Kirkman ran a PB in 3.44.09 for 8th FV40. Peter ‘guru’ Gibson ensured Jo Duffy ran a PB of 3.50.49 whilst at the same time taking 2nd M65. Paula Plowman knocked a massive 30 minutes off her PB to finish in 4.02.29.
Other results: Phil Butler 3.28.29, Doug Bryden 3.29.33, Dave Maudsley 3.32.00, Simon O’Leary 3.34.42, Stuart Cann 3.45.25, Lee Bennett 3.54.09, Richard Ward 3.54.19, Claire Smith 4.01.53, John Rogerson 4.07.55, Julie Thorley 4.10.24, Mark Eastwood 4.12.34, Keith Burrows 4.13.40, Gill Allen 4.17.25, Anthony Smith 4.21.51, David Williams 4.30.37, John Shepherd 4.32.45, Jake Shepherd 4.32.46, Yvonne Johnson 4.36.09, Caroline Devkijey 4.36.20, Debbie Bevitt 4.42.04, Gavin Beetham 4.50.01, Karen Clark 4.59.02, Chris Clark 4.59.08, Jaquie Eastwood 5.01.34, Roger Johnson 5.07.43, Wendy Ward 5.16.17, Lee Willetts 5.53.32.
54 ‘Rosers’ completed the half marathon. Ken Addison took the 3rd V55 prize and led the club home in 1.25.45 after breaking away from his local V55 rivals at the 10 mile mark. Stuart Roberts found a strong finish to take 35th place in 1.26.20 with Joe Swarbrick (1.26.46) and Steve Bladon (1.32.14) completing the men’s team to take the 3rd team award. Again, so many individual triumphs and personal bests were earned that it is hard to know where to start without inevitably missing someone’s moment of glory. Some runners were facing the distance for the first time whilst others could regale you with stories of the last Preston Guild series. In the club’s 30th anniversary year perhaps the best legacy of the year will be to see the club and its enthusiastic membership continue to contribute to the local running scene and still have members in 2032 remembering the brilliant year of 2012.
Half marathon times: Richard Oakley 1.33.16, Steve Bladon 1.32.14, Mark Billlington 1.38.39, Dave Hooton 1.39.39, Philip Kemp 1.41.43, Simon Houghton 1.42.01, Geoff Haworth 1.42.14,John Allen 1.45.52, Cliff Utting 1.45.59, Jamie Jardine 1.46.23, Dave Earnshaw 1.47.10, Luke Earnshaw 1.47.10, William Platt 1.48.32, Chris Nichol 1.48.42, Julie Coupe 1.50.22, Zac Giles 1.50.57, Barry Wheeler 1.51.33, Andrew Hunnisett 1.51.42, Joan Goldthorpe 1.53.09 (2nd FV60), Lee Brown 1.56.33, Warren Hoyle 1.56.33, Andrew Baxendale 1.59.40, Alan Raby 2.01.10, Denh Pham 2.01.18, Nicola Roberts 2.01.59, Michelle Houghton 2.07.10, Geoff Mault 2.08.01, George Fletcher 2.08.08, Louise Gavell 2.08.33, Heather Wright 2.09.43, Tom McNicholas 2.10.08, Dan Robinson 2.10.29, James Robinson 2.10.53, Anne Nelson 2.11.10, Julie Palmer 2.12.53, Nicola Machin 2.14.23, Jenny Harrison 2.15.04, Kerry Dewhirst 2.15.04, Carol Douglass 2.15.56, Bernard Elkington 2.20.39. Evelyn Elkington 2.20.50, Adela Nuttall 2.20.55, Aimee Midgley 2.26.09, Alan Kelly 2.29.28, Anthony Baker 2.31.27, Helen Loxston 2.31.28, Allen Howard 2.37.03, Janet Saynor 2.43.47, Dave Aspin 2.51.02, Karen Ashton 2.59.44, Keith O’Brien 3.04.57, Judith Cook 3.08.17.