The latest Red Rose Championship race was the newly re introduced Darwen (Rollercoaster) Heritage Half Marathon. Darwen Dashers put on an excellent race, with encouraging marshalls, smart facilities, great medals and T shirt and a ‘Brute’ of a course, surely one of the hardest most of the field had attempted. Over 40 Red Rose runners joined over 400 on the start line. The race began with a hill which continued for 2 miles. From 4 to the 6 mile mark the downhill was a welcome respite but the second half of the race saw even more intense hills until approximately 11 miles where the downhill section finally arrived. First across the line for the club was Duncan Anderson in 9th place in a great time of 1.24.01. In 12th place Karl Hodgson finished with a strong run of 1.25.32 and Richard Maughan completed an impressive team with a brilliant PB of 1.26.42. Joe Swarbrick was 33rd and first V60 in 1.31.00 followed by more excellent performances from Mark Willett, 1.32.07, Stuart Cann 1.34.48 and Phil Butler 1.36.33.First woman home for us was new member, Gema Snape, with a great time of 1.37.15 taking 4th place in the women’s race. Jill Jefferson’s time of 1.39.57 comfortably secured her F55 prize by over 5 minutes. Carla Davies ran a determined race with a time of 1.41.28 and Janine Needham was the fourth counter for the women’s team prize in 1.41.55.
Personal Bests would have been rare on this course but there were many excellent performances which were recognised by fellow club members as they reached the finish line.
Results.P.Davidson1.40.05, J.Naylor 1.41.54,S.Bladon 1.44.58, P.Woan 1.47.10, R.Travis 1.51.47, L.Bolton 1.52.10, I.Wharton 1.57.21, P.O’Grady 1.58.41, D.Porter 2.01.06, M.Lupton 2.01.52, A.Grime 2.02.54, C.Shaw 2.03.14,J.McLean 2.06.57,G.Fairey 2.07.17, A.Crosby 2.07.54, A.Shaikh 2.07.55, A.Howard 2.10.10, V.Gore 2.10.47, A.Mercer 2.11.27, P.Oates 2.14.55, G.Bell 2.14.58, M.Lennighan 2.17.17, G.Fletcher 2.20.22, S.Haslam 2.24.29, J.Walsh 2.30.24, W.Ward 2.31.24, J.Fairclough 2.31.25, M.McCormack 2.35.31, N.Colquhoun 2.45.10, D.Clapham 2.46.30, G.Biggs 3.07.57.
Ciaron Roddy travelled to Wilmslow for the classic half held there every year. With a finishing time of 1.21.58 he was well placed and pleased with a new PB.
At the Preston parkrun Sophie Hill ran a new PB in 25.54 as did Davina Bowling in 27.57. At Cuerden Paula Hogarth improved her time to 36.51. Meanwhile in Australia, V60, Ken Addison has been setting a couple of parkrun age group records before flying home. In Merimbula he set a new record with a time of 19.44. His next outing was in Tuggeranang where he put a blistering 5k in to smash the record in 18.47. Finally he visited Sydney St Peter but had to be content with a good run of 19.45.