RRRR news for week ending 12th June.
The big event on the calendar this week was round 3 of the Interclub series of races at Lytham on Thursday evening. The 5 mile route along the front from the swimming baths to Fairhaven and return is flat but is often is affected by weather. This year was run in quite benign conditions with only a slight headwind running back up the front and just a touch too muggy.
There was a monster turnout of 110 Red Rose athletes at this race, which is the largest ever, making up a third of the field.
First home in 8th place was the fast finishing Simon Croft with a time of 28.36. Duncan Anderson was next in 29.00. 2 more runners managed to dip under 30 minutes. 18th & 2nd V50 John Shepherd 29.34 and 21st Dan Hughes 29.45.
Ken Addison made it 3 from 3 first places in the V60 age group 49th 31.35.
Team of the day was the V50 squad of Shepherd, Addison, Stuart Cann and Phil Butler who won that group and moved to the top of the division in the series to date. The V60’s were second on the night but held on to their overall lead in that age group.
For the ladies Claire Shaw was the first scorer in 144th and 15th lady 37.32. The ladies V40 team packed well and got the reward of a good 3rd position behind a dominant Blackpool team and a very close thing with a good Wesham squad. The scorers were, Alison Parkinson, Paula Plowman, Janet Tolson, Carol Douglass and Margaret Lupton. Please check out the Interclub or Red Rose Facebook page for all the results and series tables.
Earlier in the week on Monday evening a delighted trio of Emma Plant, Lisa Hyde and Gina Biggs collected the 1st ladies team prize at the tough Paddy’s Pole fell race. John Shepherd was 1st home for the club with Mark McCrea, John Wiseman and Graham Roberts also enjoying the tough up and down route.
Staying on the fells Mark McCrea features again in the Walsh 2 Lads Fell race finishing in 73 place 45.20. He had Peter Bolton as company. Peter ran 49.11 for 113th.
Now for something completely different! Never mind 10k or even a marathon. Jane Mowbray and Gina Biggs ran in the Foxton 24 hour race at the Uclan track. Jane completed 279 laps and Gina 260 within the allocated 24 hour period for 2nd and 3rd lady finishers and 2nd team. Well done ladies.
The latest round of the Red Rose Club Championship took in the scenic Bendrigg 10k just north of Kendal on the scenic if somewhat hilly country lanes. The club turned out 47 runners at this event on Saturday afternnon.
The Bendrigg Trust is a residential activity centre specialising in high quality courses for disabled and disadvantaged people, of any age or ability and this event is run in conjunction with the summer fair to raise funds for the excellent work that the trust carries out.
First home once again was Simon Croft who got the better of Duncan Anderson in the final stages on the climb up Heartbreak Hill to the finish. Simon ran 36.53, Duncan 37.21 for 3 and 4th places.
Jill Jefferson was our first lady home in 38th place, 2nd V55 with 45.49. Blackpool’s Bev Wright was 1st V55 in 44.28
The club had an excellent set of results winning both team events.
Croft, Anderson together with Dan Hughes 7th 37.59 took the open team by 1 point from local club Howgill. While John Shepherd 9th 38.35, Jose Pinon Shaw 12th 39.41, Mark Willett 15th 40.25 and Ken Addison 17th 40.42 triumphed in the over 40 competition.
Individually there were first in age groups for, ladies, Alison Parkinson V50 48.50, Carol Douglass V70 54.31, Davina Bowling V65 58.03, and for the men, Shepherd V50, Pinon Shaw V45 and Addison V60.
Full results once again can be found on the club Facebook page or the Bendrigg Trust website.
Sunday saw the running of a local event at Catforth. This popular 10k attracted 18 Rosers.
Ken Addison led the club home in 15th and 1st V60 with 39.34. A delighted Kristian Lowe ran a 3rd PB in a row for the distance finishing 35th 41.56 after trying to stick with Addison for as long as possible. Janine Needham was 1st lady V40 finisher in 47th place. In the sticky conditions some runners struggled a bit but there was the usual RRRR team spirit on display to ensure every finisher got a good welcome at the finish. A welcome bonus was the bacon barm and cup of tea provided by Roots café after the race.
There was the usual parkrun madness on Saturday morning. Liam Hooton ran a PB of 19.28 at the inaugural Southport event before travelling to Bendrigg for the 10k!