The first Cuerden Valley Badger Trail 10k of the year took place in warm dry conditions . A good turnout of 29 Red Rose enjoyed the well organised race on a varied terrain course with its fifteen gates and turnstiles. Duncan Anderson had a superb run battling with Jason Parker and coming out on top to take 2nd place in a time of 37.31.Dave Parkinson also had a great run in 6th place and first V50, ahead of a regular rival Garry Barnett of Wesham. Joe Swarbrick was 14th in 41.40 and first V60 and Dave Tolson was 4th V60 in 47.04. The men’s team were placed second but went home with the chocolates as Blackpool left the venue before they were announced as winners!
Janine Needham was in great form finishing third lady and first F40 in an excellent time of 44.35, winning a tight race with Helen Lawrenson and Carmel Sullivan of Wesham. Karen Munelly showed her potential finishing 14th lady and 4th in her age group in 50.29. Other top finishers were Ann Cleave running 52.48 to be 2nd F55, Alison Parkinson 4th F50, in 53.39, Yvonne Johnson 3rd F55 in 53.47, Pauline Moorcroft 4th F55 in 55.00. Sue Tonge took first place in the F60 category in 57.52.
Results Neil Whatton 48.29, Paul Fairclough 50.09,Steve Worswick 51.06, Richard Crompton 53.17,John Wiseman 53.27, Charlotte Leathard 53.53, Iain Mitchell 54.53, Sarah Maltby 56.45, Gareth Fairey 61.08, Lisa Semley 62.31,Roger Johnson 63.25,Shane Collins 65.01, Michelle Jolly 65.16, Tracey Alami 67.00, Louise Walsh 68.18, Mary Conway 69.21, Katy Cleese 70.44.
The really hard ones went to Coniston to take part in the Lakeland Trails series. The event comprises of the marathon, half marathon and 10k distances. Each of the longer distances is run as a challenge or a race to cater for different appetites, but over the same course. The marathon challenge saw Martin Simpson finish in the top half in a time of 5.33.50, with Wayne Hope conquering the course in 6.25.53 and Mary Conway in 6.34.14, also gracing the Trails website running with a big Red Rose smile! Competing in the marathon race, John Barker and Lee Lawrenson joined forces to finish in an impressive 4.41.16 and Gareth Bell joined them in 5.44.15.
In the half marathon challenge, James Butler led the way with 58th place out of a field of 370, finishing in 2.03.31. Next Samantha Edwards, she of the rainbow face(!) ran a superb time of 2.17.27, wearing the Red Rose colours for the first and raising money for Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group. Lynn Melvin, Josephine Walsh and Wendy Ward stuck together like the ‘Glue Sisters’ to finish brilliantly in 2.53.56. Gareth Fairey stayed well inside the 3 hour mark with a time of 2.57.33. Doug Bryden joined the ‘Race’ and finished in a very steady 2.16.17.
At the Burnley 10k Andrew Stell ran 44.22, Keith Burrows 53.32, Paul Stell 44.22 and Graham Wilkinson 57.14.
At the Morecambe 10k Alex Venables finished 11th in 37.47. Andy Birkbeck ran 45.40 just ahead of Ben Smithers in45.59. Ian Waddington ran the breezy course in 50.18. Laura Orrell finished in 55.37 alongside Steve Taylor in 55.38. Vet 70 Dave Aspin ran 70.34 and Vet 80 Bernard Elkington finished in 80.02.
Samantha Edwards proudly wore her Red Rose vest along with her Rainbow face paint to complete the Coniston half marathon in preparation for her forthcoming 55km Ultra.
At Preston Parkrun we celebrated two PB’s. Richard Maughan 18.51 and Simon Morris 23.29 and at Cuerden Valley Laura Houghton continued her improvement with a time of 26.24.
Claire Shaw showed up at the Krakow parkrun in Poland and posted a great time of 24.32. Natalie Moore ran 23.37 at Blackpool and at Ayr Tiahna Ritchens ran 36.39 and Madison Ritchens 39.00.