Preston Harriers Athletics Club

The final league meeting of the Red Rose Cross Country League took place at Marl Pits, Rossendale on a bitterly cold afternoon. The course was set out on a sloping hillside and had plenty of rough ground coupled with some very slippery hill ascents and descents. A number of Preston Harriers have taken part in the series this year and this time Rhiannon Hamill had a good run for 7th whilst Katy Fisher finished in 22nd spot in the U13 girls race. In the U15 girls race, Nichola Jackson had a fine race and battled hard to finish 2nd whilst in the U17 men’s race Andrew Harrison was 13th.

The third Mid Lancs. League event of the season rolled into Liverpool, the European City of Culture for 2008, on the 24th November. On a very windy day, with squally showers easing away, there was not the high numbers of Harriers running as there had been in the first two meetings.

The meeting was also part of the UKA Cross Country Challenge Series but with an added incentive of European team places in Spain up for grabs for the elite runners. In the senior races, Hayley Yelling won the women’s race over 8.1k with a powerful demonstration of front running. In the men’s race over 9.8k, Peter Riley (Leigh) took first in a dramatic finish from Frank Tickner (Wells) by just two seconds.

For the senior men, in the Mid Lancs. race, only 6 runners completed the course, with Kevin Hesketh having to drop out. Peter Medupe adapting well to the muddy terrain was 5th in 34.18. Next counter was David Rigby in 37th with 37.53 and the rest of the Harriers were 45th Neil McDonald, 53rd Mike O’Donnell, 127th Steve Jackson and 133rd Rob Gillies.

For the ladies, Philippa Walsh was 7th in 33.29 and she was supported well by Marion Hesketh in 20th, Alison Armour 30th and Caroline Collinson 42nd.

Peter Street, not at full fitness ran in the Junior men’s race as part of the UKA Challenge. In the Mid Lancs. U20 ladies race over 4.4k, Sarah Allen was 3rd whilst Hannah Watson was 5th.

The U17 men’s team took 3rd place with counters Matthew Lloyd (3rd), Matthew Davison (8th) and Nathan Crowe (24th) Just behind were Lee Calvert & James Walsh.

For the U17 women over 4.4k, Harriers placed 3rd team with counters Abi Mackley, Elena Dowthwaite & Lucy Sumner. For the first time this season, the U15 girls did not finish first but dropped to 5th over the 3k route. Nichola Jackson (10th), Jessica Crook (13th), Rebecca Noblet (16th) and Rachel Kenny 25th were team counters. Joe O’Donnell was a fine 8th at U13 boys with 11.35 over 3k. Katie Collinson was 34th in the U13 girls. In the U11 races, Ella Roberts enjoyed a good run for 14th whilst in the boys race Tom Booth was 10th

A number of Preston Harriers ran the Red Rose Cross Country League event at Bury. In the Senior men’s race Marc Hartley finished 12th, in the U17 men’s race Andrew Harrison was 14th, in the U15 girl’s race Nichola Jackson was 6th, in the U13 girl’s race Katy Fisher was 22nd and in the in U13 boy’s race Nathan Skinner was 25th.

Over the 7.3 km course at the Riverside Bowl at Gateshead Preston Harrier, Helen Clitheroe, finished 5th in 26:28. The race was won by Hayley Yelling of Windsor Slough Eton & Harrow.