News Archive
The Fell Championship races for 2008 have been posted in the Fell pages. See here for more details.
From Dawn Lock
A happy New Year to you all.
Lancaster University cross-country event is on the 12th January and it promises to be right up to its usual muddy, tough and exciting standards.
Members may be somewhat confused following the Liverpool UKA Cross-Challenge as to which number they should wear on Saturday. Whatever number you wore at Liverpool should now be discarded. This includes some Mid Lancs. numbers from previous years of 2000+ which we gave out as Mid Lancs pool numbers. The highest genuine number from this season is 1600. Nobody (apart from guests using the 5000+ range) should be wearing a number above this until after registration has opened.
A clear day, a keen wind and some patches of heavy ground greeted runners at the Lancashire Cross Country Championships at Witton Park, Blackburn on Saturday 5th January. The Witton Park course includes the ascent, several times for some, of the “saucer” which always seems to have a very muddy section just before the top to further tire aching limbs desperate to see the gradients ease.
For the final and always very popular last race of the year in the fell running calendar, a number of Harriers took part in the Auld Lang Syne fell race from Penistone Country Park, near Haworth. 471 runners completed the race over 6 mile route with 900` of ascent. George Arnold of Preston Harriers set a new course record for the Vet 70 age group with a time of 70:07. Will Garner was highest placed for Harriers with 96th in a time of 51:49. Steve Bamber was 121st in 53:02, whilst Dave Parkington was 128th in 53:12. John Griffiths completed in 53:37 for 136th, whilst Ash Nixon was 175th in 56:03.
On a clear day with little wind, Helen Clitheroe saw out the year with first place in the Ribble Valley 10k with a time of 32:44. Helen holds the course record from two years ago with 32:20 and this year she was 40 seconds clear of Vicky Gill. Helen finished 21st overall. Philippa Walsh was 24th in 40:20 and Sarah Gohil achieved 33rd spot with her time of 41:56. Emma Deakin, recovering from a bout of illness, was 40th in 43:18. Claire McDermott had a good run in 47:11 and Judith Deakin was second Vet 60 with her time of 52:20. Maureen Whitman, another Vet 60, finished in 1:00.19.
The mens race was won by Antony Ford (Blackpool) in 29:57 - the course record being 29:33. Top placed Harrier was Richard Newton, home from his studies in America, with 13th & a time of 32:02. Steve Smith was 17th, and 1st Vet 45 in 32:19. Steve Hallas was 35th in 33:48 and Jon Green was 48th in 34:48. The other finishers were Neil McDonald (95th-37:08), Michael O`Donnell (133rd - 38:15), Robert Walsh (137th - 38:20), Phil Walsh (159th - 38:52), James Walsh (192nd - 40:03), Stephen Mort (236th - 41:23), Steve Jackson (264th - 42:04), David Large (307th - 43:22), Phil Lakeland (324th - 43:40), John Langhan (394th - 45:58), Stephen Massam (611th - 52:21), David Roberts (651st - 53:51.) There was the usual big field and this year there were 842 finishers.
This year the race conditions were considerably better than that of previous Boxing Day challenges. The only questionable conditions were that of some of the runners struggling with the previous day’s consumption and some of the time keeping but that’s all part of the event! Preston Harriers men’s team comprised 16 members with the first 3 completing the course in less than 35 minutes.
Gary Pennington was first harrier home in 34.01 with Gethin Butler having another strong run in 15th place in overall in 34.27. Third counter was Jon Green 18th overall in 34.35. Neil Mc Donald was next home in 25th (5th V40) in 36.30 and was followed in by Sunil Gohil with a positive performance rewarded with 38.10. Phil Morley 38.26, Steve Jackson 42.06, Phil Lakeland 43.39 and Paul Hooper 46.39 made up the Preston Harriers men’s team.
The Preston Harriers women’s team comprised 6 members with Tiffany Moorcroft leading with a time of 41.37 and Barbara Gilles being rewarded for her fine performance as 1st FV55 in 58.14. Tiffany was followed by Felicity Cross in 51.42, Maggie Lees in 53.29, Ruth Price & Maureen Whitman finishing together in 60.19 and 60.21 respectively.
This years Leyland 10k on Boxing Day, starting from Worden Park, was again played out under grey skies with a stiff breeze along parts of the course. The 2006 winner Gary Dunn (Thirsk & Sowerby) home visiting family in Leyland dropped to 5th this year and, the winner was Adam Peers, a junior from Liverpool Harriers, in 31.09. Vicky Gill, once of Chorley Harriers, now of Aldershot Farnham & District was first lady in 33.22.
For Harriers, the top placed runner was Gary Pennington, 12th in 34.01. Gethin Butler was not far beheind in 15th 34.27 and the improving Jon Green was 18th in 34.35. Neil McDonald, fully enjoying his running again, was 25th in 36.30 and Sunil Gohil was 41st in 38.10 & Phil Morley 43rd in 38.26. First lady for Harriers was Tiffany Moorcroft in 41.37. The remaining finishers were 90th Steve Jackson (42.06), 109th Phil Lakeland (43.39), 145th Paul Hooper (46.39), 184th Felicity Cross (51.42), 199th Maggie Lees (53.29), 239th Barbara Gillies (58.14). 247th Ruth Price (1.00.19), 248th Maureen Whitman (1.00.22.) There were 22 finishers
The 200 club winners for December 2007 are: :
84 J.M.Benson
147 Karen Hindmore
23 Keith Rigby
If you want to join the Preston Harriers 200 Club, download an application form from the About Preston Harriers area.
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.
1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10| Older Items
Previous page: Photo Gallery
Next page: About Preston Harriers