Montgomery Marathon – Sunday March 14th
Full Results HERE
The Montgomery Marathon in Alabama USA is part of a series of Races all held on the same day and are part of the USATF State Championship for the marathon, half marathon and 5K certified courses. Blackburn Harrier Michael Green who is the current Club Record Holder for the Marathon with a time of 2.18.11 achieved at the London Marathon in 2004 lives in Troy – about 50 miles away from Montgomery – entered the Marathon and had a really good run finishing second overall in 2.27.27.
Speaking to the Club, Michael said that “I am very happy with this performance after only an 11 week build up averaging only 65 miles per week. This pales into comparison with previous training volumes in the lead up to a marathon! I used this race as a stepping stone to getting back to some good performances after a period of lacklustre training. I ran smart and ran the pace I was comfortable with, and let the two leaders do their own thing. At 22 miles the second place runner started to come back to me, and I was able to secure second place at the 23 miles mark. Overall a solid run and a good sign of things to come with more mileage back under my belt”.
♦♦♦♦♦
Howarth Hobble – Saturday March 14th
This is not a Race for the faint hearted. Yet 325 runners finished the Race consisting of a distance of 32 miles with 4400ft of climbing. After finishing an outstanding 2nd place at the recent Stan Bradshaw Round, Blackburn Harrier Shaun Livesey was clearly in good nick for this Race.
Full Results HERE
Shaun took 5th place in a cracking time of 4.27.54 with the Race being won by Chris Singleton in 4.09.10. Shaun as delighted with his run and told the Club “Originally I was doing the race as a pair with matt nuttall but unfortunately he had to pull out. I knew I could possibly run close to 4:30 hrs everything being equal. The weather on the morning was perfect and the word was that there was some ultra elite on the start line. During the early miles it was clear I had worn far too much kit, so started to undress on the run. The race didn’t really start until the descent off stoodley pike ( around 22 miles in) I knew the last 8 were going to hurt with a few killer climbs still to, come Heptonstall and hardcastle craggs. I was in 4th position at mile 29 and was passed, I didn’t care I knew the end was near and composed myself coming back into haworth and into the school. I hope it has set me up nicely for the three peaks”. On Shaun’s current form it looks as though he is going to have a great run at the Peaks.
♦♦♦♦♦
Podium 5k – Saturday March 14th
Full Results HERE
The latest in the Podium 5k Road Series took place at the weekend with two Races – the ‘A’ Race with 24 athletes and the ‘B’ with 26. Chris Livesey took the ‘A’ Race – his second victory of the Series in a time of 14.46 with Matt Newell winning the ‘B’ Race in 17.04.
Two Blackburn Harriers ran in the ‘A’ Race and both set new PB’s. Matt Nuttall finished 7th overall in 15.59 and knocked 8 seconds of his previous best. As a result of Matt’s time and PB he has now gone up to 2nd place in the National V45 Rankings for 5k on the Road. Tim Raynes took 11th spot in 16.13 which represented a 24 second improvement on his previous best in 2014.
♦♦♦♦♦
Bispham 10 Mile – Sunday March 15th
Full Results HERE
This Race also incorporated the Lancashire Championships and 132 of the runners also entered the Lancashire Championships with the Open Race and the Championships being won by David Rigby.
Two Blackburn Harriers ran – Kaylie Panaro and Jan Buckingham and both collected PB’s. Kaylie who ran a new PB at the Oulton Park Half-Marathon last week, set a new 10 mile PB here placing 10th in 75.43. She is trsaining for the Manchester Marathon and after her 1.41 Half-Marathon and this latest result, she was upbeat saying “Really pleased with the PB, everything is going to plan for the Manchester Marathon in 5 weeks”. Jan who also set a Half-Marathon PB recently at the Anglesey Race also recorded a new 10 mile PB here with a time of 85.46 (179th) and was equally pleased with her run.
♦♦♦♦♦
