Springtime 10K, Helsingborg, Sweden – Saturday 14th May 2016
Two thousand and eighty eight finishers in this 10k Road Race in Helsingborg. V45 Andy Buttery whilst working there, ran in this race finishing 6th overall in a good time, given the course and the conditions of 34.43 with the winner coming home in 32.04.
Andy told the Club about the Race commenting “After a week struggling a bit with sore and niggling hamstrings from still adjusting to track racing I was glad I could run a bit more normally the night before the race. The race start was very close to our hotel in the town centre so we could enjoy the race build-up and have no stress of travelling to the event and finding the start etc. I’d also been given an elite number so started in the first of 10 waves, which meant no fighting for a decent starting position. The numerous start waves was one of the many impressive features in a very efficiently organised race! I knew the course well having practiced it a few times on previous visits over the last 12 months and my goal going into the race was to get a podium finish (based on last years results and what I felt I could achieve if I ran really well). I didn’t quite manage it on the day finishing 6th and 21secs off 3rd place, but it was a good battle for 3rd throughout the race with 8 or 10 of us involved after the first two had got away. Some of the lads I knew from joining in training nights with the local club, so that made it interesting!
The course is hilly and there was a strong wind blowing onto the sea front so it’s not a course for a PB. Despite this I was happy with 34.43, which with hindsight is probably a good run and a benchmark for next time! Helsingborg is very much a running town with 3000 entrants, 150 runners taking part from the local club and hundreds of supporters lining the whole route. It made for a great atmosphere and a good experience for my first race overseas!”
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Malham Kirkby Fell – 14th May
Jack Hindle took a good win at Malham last weekend leading the 63 strong field home in a time of 22.06 nearly half a minute in front of the second placed athlete. After the Race Jack told the Club about his lead up to the Race and the reasons for doing it saying “I decided to race at Malham last minute. Whilst in the middle of a hard block of training I knew I would be tired, but I wanted to test my legs. I set out steady with another lad, we soon pulled away and then I began to pull away from him on the harder parts of the climb. I didn’t push it on the descent and had quite a lot left in reserve. I was happy to get the win and it’s given me some great confidence for the GB trial next week”.
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FRA Inter-Counties Championship 2016
Blackburn Harrier Victoria Mousley was selected to run for Greater Manchester and had a great run to come home as first counter for the County who came 8th overall. Lancashire Women came in as 6th County overall and led by Nicola Jackson who was their first counter. Lancashire Men emulated the Women’s team in also finishing 6th with Chris Holdsworth their first counter. Richard Taylor also had a run out in the Open Section coming home in a time of 1hr 47.31.
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Wholan Nook Trail Race
Light warm nights and mid week Fell & Trail Races is a nice way to spend an evening as one hundred and eightY nine runners did at the Wholan Nook Trail Race on Wednesday evening – May 11th won by Julian Hood in 30.24.
Chris Davies was out on his second Race since the London Marathon and it looks as though all that endurance training is paying dividends as finished 3rd in the Race with a time of 31.13. Also running his second race in a week was V40 Bryan Searby who ran well in 60th place for a time of 37.39.
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Mearley Clough Fell Race
Josh Boyle was showing his quality again at the head of a 155 strong field in winning the Mearley Clough Race in a time of 30.55, nearly a minute in front of second place.
V40 Shaun Livesey was the first Blackburn Harrier home in a time of 34.48 (9th) with another couple of V40’s John Sutton in 18th spot (36.22) and Tom Cubbon (32nd) in 38.45 behind him. The fourth V40 Bryan Searby came home in 87th in 46.05. Next one in was another Vet, this time a V50 in Ian Clarkson (118th) in 49.44.
(John smiling for the camera)
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Chester Half-Marathon
A massive field was on the run at this years Chester Half-Marathon featuring in excess of six thousand four hundred finishers. In only his second race since June 2015 V55 Paul Clarke had a good run finishing in 1097th position and telling the Club that it was the “First long race in over 12 months, was expecting about 1hr 50 so I’m well happy with that but last 1.5mile was a killer really felt it in the legs. Injuries in the past hopefully”.
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V50’s John Orrell and Ian Clarkson along with V40 Tom Cubbon have been out on the Fells of late including the Coniston, Malhamdale, Cautley Horseshoe and Fairfield Horseshoe.
Coniston Fell Race – April 30th
180 runners lined up for the Coniston Race won by Carl Bell which had Tom Cubbon 51st in 1hr 16.51 and John Orrell in 158th in 1hr 39.49.
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Malhamdale Challenge 9 – May 9th
Eighty eight runners in this Race which saw John Orrell have a good run coming home in 23rd place with a time of 95.35, the Race being won by Mark Mon-Williams in 72.28 – (RESULTS) and then just two days later was out again at the Cautley Horseshoe – May 11th – placing 60th in a time of 67.50. RESULTS.
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Fairfield Horseshoe, 50th Anniversary Fell Race – Saturday 14th May.
Well done to John Orrell on contesting all four Fell races in two weeks the last of which was the Fairfield Horseshoe. Tom Cubbon had a good run coming home in 76th place out of a field of 317 finishers and with a time of 1hr 44.26. John Orrell was next home (258th) in 2hr 14.33 followed by Ian Clarkson (283rd) with a time of 2hr 24.17 commenting “Perfect weather conditions for a run out on the 50th Anniversary of Fairfield Horseshoe Fell Race. A straight up and down affair with a few rocky areas thrown in for good measure, a good day out was had”.
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