Great Day at the Ribble Valley 10k with the Harriers, Team & Individual Wins and a lot of PB’s

Snow, Ice, Fog and Mist were all predicted for this years Ribble Valley 10k but what we got was a glorious day with almost perfect conditions for 10k Road Racing.

Just five seconds separated the winner John Beattie (30.01) from Derek Hawkins in 2nd place (30.06) with Simon Deakin in 3rd (30.28). Rebecca Robinson was an impressive winner int he Women’s Race leading from the gun to the finish in a time of 33.55.

Watch the Race Video HERE

Full Race Results HERE

Report of the Northern 10k Road Championships and Medal Winners from Ken Smith at Northern Athletics HERE

There some great Results for Blackburn Harriers from the thirty one members who competed in the Race which had 1105 finishers and none more so than for V45 Mat Nuttall who is having a great season on Cross Country.

Matt was the first Harrier home in 26th place with a time 32.19 just 18 seconds off his PB set 5 years ago in 2009 which goes to show with hard work and mental resolve, age doesn’t have to presage a deterioration. Next home was Karl Billington just three places behind (29th) in 32.42 and with V40 Shaun Livesey in 50th (33.44) which was a new PB for Shaun by 23 seconds, the three of them combined to take a fine Bronze Medal in the Northern Championships.

To add to this, the Harriers Vets won the Vets Race Team First Prize consisting of Matt, Shaun and Bob Shorrock and Matt took the Individual Gold Medal in the V45 Category.

Next four Blackburn Harriers home all set new personal bests. Just 23 seconds behind Shaun came Brian Fogarty – whose firm Fogarty’s Insurance Services have come on board this year to Sponsor the Race – placing 57th and again setting a new PB of 34.07. Another four places back was Tim Raynes who knocked nearly three quarters of a minute off his previous best to establish a new PB of 34.14 when finishing 61st. Another Harrier in great form is Chris Davies who in finishing 67th in 34.29 set a new PB and again by over three quarters of a minute. The quartet of new PB’s was set when Jack Hindle placed 70th with a whopping new PB of 34.52 chopping over a minute of his previous best time. Paul Bradshaw was just 16 seconds behind Jack in 75th place in a time of 35.07

Exciting prospect U17 Junior Man Joseph Monk had a solid run finishing just outside the top 100 in 104th spot with a time of 36.33 and Joseph was followed home by V50 Bob Shorrock in 108th (36.35). Bob has been doing all his training fro Mountain marathons and recently won the first of the King of the Hills Marathon in Hong Kong for the V50 category breaking the V50 Course Record in the process. V45 David Almond in finishing 130th (37.16) also set a new PB by 18 seconds. V50 Michael Toms had a battle on his hands to hold off the first Female Harrier home. Michael took 155th place in 38.01 with U17 Liz Greenwood just two seconds behind in 38.03 and a new PB for her as well. V45 Gary Pearse took 177th spot in 38.27 and Rachel Wood – 2nd Woman in for the Harriers – was 191st in 38.47. Two more Harriers battled it out close to the line with Mark Bleasdale coming in 197th (38.55) and Richard Fogarty a mere 2 seconds behind in 198th (38.57). Sarah Toms smashed her previous best 10k time by nearly two minutes in finishing 231st with a new PB of 39.42and along with Sam McCreadie in 233rd place (39.47), the three of them, Rachel, Sarah and Sam won the Northern Women’s Team Championship from Trawden in 2nd place and Accrington Road Runners in 3rd.

Then to top it off for the Harriers Womens Teams on the day – Liz Greenwood, Rachel Wood and Sarah Toms combined to win the Race Womens Team first prize.

Laura Hesketh took 242nd spot with a time 40.05 – a season’s best – and not far off her PB set in 2013. Evan Cook (V60) came in 266th in 40.38 followed by John Cookson in 312th (41.43 ) and Beckie Taylor in 338th (42.22). Kaylie Panaro was just short of her PB when she placed 488th in 45.42. In his first Race for a number of years V55 Mike Blacklidge battled it out with V40 Paul Wilkinson (who had come to the Race straight from night shift) with Paul just getting home in 565th (47.24) to Mike’s 566th in 47.26. Carol Cookson absolutely smashed her previous best, knocking a massive five minutes of f and setting a new PB of 48.51 (638th). V50 Jan Buckingham also had a fantastic run in 685th achieving her ambition of breaking 50 minutes in her 50th year with a time of 49.46.

V40 Michelle Teare took 837th place with 53.46 which was a massive new PB by over 5 minutes. V50 David Morris came home in 959th place with a time of 57.57. V45 Deborah Pearson took 1014th place in 60.49 whilst husband Stephen and son William helped Marshal at the Race.