The latest Podium 5k race at Barrowford took place on Saturday evening October 29th in ideal conditions for road racing attracting close to 100 athletes including 10 from Blackburn Harriers. The A Race – (RESULTS) – billed as a sub 15.30 saw the first 13 athletes all duck 15 minutes – the winner Andrew Milligan posting a new personal best of 14.23 with Sam Charlton (Wallsend) in 2nd (14.30) and Ireland’s Jack Oleary in 3rd (14.33). Blackburn Harriers David Holman went into the race with a personal best time of 16.18 and had a brilliant run, chopping over a minute off his time to set a new PB of 15.15 in 16th place.
The B Race had 37 athletes with U17 Daniel Smith, U17 Jack Lamb, V50 Nick Gaskell, V50 Matt Nuttall, Senior Lee Casson, U17 Isabel Holt, all featuring for the Harriers. Daniel had only run one 5k previously (17.33) and made mincemeat out of that time as he, like David in the A Race knocked over a minute off that time to set a new PB of 16.27 in 5th place overall. Next across the line for the Harriers came Nick Gaskell in 8th running 16.32 followed home by Jack Lamb in 11th spot in a time of 16.44 which demolished his previous time posted in the road relays by a minute and a half. Matt Nuttall finished in 19th place clocking dead on 17.00 with Lee Casson placing 21st in a time of 17.04. Isabel Holt showing great consistency, was the next to finish for the Harriers in 17.31 – agonisingly just one second slower than her presonal best. Two Harriers in the Open Race – David Almond and Ellen Sagar-Hesketh. V55 David ran nearly a minute faster than he did in the road relays clocking 17.50 in 4th place whilst Ellen had a really good run to post a time of 19.17 (13th).
David Almond
Ellen Sagar-Hesketh
The morning after the night before and this time at the popular Accrington 10k being run on Sunday October 30th, drawing a field of close to 400 runners (RESULTS) with the winner – Aidan Holgate running 33.34. Six Blackburn Harriers in this one and headed by V50 Nick Gaskell who had run the Podium 5k the night before. Nick had a good run to come in 2nd place with a time of 35.25 followed by Marc Hartley in 5th in 37.03. Next home came V45 Dan Grundy in 7th spot running 37.11 and making it four Harriers in the first ten places was U17 Codie Dewhurst who clocked 38.17 in his first ever attempt at the distance (10th) and also 1st U19 in the race. U17 Ben Livesey came next in 60th place running 43.46 – also his first ever run over the distance – and he was followed in by Allan Hartley (177th) running 53.51.
All photos from Accrington 10k coutesy of David Belshaw
Nick Gaskell (429)
Marc Hartley (220)
Dan Grundy
Codie Dewhurst
Ben Livesey (373)
Allan Hartley (432)
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Over 1700 runners in this 10k Race held on Sunday October 30th – (RESULTS) – won by Jack Bromley in 32.18. U20 Eleesha Charnley had only run one 10k previously back posting 47.21 which she absolutely shattered in todays race when she ran a new PB time of 38.13 placing 26th overall and 1st Woman. After the race, Eleesha spoke to the Harriers about the day saying “I’m happy to of won the race with a new course record, it was great race with a great atmosphere. I was hoping for sub 38 minutes but just didn’t feel good in the race, but hopefully that will be achieved in my next 10k.”
Eleesha Charnley
