Eight age groups – from U13’s to Senior’s – competed in the annual North West Road Relays held at Lancaster on Sunday 15th September 2013. In the Championship Races, Teams compete for a County title and an overall North West title.
Blackburn Harriers had a really good day finishing up with three Lancashire County Team Golds in the U13 Girls; U15 Girls and U17 Men and two North West Championships titles with the U15 Girls and U17 Men winning their Races overall, adding the North West title to their County title. In the Lancashire Championships Blackpool won 1 Team Gold; Pendle 1; Preston 1; Lancaster 1 and Rossendale 1. In the North West Championships, Bury won 1; Liverpool Harriers 2; Pendle 1; Preston 1 and Leigh 1.
Full North West Championship Results HERE
Full Lancashire County Championship Results HERE
The U13 Girls kicked off the day winning the Lancashire Team Gold and just missed out on a Bronze Medal in the North West title Race by 7 seconds. Natalya Irvine took Leg 1 and ran the fastest time of the Lancashire runners and fifth fastest overall. Hannah Cookson ran a really solid 2nd Leg to hand over to Maddie Elliott who is just back in training after a series of unfortunate accidents and she ran a good last leg.
The U15 Girls consisting of Megan Clarkson, Liz Greenwood and Grace Handley fairly scorched around the course. Megan had a solid first leg (9.02) and handed over to Liz in 10th place out of the 25 teams contesting. She blasted the course to run the fastest leg in 7.53 and handed over to Grace in 2nd place, who also ran the fastest time of her leg (8.11) to overtake Stockport in the closing stages of a thrilling race and taking the win in both titles. Overall Liz ran the fastest time and Grace the third fastest time.
Unfortunately, because of injuries the U15 Boys only had one runner, Byron Abbott who ran really well to finish 4th on the first leg (7.48) just being overtaken near the finish of the first leg after leading it the whole way round which was won by Josh Betteley from Crewe in 7.37.
Our U17 Women ran three solid legs – Katie Buckingham leading off in 9.18 followed by Rhiannon Wickham in 9.29 and Phoebe Howe in 9.37, being pipped in by Rossendale Harriers who took the Lancashire Bronze Medal.
The U17 men took their cue from the U15 Girls. In the Lancashire Champs Jack Hindle led off with a 3rd placed 14.38, followed by Robert Wong who won that leg with 14.57 and anchored by Joseph Howe on the third leg, running a brilliant and determined last leg in 14.45 to overtake Warrington in the closing stages and secure both County and North West Team titles. Joe Campbell (15.46) and Morgan Philips (15.35) in their first experience of running Road Relays enjoyed solid runs and competed in an incomplete 2nd Team.
The Senior Women sent out three teams which was great to see. Team A of Beckie Taylor (16.36) – Helen Leigh (16.19) and Shelley Tattersall (50.59) took 2nd place in the Lancashire County Championship and 7th place overall.
Team B – Charlotte Atkinson (19.31) – Kaylie Panaro (20.29) and Louise McCauley (19.25) took 5th place in the County Championships and 22nd overall.
Team C with Jan Buckingham (21.25) – Denise Wilson (22.19) and Catherine Guinan (20.35) were 8th in the County Championships and 27th overall.
Not to be outdone, the Senior Men also entered three teams. Rob Warner with the fastest leg of the day for the Harriers Senior Men (13.57); Tom Blaney (14.44); Danny Maynard (16.04) and Zac Howe (14.20) made up Team B finishing 4th Lancashire team and 15th overall.
Team A of Gary Pearse (15.58); Paul Guinan (15.03); Shaun Livesey (14.46) and Chris Barnes (14.50) came in 6th place in the Lancashire Championships and 20th overall.
Allan Hartley (16.49); Mark Almond (15.54); John Cookson (17.57) and Ian Clarkson (18.51) made up Team C and took 11th Lancashire spot and 47th overall.
