The Pulford 10k took place on Sunday March 22nd – a race described as “The Pulford 10k takes place on the legendary Pulford loop in Pulford Cheshire; known in running folklore as ‘The Magic Triangle’. This is one of the fastest routes in the UK and is the scene of Jake Smith’s legendary 2:11 marathon debut whilst acting as a pacemaker in the Cheshire Elite Marathon back in 2021“. Blackburn Harriers Joe Monk took this one on – the race having four hundred and sixty two finishers and won by GB international Marc Scott in a time of 29.25 with Matt Clowes in 2nd (29.36) and Matthew Pickering in 3rd (29.43). Joe had a fabulous race, setting a new PB by fifty eight seconds seconds, to take 5th place overall in a time of 29.50. (RESULTS). A very delighted athlete spoke to the Club after his race – Joe telling us that he was “Honestly over the moon. This was the one I wanted – breaking 30 for 10k. Ever since my first 10k at Ribble Valley some 13 years ago it’s all been leading to this. Since rejoining the club back in September my performances have only continued to improve and that’s with being In a quality group with quality coaching. Excited for more.”

Joe Monk

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Over in America this week, Blackburn  Harriers Matthew Heywood was out competing in the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational in Myrtle Beach South Carolina on Thursday March 19th in the Hammer. Matt had six throws opening with 50.91m with the 7.26kg Hammer, followed by distances of 52.69m, 53.84m, 54.04m, 52.64m, 53.59m – six throws all over 50m and a seasons best distance of 54.04m. Placing 4th in the competition, Matt was happy with his performance, telling the Club that it was his “2nd competition of the season in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I had an incredible series all over 50m improving in 4 consecutive throws. 4 meters seasons best with 54.04. Excited to see what more I can produce next week. Placed 4th overall out of 64 athletes“. (Matt’s Video)

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Back on the road and this time in the Lakes – the Conistion 14 – being the race taken on by Blackburn Harriers duo Andrew Knowles and Leah Hoole. What a run by Leah, coming home in 12th place in the Women’s race out of four hundred and fifty finishers with a time of 1hr 40.51. Andrew also had a good run, crossing the finish line in 318th spot  out of a field of over eleven hundred runners in 1hr 54.19 and 12th V60 out of fifty five in that age category. (RESULTS)

Leah Hoole and Andrew Knowles

The Wilmslow Half-Marathon took place on Sunday March 22nd with five Blackburn Harriers all lining on the start line along with over three thousand, seven hundred other runners – the race being won by Lawrence McCourt in 64.45, with Josh Griffiths in 2nd (65.06) and Chris perry in 3rd (65.28). Paul Bradshaw who has recently posted a new personal best for the Half-Marathon had another good run placing 80th overall in a time of 75.00 after going through 10k in a rapid sub 34.00 minutes. Next home was Tom Monks placing 143rd with a time of 78.59 on his debut which was a fine run. Chris Marsden took on his first ever half-marathon and like Tom had a good run, coming home in 180th spot with a time of 80.28. V45 Vikki Robertshaw was very close to running a new personal best as she came home in 88.08, 39th out of 1253 female runners and 6th V45. (RESULTS)

Paul Bradshaw

Still on the road and it was very good run from Blackburn Harriers James Bretherton at the most recent Lancaster Power of 5k race held on Friday March 20th. In Race 1 Thomas Hodgson was the winner in 15.01 followed by Joe Moores (15.15) and Charlie Daly (15.18). James placed 10th overall in a new PB time of 15.58 and was the 1st V45 home. In Race 2 V55 Mark Almond had a good race too, placing 5th in a time of 18.37 and 1st V55.

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It’s getting close to the opening of the Track and field season, presaged in this area by the annual Blackpool Winter Open held at Stanley Park on Saturday March 21st and Trafford Open Meeting held on Sunday March 22nd. (FIELD RESULTS) — (TRACK RESULTS).

At Blackpool – starting with Field Events –  James Acton-Grieves competing in the new age group categories of U16B was soon out of the blocks with a new PB in the Long Jump, taking 2nd place with a jump of 5.22m – an improvement by 8cm. He followed that up with a big new PB in the Shot Putt, throwing 8.59m in 4th place. Replicating those performances, U18M Loucas Lancashire set himself a new PB in the 700g Javelin with a distance of 43.81m. U12G Scarlett Cothliff placed 8th out of 18 youngsters in the Long Jump with 2.81m and in the U14G Long Jump, Mia Rose Burns jumped 3.13m to place 14th overall. Throws Coach and V60 Tony Balko took on the Discus – winning it with a throw of 35.84m and followed that up with a throw of 38.28m in the Hammer. U14B’s Noah Briscoe and Harry Mitchell went in the Long Jump – Noah winning the competition with a leap of 4.63m (an outdoor new PB) alongside team mate Harry in 2nd spot also posting a big new PB of 4.55m.

On to the track and U18M Jack Duxbury was first up in the 200m with a new PB – by over half a second outdoors clocking 24.3 in 2nd place and before that destroyed his previous 100m best by setting a new PB of 11.6 in 4th spot, again by half a second. U14G Maizie Cooke set herself a new PB in the 200m clocking 30.6 in 4th spot (Heat 3) as team mate U14 Mia Logan also registered a new 200m PB of 32.7 in 4th place (Heat 2) followed by Pippa Blackburn coming home in 5th place in Heat 1 bringing her previous time down from 38.0 to a big new PB of 31.7. After winning the Long Jump with a new PB, U14B Noah Briscoe set another new PB of 13.8 in 2nd spot in the 100m. U14G Maizie Cooke took on the 75m sprint for the first time running 12.6 in 4th place. U14G Ava Shannon chopped nearly a second off her 100m best as she clocked a new PB time of 14.3 in 2nd place with team mate Mia Logan in the same race cutting her previous best by over a second with a new PB of 14.8 in 6th spot followed in the next race by U14G Mia Rose Burns clocking 16.2 in 5th position. Pippa Blackburn finished off her day with another new PB in the 800m running 2.50 3. Scarlett Cothliff went in the U12G 600m race posting a time of 2.36.0 in 8th spot and finally, in her first race over 75m Hurdles, Ava Shannon clocked 13.6 (5th) in the U14G’s race as she stepped up from the 70m Hurdles distance.

L- R Pippa Blackburn – Scarlett Cothliff – Mia Logan

Ava Shannon

The day after and it was Trafford’s turn to give young athletes the opportunity to see where their winter training was taking them. First up in the U16G 100m races was Niamh Boland in a mixed gender race, clocking 13.46 in 3rd spot. In the U12G Long Jump of 17 youngsters, Amelie Holden jumped 2.43m in 15th spot, ran a new PB in the 75m with 12.98 in 6th followed in the 150m by running 26.46 which was her second new PB of the day.  In the 200m U16 Darcie Belshaw was racing against U18’s and 20’s as well as U16’s and clocked 26.97 which was a new PB – the same thing happening to U16 Niamh Boland in the following race mixed between U16 and U18 athletes and like Darcie, it didn’t stop her from posting a new PB time of 27.56. Darcie then took on the 300m placing 3rd in her race with a time of 43.46. U14 Thomas Stewart was in the second race of the 800m and came home in 2nd spot.

L-R Niamh Boland & Darcie Belshaw

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Finally in this weeks report – well done to Charlotte Smith who ompeted in the National Schools Biathlon competition at Bath University on Saturday March 21st. She set new PBs in both the 1600m run (5:20.24min) and in the 200m swim (2:33.63min) and got the bronze medal!

Charlotte Smith (right of Photo)

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