Podium 5k
The latest in the Podium 5k Series took place on Saturday – August 15th – and with an added dimension when 3k and 5k Races were held for Junior runners which proved to be quite popular, attracting 15 youngsters to the 3k Race won by Alfie Simons in 12.39 and 15 to the 5k Race won by Lewis Wilkes in 18.09.
Full Results HERE
Twenty one athletes turned up for the ‘A’ Race and 35 for the ‘B’ Race with some good times registered. Three Blackburn Harriers ran in the ‘A’ Race. Ben Fish led them home in 3rd place overall with a time of 15.03. It was a close run Race between the first five with just 10 seconds separating them all. Tim Raynes set himself another PB over the distance placing 10th in a time of 15.57 and Paul Bradshaw had a good run in 19th place with a time of 16.44. Laura Hesketh who runs for the Harriers on the Track ran in the ‘B’ Race finishing 12th overall and 2nd Woman in 18.41 – just six seconds off the winner Lucy Collins.
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It was the Presentation Evening for the Burnley Grand Prix the other night, an evening which saw Blackburn Harriers Gary Pearse receive the Trophy for winning the V50 Age Group for the Series.
Team mate and fellow Blackburn Harrier Mick Toms was at the Presentation Evening and told the Club that “I was with Gary last night when he won the V50 prize in the Burnley & Pendle Grand Prix. This is a really tough series and you have to complete 9 of the 13 races ranging from flat 5k road runs to the tough Hendon Brook Half Marathon, Fell races, trail races all very hard events. So it’s not easy to win any category Gary was, in my opinion, in the most competitive category in the series with plenty of quality V50 runners competing so no mean feat to come top of the tree. A big well done to him”.
(Hendon Brook Race Record Holder Tom Cornthwaite presenting Gary with his Trophy)
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Joe Monk who had just run a couple of Races whilst on holiday got up and running as soon as he got home, tackling the Catforth 5k in which 132 runners competed.
Full Results HERE
Joe finished 4th overall and first Junior Man in a time of 16.26 and said afterwards that he was “A bit disappointed with the run went off too quick with a 4:51 mile, hope to put this right at the Cappenhurst 5k on Wednesday”.
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A sizeable field of 142 runners lined up for this years Darwen Gala Race and in really good weather which was won by Ross Campbell from Highland Hill Runners in an excellent time of 30.30.
Full Results HERE
Just three runners from the Harriers in this one with Jack Hindle who is in training for the World Mountain Running Trials in Wales next week, taking 2nd place overall in 32.25. New member Carly Edwards placed 60th in 44.41 and one of the Club’s Sportshall Coaches – Ben Armstrong – came in 71st in 45.23.
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Evan Cook won the V60 Age Category at the 3rd fixture in the mid-week Haigh Hall Races placing 29th out of 100 runners in a time of 27.03. Also having a run out was V50 David Morris coming in 95th (36.44).
Full Results HERE
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It was the first of what is hoped to be regular 5k runs down at Witton Park on Sunday August 16th. The event attracted a lot of local runners and seemed to go down very well.
Some photos of runners on the day
(Neil Tattersall) (Amy Davies)
(John Chaplin) (Garry Wilkinson & Nick Smith)
(Richard Taylor & Carly Edwards)
