During the Winter, the Club put on the Witton Park Trail Relays which were extremely popular and the athletes who participated in it were so enthused that they asked that we put on a Summer Relay. Richard Taylor and Jan Buckingham got stuck into organising it and the sun shone, but sadly on the days leading up to the Race – on Race day it rained, hence the title ‘Summer Witton Park Trail Relay’.

Full Results HERE

Undaunted, 55 Teams with 3 Runners each entered and it turned out to be a very enjoyable event. Horwich RMI had the winning Team overall comprising David Jackson, Chris Farrell and Martyn Bell (45.46). First Ladies Team were host Club Blackburn Harriers (Bangor’s & Splash) – 11th overall with Helen Leigh, Beckie Taylor and Sarah Caskey (53.12). The Harriers Junior Girls then backed up the seniors by wining the Junior Women’s Team (Buckingham Pal Lasses) prize with a team of Liz Greenwood, Katie Buckingham and Grace Handley (53.40) and just 1 second behind Clayton ‘A’ Junior Boys. Burnden RR Vets won the Men’s Vet Race (53.33) with Andy Stavely, Keith Thomas and Pete Hopley. Winners of the Junior Boys Team were Pendle AC ‘A’ – 4th overall (48.33) with Matt Dutton, James Marchant and Josh Ingham and the last Team prize – Ladies Vets – went to Chorley Ladies ‘C’ (66.53) represented by Maria Boyle, Alison Parkinson and Anna Maria Crabtree.

There were also a number of other Blackburn Harriers Teams competing – “Huey, Dewey & Louie” (aka) Byron Abbott, Thomas Harbour and Jack Wilkinson who were 9th overall (52.13) – “The Torch Bearer’s” (aka) Allan Hartley, Chris Davies and Danny Maynard in 18th (55.10) – “Camp Boys” (aka) John Chaplin, Mark Almond and Michael Nolan in 27th position (56.48) – “Anne’s Golden Girls “ (aka) Megan Clarkson, Natalya Irvine and Hannah Cookson 32nd place (58.40) and one place and 28 seconds in front of the “3 Amigo’s” or to you and me, John Cookson, Paul Wilkinson and John Orrell – “What’s That Coming Over the Hill” (aka) Kelsey Rutherford, Esme Pearse and Georgia Turgoose 47th (68.54) and last but by no means least the wonderfully named “God Loves a Tryer” consisting of Catherine Guinan, Louise McCauley and Lisa Nuttall 51st (72.16).

Fastest Relay Legs of the night were:

Male Leg 1         Gary Shaw                     “The Money Team” (Barlick Fell Runners) 15.14

Female Leg1      Liz Greenwood              “Buckingham Pal Lasses” (Blackburn Harriers) 16.50

Male Leg 2         Chris Farrell                    Horwich RMI  14.44

Female Leg 2     Catherine O’Dwyer         “Bolton 2”   (Bolton United Harriers) 17.45

Male Leg 3         Matt Barnes                    “Pendle Punks” Pendle AC  15.39

Female Leg 3     Grace Handley               “Buckingham Pal Lasses” (Blackburn Harriers) 17.20

"The Old Farts" - Ian Clarkson; Rob Donaldson and Stephen Irvine - fin ishing fast in 49th place (69.42) and demanding a transfer on the strength of the performance!!

“The Old Farts” – Ian Clarkson; Rob Donaldson and Stephen Irvine – finishing fast in 49th place (69.42) and demanding a transfer on the strength of the performance!!