Lancs Schools Cross Country Championships 2016

Some of the worst conditions ever seen for the Lancashire Schools Championships didn’t deter the youngsters from battling it out for selection to the this years English Schools Championships. The size of the fields were all pretty good with the exception of the Senior Boys (13 athletes) and the Senior Girls (10 athletes). The Junior Boys had 72 runners, Junior Girls 55, Inter boys 60 and Inter Girls 45. There were 80 in the Yr 7 Boys Race and 74 in the Girls Yr 7.

Full Results HERE

Liz Greenwood (Hyndburn) who has already won the Lancashire County Championships and took the Bronze Medal in the Northern Championships last week, kicked things off for Blackburn Harriers athletes who were competing for their Towns, by winning comfortably in the Senior Girls Race in a time of 17.17, seventeen seconds clear of 2nd place and sealing selection for English Schools.

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The next Race featured the Junior Boys and here Matt Ramsden (Blackburn) continued his great from this year winning the County Championships and finishing 6th in the Northern Championships. Matt took 4th place in a time of 15.49, just four seconds behind 2nd place and secured his selection for English Schools. Also having good runs in the Junior Boys were Jamie Teare (Hyndburn) 12th in 17.01, Leon Thomas (Blackburn) 23rd in 17.53, Jimmy Walpole (Blackburn) 39th in 18.44 and Bradley Miekleham (Blackburn)  – 46th in a time of 19.05.

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Another young athlete who won the County Championships was Amy Davies (Blackburn) who came 2nd in 15.39 to Alissa Derbyshire and as a result she became the third Harrier on the day to qualify for English Schools. Also running for the Blackburn Town Team was Ruby Cain finishing in a solid 23rd place (17.53) with Anna Lonsdale who also ran well for 25th position in a time of 17.55.

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Lancs  Schools XC Championships at Witton Park 06.02.201

Lancs Schools XC Championships at Witton Park 06.02.201

Maddie Elliott (Blackburn) became the fourth Blackburn Harrier to qualify for English Schools with a fine victory in the Inter-Girls Race. Maddie, Elliott Moulding (2nd) and Blyth Fourie (3rd) were in a tight race all the way round with Maddie not giving an inch and coming out the winner by four seconds from 2nd place and 13 from 3rd. Hannah Cookson (Hyndburn) who is ‘praying for the track season and dry weather’ to start took a solid 13th place (20.24) followed by Natalya Irvine (Burnley) in 15th spot (20.38). This was Natalya’s first Race in over a year as a result of injury, so this was a very good performance. Chloe Bleeks (Blackburn) took 19th place in 21.03 followed by Freya Black (South Ribble) in 28th place (22.12).

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In the Inter-Boys Race, Zak Hargreaves (Blackburn) placed 20th with a time of 23.56 whilst Nick Smith (Blackburn) came in 33rd in 25.37.

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In the Yr 7 Races, Harvey Ashworth (Blackburn) had a pretty solid run finishing 11th in a time of 9.43 and George Whittaker also competing for the Blackburn Town Team came in 69th in 11.41. In the Girls Race there were five girls from the Harriers running with Eleesha Charnley (Blackburn) having a very good run to finish 4th in the 74 strong field in a time of 10.32 and followed by Jess Watson (South Ribble) in 12th spot (11.03), Chrissie Sturgess (Blackburn) 37th with a time of 12.15, Jolie Hoole in 42nd place (12.22) and Anna Dabrowski (Hyndburn) 57th in 13.16.

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Winter Warmer 10k

Four hundred and forty runners finished the Winter Warmer 10k and as they set off – with 22 Blackburn Harriers among them – it was clear from the very start with really bad winds, that there wasn’t going to be much chance of PB’s!!

Heading down from the Clogg and Billycock Pub and approaching the 4k mark saw the eventual winner – Rob Danson (33.45), battling it out with the eventual runner up – Blackburn Harriers Tim Raynes (34.10) and given the conditions, pretty good times.

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Full Results HERE

No doubt about the Team Winners on the day as the Harriers took 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th places – Jack Hindle in 4th place and 1st Junior Male (35.26), Andy Buttery in 5th and 1st V45 (35.52), Paul Guinan 6th and 2nd V45 (36.14) and Brian Fogarty racing a week after his fantastic win in the Dubai 70.3 Ironman 7th (36.29). Chris Davies placed 10th in 37.36 which meant that the Harriers had six runners in the top ten.

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Next Harrier home was Richard Fogarty in 16th with a time of 39.21 and given the conditions and an easier course, it looks as though his PB is ready to be revised. First Woman and 1st Junior Woman home was 17yr old Liz Greenwood (18th) competing the day after she had won the Lancashire Schools XC Championships in a time of 39.52. Mark Bleasdale placed 21st in 40.04 whilst new member – Sean Proctor – also had a good run coming in 24th with a time of 40.37 and followed by Allan Hartley in 26th (41.01). In 42nd came Maddie Elliott – in her first ever 10k – (42.33), who like Liz had won the Lancashire Schools XC Championships the day before. She was the 3rd Female home on the day and 2nd Junior Female and these results, in the middle of a great cross country season for her, are just rewards for the hard work she puts into her training. Winner of the V65 Age Group was Evan Cook who placed 43rd in an excellent time of 42.41 – a time which puts him in 5th place in the National Rankings.

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John Cookson came home in 44.19 (59th) with Warren Smith in 62nd spot (44.35) and Carly Edwards placing 81st in 45.47 a time in those conditions suggesting that she is going to improve her 10k PB before too long. Craig Greenhough was next in for the Club in 86th (45.51) followed by Michael Sharp in 105th (47.16), Mike Blacklidge making his return to the competitive fold in 124th (48.00), Mick Nolan (210th) in a time of 53.01, Lorna Sharp (238th) in 54.58, Lindsay Davies (312th) in 59.31 and David Morris 340th in 62.07.

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In the Winter Warmer 2k for the youngsters there was a whopping field of 246 runners with seventeen of them from the Harriers which was a great turnout and included 5 age category wins and 4 runner up positions.

Full Results HERE

Amy Davies continued her good run of form with 2nd overall in the 246 strong field and 1st Girl in 8.09. New member Jasper Smith was 4th overall and 2nd M12 in 8.22 with Kyle Taylor-Pomfret just behind in 5th (8.28) and 1st M11 on the day. Eleesha Charnley was 2nd F12 and 19th overall with a time of 8.32 whilst Saul Sharp in 12th place (8.45) was the 1st M9.

Leah Hoole came in 15th (8.50) and 2nd F10 with Eleanor Allsop just one second behind in 16th spot (8.51) and 3rd F10 on the day. Christie Sturgess finished in a time of 9.13 (20th) whilst Mashood Hussain (9.30) came in 25th and 1st M8 out of 18 other runners in the same age category with Oliver Gill running him very close in 26th spot (9.31). In 39th place was Isabelle Hartley (10.02) followed by Hannah Davies (10.17) in 45th place & 2nd F7 out of the 17 girls in that age category. Just three seconds behind in 46th came Khalil Dalal in 10.20 and Alfie Marsden (49th) with a time of 10.31. Lily Thomas was next in for the Harriers in 81st (11.15) with 6yr old Lulu Sharp (82nd) with 11.16 and also winning the F6 on the day. In 118th was Harry Thomas (12.10).

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Bucs 2016 Cross Country Championships

Katie Buckingham was racing at this years Bucs Championships as part of the Nottingham University Team and commented, unsurprisingly, given the weather…….“Mud mud mud the probably some of worst weather conditions I’ve ever raced in, so not my ideal race course! Embraced the rain and had a fab day finishing 272nd out of about 600 girls and Notts team finished an impressive 14th! Bring on the dry track season asap!”

Full Women Results HERE

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In other Races, David Almond (V45) was down at the Alsager 5 Race at the weekend finishing 71st out of a big field of 917 finishers in a good time of 29.44. (Full Results HERE)

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(Photo courtesy of Mick Hall)

New member Paul Clarke (V50) had his first race for the Harriers in another big race – featuring 2235 finishers – the Mad Dog 10k at Southport – (Full Results HERE). Paul finished in 374th place with a time of 49.11.