Lee Barlow and Alex Rowe battle Bolton junior Daniel Shaw in the Airshow 10k
Wesham finished 2nd overall and 2nd women and veterans in the provisional results from the fifth Inter Club race at Chorley on Wednesday evening, leaving a possible 3-way tie with Blackpool and Lytham in the ladies competition, leaving all to play for in the final race at Leyland on September 3rd. Rob Danson was 3rd and Karl Lee 8th and Catherine Carrdus and Carmel Sullivan were 2nd and 4th women as the Wesham blues fought against the dominance of Preston in this year’s series. The Wesham M50s and M60s both finished 3rd teams showing the growing quality in the older age groups.
It was the third and final Cuerden Valley Badger Run last Thursday evening and there was another bumper turnout with well over 200 runners in this popular multi-terrain race through the country park. With many members helping out Peter Bartlett was the first Wesham runner to finish in 117th place in a time of 52:09 on a perfect summer evening for running. He was the 1st M65. Sara Ward was 23rd woman and 2nd W45, 128th overall in 52:48. Dave Young was 2nd M65 in 54:32, in 147th place overall. Alistair Morris was 177th and 21st M50 in 58:03, with Natasha Wilkinson 212th in 64:54.
In the Blackpool Airshow 10k in Bispham on Sunday Wesham had a good turnout and there was some very good running. Troy Watson was in great form and he steamed ahead into 10th place and 2nd M45 with 36:49. Lee Barlow strode decisively to the finish line after a race long battle with team mate Alex Rowe, finishing 15th and 3rd M40 in 37:07. Rowe was just 2 seconds adrift with 37:09 in 19th place such was the rush to the line, finishing 2nd M55 but taking the age group trophy in the associated Northern Veterans Championship, also placing 3rd in this event. John Collier had a great run along the sea front, winning 1st M60 and placing 23rd overall in 38:47. Paul Hetherington was 37th and 10th M40 in 40:02, while Carmel Sullivan was 5th woman, 2nd W45 and 61st in 41:58. Alan Hudson was 2nd M65 behind Bolton’s Eric Ranicar, clocking 42:14 to claim 64th position overall. Elliot Costello was 74th in 43:32; Mick Edge 88th and 11th M50 in 45:19; Chris Moss 99th and 12th M45 in 46:04, and Ben Wrigley 117 in 47:44. Michaela Dempsey was 17th woman and 4th W45 in 47:53, 119th overall; Sharon Cooper 23rd woman and 4th W40 in 49:25, 123rd overall; Peter Cooke 9th M55 and 150th in 51:30l; and Dave Young was 7th M65 and 182nd in 54:43.
While a small training group headed round Great Hill and down into Leadmines Valley just two Wesham runners took part in the latest round of the Central Lancashire Grand Prix at the Astley Park Trail series in Chorley. Lee Barlow finished 22nd in 26:45 for the undulating two lapper through the park, placing 4th M40. Dave Waywell was 3rd M70 and 188th overall in 37:38; the leading M70- ran a phenomenal 32:34 for 123rd place, Mel Walker of Burnden.
Wesham had just one runner in the Welcome Tavern 10k on Sunday; Stephen Wilkinson finished 54th in 52:00 placing 2nd M60. Simon Eaton finished 30th in the Isle of Man Half Marathon on Sunday, with a time of 1:33:31 he finished 2nd M40.
It was the first anniversary of the Cuerden Valley parkrun and in its 53rd event Alex Rowe improved his age graded record to 80.24% with a time of 19:29. David Taylor ran 21:45 for an age graded performance of 59.31% at the Preston parkrun; Alan Taylor clocked 23:20 for M45 61.21%; and Dave Young recorded M65 64.84% with a time of 26:07.